The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1876-05-26

sel TIE exhibition of foreign goods, +
lily from the leading EurQpeaM ma |
cry large Englane1is maEnificent- |
fsented Spain as becomes the pio- |
q eolonist o6fhe New World, while China !
rsdpds rs strong justification OF %he treaty |
OF reciprocal intercourse-herc choicest treas
ures OF nature and art. But Japan stands |
pre-emlnent among eastern nations for the
extent and excellence of its exhibition. And
INDIA, over which Victoria now sits empress,
puts on her royal robes and challenges adj
mlring recognition.
As to home products, whatever criticisms
might be made for deficiencies in particular,
or minor departments, the tout ensemble, the
show taken as n whole, is far superior TO
anything the world has ever seen. The char
acteristic feature of the exhibition-which
gives II significance TO the great mass of peo-
ple-is utility, and those departments of
special interest to workingmen-agricul
raj, mechanical, and manufacturing-arc
magnificently grand and full So far, there
fore, as the grounds, the buildings, and the
goods exhibited can insure it, the centennial
exposition is a signal success. And those
who neglect to visit il will Mss a great OPP
portunity of instruction in the worlds in
dustrieS, and in the character, extent, and
value of the worlds products, which will
not occur again in lifetime
What IS now wanting to complete the pan
Drama and make this exposition memora-
bic IN history as it is grand, patriotic, and
GATHERING OF THE PEOPLE
from the north and the south, the east and
the west, to overflow these grand spaces, and
NIL these magnificent aisles till the murmur-
ing voices of this great human flood shall
rise to grand international anthem of adj
mlration over the work of their own hands.
COST OF LIVING HERE
first-class hotels charge s. day, the same
as IN any eastern city, but good comfortable
board for $50 and 50 day; and the price
1 OF board and lodging, considering the in
creased cost of flour, meat, and butter here
/ compares favorably with the price in Chicago
/ Cincinnati and st. Louis, while house rent
/ is positively cheaper. OF course, those who
! demand luxuries must pay for theirs, and
/ those who have but little time to spare for
/ the exposition may find, in the saving Of car
| riage and street ear fare and in economy of
time, the nearby first class hotels sre The
cheapest.
ACROSS To THE GROUNDS
is rendered easy and speedy by net work
OF street car lines, radiating to all parts of
the country leading into the city, and nota-
bly, by the Pennsylvania railroad, leading di-
! reetiy TO the centennial grounds near the
main entrance, where they have erected n
magnificent depot
THE OPENING DAY
Was preceded and ushered in, Dy severe
rainstorm, but, before s O'clock sunlight
broke through the clouds and, till p. m,
more auspicieus day could not have been de-
sired, The dust was laid, and tree and shrub
and lawn were clad in the Iiveliest green
4 And not till hours after speech and song and
! the chimes of bells were ended, and a large
portion Of the visitors had retired from the
/ grounds, did the windows of heaven again
open and give us Noahic shower But il
cleared off again before sunset, to enable
Philadelphia to exhibit herself in a street
promenade.
THE DECORATIONS
throughout the city were proiuse beyond all
precedent. The streets were ablaze with the
flags OF all nations. Public buildings stores
and private residences were covered with
| them. Ledger building alone HAD one hun
dred and eighty. The state house on indie
pendence square, was literally embodied bv
them and with paintings of the coats of arms
OF the thirteen original states. Go where
you would, houses, cars, carriages, carts.
horSes,-everything that could hold flag
staff, big or little-streamed with them.
Nothing like it ever has been, and probably
never will be again, except the Fourth of
next July.
THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE.
/ present IN the grounds and buildings, on
opening day, was variously estimated Mt from,
two hundred and fifty thousand to three
hundred thousand, but cannot be accurately
! known, as no record was kept except of
| those who paid their entrance Fee But IL
was very large and could only be reckoned
| by the acre and the square mile They over-
flowed the buildings the grounds, the streets.
| the hotels, the cars, and every available
/ space There must have been hundreds of
thousands present within the grounds, be-
side great multitude of outsiders too i'm
Pecunious ortoo parsimonious to pay an adj
| mission fee. And when the rain fell pour-
| ing down, and when after 5 O'Clock the yisi-
tors were required to vacate the exhibition
| buildings, they thronged the streets filled ALI
j the hotels, restaurants and shanties adjacent
! levied upon all street cars, cabs, express
/ wagons, ice carts, beer and grocery wagons
and every other available vehicle to shelter
them from the storm, or carry them into the
/ city and yet-not more than one-fourth of
them could be thus accommodated, and the
: rest had to tFudge homewarl .afoot through
tttsmost adhesive and interminabIe mn,t
oeeasion demonstrated tha@rtter inade-
street and rail cars, al public. and
topTeyaures to transport Visitors to
.e exposition, on gala day ia.
ere nj eeasiens thS1z5zz
aS6lrsTpse court, Gen sherllias q
49, represeptatiyessof the
ieffi.tN = The centxal figure the one
sarded with most interest, and the one
enJnuSlaSIiCdlfN Inn Pc
.5iro in plain titizens dress ayithout oeeora-
pan of any kind, manipulating parsonage
ga large physique and BRAIN who wastes no
lafrne on ceremony, and is resolved to learn
4what is worth knowing of the people and in.
situations of this country. Congress and the
diplomatic corps of all nations, and the
Great office-holding mob of the country were
there in full force. Mrs. Grant, and the
ladies Of the cabinet ministers, the wives of
foreign ministers, Mrs. Gillespie, head of the
women's department, and many other of
fame graced the platform.
THE INAUGURAL CEREMONIES
were opened by a salvo of artillery, and the
national airs of all nations, by Thomas or. |
chestra. Then followed prayer by Rt Rev |
Bishop Simpson, the singing of Writers |
bvmn presentation address by John Welsh |
president of the Board of Finance; a can
tata by the chorus of thousand voices. with
orchestral accompaniment, and magnifi-
cent bass solo by Myron w. Whitney, of
Boston, encored and repeated 10 the I'M
bounded delight of the immense multitude.
His deep, clear voice rose above the noise
and confusion of the vast conceurse like the
song of the angels over Bethlehem's plains,
and every murmur was hushed and every
heart was thrilled. Then came the address
of Joseph T. Hawley, president of the
United States centennial commission in
clear. ringing tones that all could hear, in
of the exhibition building t.
President trraht. Inc PRESIDENTS response
was delivered in so low tone as to be in
audible, except TO those near the stand The
DR. SIS viii generally reproduce the essential
ea.ures of the proceedings. Ny impress
3oa of the whole affair can be given in few
no IDS. The formal proceedings were all pre-
arranged and circumscribed by fixed limits,
md save the concourse of people, Whitney's |
solo, and perhaps Hawley's speech, there
vas nothing spontaneous or inspirational |
bout them. So far as the display of the ]