Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1876-05-18

! Spangled Banner.
| At the Exposition grounds q spacious plat
form had been erected at the side of Memo
rial Hall, north of The center of the Main
! Building, and seats were arranged on the
platform for official and other invited guests.
/ At eleven o'clock President Grant and his
party, accompanied by numerous Govern
ment officials and other prominent individu-
ais, proceeded to the platform, the President
/ having been escorted to the grounds by Gov.
! Hartranft, with a division of the military
At the right of the center of the platform
were seated the President of the United
/ States and the members of the Cabinet and
further to the right were the seats Of
United States Senators, members of
| house of Representatives, the Govern
| ors of the various States, with their
! STATS, the Governor of Pennsylvania and
State officers, the State Supreme Court
| and the Legislature, and representatives of
| the army and navy, the Smithsonian IDsti-
! tnte, United States Judges, officers of the
Executive Office and the bureaus and mem
! bers of the Woman's Centennial Committee
! On the left of the center were the seats of the
! United States Supreme Court, and further to
| the left the seats of members of the Diplo-
matte Corps and members of the Centennial
! Commission, the Board of Finance, the
! Womans Executive Committee, Foreign
! Commissioners, the Mayor, Council and
! other officials of Philadelphia, Mayors Of
! other cities, State Centennial Boards, the
Board of Award, and along the front of the
| platform were seated the members CT the
! press. .....
The orchestra of $50 pieces and a chorus
! If 1000 voices, under the direction of Theo-
| dore Thomas and Dudley Buck, were sta
toned directly in front of the platform, at the
! side of the Main Building.
| The platform was at once crowded, and
! all the surrounding space and all the availa-
bic points of elevation in the neighborhood
had been already occupied by crowds of yisi-
! tors.
| The orchestra, while the seats were being
J secured, played National airs, and after the
| party on the platform had arranged them
| selves, played Wagner's Centennial March,
which was received with applause.
! After the opening prayer, by Bishop Simp-
| son, of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and
| the singing OF WhittierS Centennial Hymn,
the presentation of the buildings took place,
the Board of Finance, with appropriate
speeches and ceremonials, turning over the
| buildings to the Commission.
| The Centennial Hymn, written for the oc-
casion by John G. Whittier, is as follows:
! Our fathers Godi from out whose hand
The centuries fall like grains Of sand,
We meet to-day, united, free,
And loyal to our land and Thee
To thank Thee for the era done,
-. And trust Thee for the opening one.
Here, where of old, by Thy design
The fathers spake that word of Thine
Whose echo is the glad refrain ~.
OF rended bolt and falling chain,
To grace our festal time, from all
The zones of earth our guests we call.
Be with us while the New World greets
The Old World thronging all its streets,
Unyeiing al the triumphs WOE
BY art or toll beneath the sum-
And unto common good Ordain
This riValship of hand and brain.
Thou who hast here in concord furled
The war flags of gathered world,
Beneath our western skies fulfill
The Orients mission Of good will,
And freighteG with Loves golden fleece,
Send back its ArgOnauts OF peace.
For art and labor met in truce,
For beauty made the bride of use,
We thank Thee; but, Withal, we crave
The austere virtues strong TO save,
The honor proof to place gold,
The manhood never bought nor sold!
Ohl make Thou us, through centuries long,
In peace secure, in justice strong;
Around our gift OF freedom draw
The safeguards of Thy righteous law;
And, cast in some diviner mold,
Let the new cycle shame the old!
Next followed the singing of Sidney Ian
! er's cantata by full chorus, accompanied
| ny VIC OLCuCoGId' 1lIC applause VI lIIG NdSb
crowd was enthusiastic, and portions of the
music were encOred.
The presentation Of the Exhibition to the
! President of the United States by President
! Hawley, Of the United States Commission,
| then followed, Gen. HaWley concluding his
| remarks as follows:
! On July 4, 1873, this ground was dedicated to
| its present uses. Twenty-one months ago this
| Memorial Hall begun; all the other $50
! buildings within the enclosure have been erected
t-i+hj XKolIT he. oil Tba h1yii1
braCed in the plans of the Commission itself are
! finished. The demands of the applicants exceed
| the space, and strenuous and continuous efforts
! have been made to get every exhibit ready in
! time. By general consent, the Exhibition was
appropriately held i'll the City of Brotherly Love.
| Yonder, almost within your view, stands the
venerated edifice wherein occurred the event
which this work is designed to commemorate,
and the hall in which the first Centennial Con-
gress assembled. Within the present limits of
| This great park were the homes of the eminent
patriots of that era; where Washington and
his associates received generous hospitality
and able counsel. 1t has
! been the fervent hope of the Commission that
during this festival year the people from all States
and sections, of all creeds and churches, all par
ties and classes, burying all resentments, would
| come up together to this birthplace OF Liberty,
| to study the evidence of our resources, TO meas
| ure the progress of hundred years, and to exam
inc to our profit the wonderful products of other
lands but especially to join hands IN perfect fra
ernity and promise to the God Of our fathers that
| the new century shall surpass the old in the
/
that from the association here Of welcome WISH
tors from all nations there may result not alone
great benefits to invention, manUfac lures, agri-
culture. trade and commerce, but also stronger
international friendships and more lasting peace.
Thus reporting to you Mr.. President, under
the laws of the Government and the usage Of
similar occasions, in the name of the United
States Centennial Commission, present TO your
view the International Exhibition of 1916
When President Grant rose to respond, he
was treated with enthusiastic and long con
tinued applause. He then read MS response,
as follows: ..-.. 81. zs.
1t has been thought appropriate upon this Gems,
| tenuial occasion 10 bring together in PhiIadeI-
phia, for popular inspection, specimens OF our at
Iainments in the industrial and fine arts, and in
literature, science and philosophy, as we'll
as in the great business OF agriculture
and of commerce, that may more
thoroughly appreciate the excellencies and de-
fciencIes of cur achievements, and also give
al emphatic expression to our earnest desire
to cultivate the friendship OF our feIlow-neEn-
bers of this great family of nations. The en-
liehtened agricultural, commercial and manu-,
featuring people of the world have been invited
to.send hiJher corresponding specimens of their
skill, TO exhibit on equal terms, in friendly com
petition with our own. To this invitation they
ACir,