Richland beacon. [volume] (Rayville, La.) 1869-1890, 1876-05-27
CENTENNIAL LETTER.

irving IT, collect nav scattered senses. 10 tell
what | have ,rcu All - confused and
Mixed I..nr Casio after ms spree. ! rcmcm
Der a mass oi things, but nothing distinctly.
Even now ~ midnight, many hours after tIc
yrra, events at TN. celebration have past, ii
seems a, If tie thunder Of III. cannon, the
rattle of drums, and the brayin. of brazrn in
,irumrnrs were still ringing in my ears, and
aaurin. before NY eyes are all the brilliant
coors Of the rainbow, taking all sorts Of
wonderful shapes, in regiments and columns.
and divisions, bairal,inns societies, Turn
Vcriues. Saengcr hofS Russian bears. British
lions. Chinese pa.odas, Japanese nOmsrrosi-
ties, and soaring above all, with wings extern
dcd in the most pltronzing manner, the mag
nitccrt emblem of American freedom. the
eagle bird. by chance
| took our into the nigh. and the sky j.
Illuminated with various cnored fires, rockets
shoot ny toward the heavens in every direc-
ton. Illuminating them with a hal" of glory.
|, seems like very simple thing to tell
what you have seen. but IN the present IN
stance i, would be like attempting TO describe
the colors and figures of a Kaleidoscope.
! The opening could not he ,ad to have com
menccd this morning; all day yesterday, aud
sands came pouring into the Quaker City. Ill
il actually seemed as il the whole United
States must have been dcpopulated 10 furnish
tine Tremendous crowd. Where they all found
shelter. Heaven only knows. Indeed. they
did not all find shelter, for all through the
night previous to the opening. the streets were
crowded a. they usually are on grand "aiil
day. Many of the stores never closed n, all.
IA. 81. H., s,-. from
dark til dawn, vast crowds Of people heavcd
and >urgcd like the waves OF stormy sea.
Happy he who could find resting place on
the soft side of plank, while an individual
lucky enough To secure co, IN lar!"r next
vn the roof or under the shelter of balcony,
regarded himself as man whom kings
might envy.
/, is useless to saw tina, am tired, sleepy.
used mp, gone in and, ~ II we're, generally
done for What cares my multitude of read
er. for that they want To hear about the bG
SHOW. So. with eyes blinded with smoke,
and head whiZzing with all sorts Of sights
and sounds If yOu will only have patience
ladies aud gentlemen, | will DO the best
can, and try and begin at the beginning
The roar of hundreds of cannon welcomed
the comisg day; for although II i not yet on
Fourth of July, it seemed To he felt, that ID!
general consent. we had made sort of Gre
gorian advance OF a few weeks, and wer,
celebrating the CentcnHiI birthday Of TIA,
freedom of the American Union. OF course
one feeling rose paramount IN every heart,
fec linz of IhaukIulnesS that we were still {
united people; that Notwithstanding the dis
as;crs and suticrinrs OF the last few years
we were permitted, the providence of God
10 celebrate with our great Exhibition, th'
hundredth year of our National lndcpen
dence.
Chestnut street has altered materially since
l776, bat Independence Hall sill remains in
: tact; aud within a few feet of the roar an'
: turmoil Of the busy street, is the quaint ole
: room where hundred years ago sat Tia
stately John Haucnck. flmked by Franklin
: and Jefferson and Adams aud the rest of tia
: splendid galaxy, Whose names have becom
immortal.
The furniture i sill substantially the same
veiy plain, very shabby, very old, yet ever
article of it j. a sacred relic worth more ta
gold. and bringing us back TO the better day
of the republic, when calico WIS respectable
, and two-story bustles were unknown.
The air was balmy and mild, and it reail
seemed as if the Almighty had smiled on ia
, . occasion, and covered it with IeliSon an
blessing Irneeded no special announcement
/ to tell that something great and impor,aI
was impending; crowds had been snrgin
through the streets all the night before; aht
As the day dawred. soldiers IN gay uhIiurn
might he seen hurryng IN every direction
:. getting ready for the opening Of the Gre
E, Exhibition.
Rcvcille beats, bugle calls, TIE >hrll ,liriei
Of thousands of steam whistles, were min.it
with the roar Of cannon and the rattle
small arms Little boy :, unrcs'rained by \
cious policemen, set of Whole bundles OF Fl
- crackers AT z time, while young gcnilem,
from the country stool on the street corhc
III discharging ancient horse pistols, with 81
n, Iock,. which looked as though they mig
-, Lave done service against Iarlcton ~ Coy
~ pens. or have ridded the Jacket of sou
III cowar,liy Hesslan, AT Germantown or Trent
~ Everylod, looked smiling. IL was evihe
:; that America, young and Old, were out for
l. day. and were bound to have good time
"' Such display Of bunting was never SCI
i'm the United States before. Flags, IT..
rs nothing but flags, ilnated in every direcrin
out OF the windows aud doors, and fron I
sides and tie roofs Of the houses. Fla:
flags. flags, American flags, English a.;
Dutch flags, French flags Irish flags, Rus>i'
Prussiau. Austrian, Swedish, and Dam
flags; they filled the sky and the air; win
ever you turned, flags, flags, flag; they fla
m ped IN y0nr eyes, they ht you on the no
is they -mo,c you on the cheek, they beIred J
IN the wind, they knocked your new hat II
~ he gutter aud raised the devil gene RAJ
'id Men constantly firtcd Ivy you in grore-G
d. aud startling costumes; while on every la
IA the ear was stunned with the u.lnteili,il
jargon of strange and innumerablc ton2u
Early in the morning tac whole city seem
oil To have Iurncd lis face toward the site OF
of Cen,ennia, Buildings. thousand upon Tia
ct sands filled the way every veh,chle from
wheel-barrow TO Pullman palace ear "
II brought INTO active reguisitiOn. PhiIahelpl
On had made tremendous preparation for
great event, but all her calculations W
swept away, "a a rush q swept out If the pa
way Of q hurricane, Carriages, COCA
omnbus>cs. raiiroad cars, all alike "
crammed, rammcd. JanI'ned All di>rimcIr
:" of cast or character were utterly iguor,
-" gentlemen in white choakerS, and swao
'on tailed coats fought with booihlacks and
''e carriers, for the poor privilege of hanging
are ly their eyeIids to the from, or back pa f,
Nv. nf d. dirty stree, car. The heat of the :
art - ~ a., ,..,i.,t,. 80 L.n,v +
of -. -. =; -, -. -,
he - , -, r,,.,.;,, ,,.r,, I,.,I go;
len -, =. -, -, ,.,,,,,, a.,
ION. ,,, ~, :, e., -, I,,,I Ia,
zee. -, III. II -. .,,.I,i,i,, OF f.
-ce. ,:-I - - ..,,t;,.,r IL, L., 49,.
b stranger IN strange land, and unable TO
IN his way hack 10 Skneatles or Blue Lick.
l.. 1,
nal deeu hAe scene VI ehena"Une"l
lsnt III ,,,., -, :, 90, ,.,., 40 al
will don ttc.iay in despair. Suffice to say.
e scene was wonderful, buildings beautilu
'desisr, and coll, sal in proportion, 'owere'
every side. Its almost appalling to thin