St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1876-10-06
The Great Crowd.
EDWARD KINGS ACCOUNT.

quarter of Il million people atteilueu the
This is what Edward King
says in the JOHrndi:
They came in solid legi"ns. with
tramp that shook the ground. and with
bands of music hat atfrighted tia" ears.
They came from early morning until
late at night, and when the rush WAS
over il was discovered that more than
Il quarter of II million persons had paid
for entrance to the grounds. Nothing
like it waS ever known before III the
history of exhibitions. No crowd on
these occasions ever reached two hun
dled thousand before. There was never
amy such great outpouring of the people
of Il State III America. or in any other
commonwealth. 1t WAS marvellous to
see the people arrive. Long professions
of brcwerS'S men, of carpet wcavcr>, of
the rough and ready fellows who all
day WELD hammers upon engine boilers
and plates: the thousands of wolkmcn
from the tceming wharvcs of the Della
ware and Schu> kill; the troops of pref
ty paletaced girls from the cotton and
WOODEN mills: the populace. we'll dress
ed and orderly. hut struggling, painting,
jOstling, commenting in loud voices.
parting each the other with familiar
cries, laughing ut the strange costumes,
gathering like bees around the foreign
hIZaaIS. investigating, probing. qur>-
tlonlng. doubling; the mob in its sun
day dress. another upper ten in its
morning dress, the local politician and
the merchant, the LAWYER and the steve
dore. the railroad hand and the railroad
king, side 10y side for Il whole day. The
school children, freed from restraint 10y
the henetircnt proclamation which made
Thursday IL legal holiday. came 10y
thousands : they ran and skipped ev
crywhcrc. People invaded the grassy
lawns: no Centennial guard could keep
them off. nor Vet Il Centennial legion
The stranger was hustled what rights
has he on this day of days! The roofs
of Horticultural Hall were covered with
people. and at noon all that vast. space
occupied 10y the gardens. extending from
the hall To the Government Building.
WAS black with moving crowds. Sol
hIcr> with glitIcring bay flashed
hithcr and Non odd Fellows procc>-
Slon> from country towns passed To and
tIu: long delegations of IuStic>. headed
10y bands of the most atruciuuI< pIctcrI-
sion. ratified through the avenues. The
great restaurants were invaded : there
was an infinite demand for oysters. tea
soup and other things dear to the coun-
Try heart when the hour of lunch III 70
rivc>. Young women, evidently more
familiar with the atmosphere of the
laundry OF the bake room than with
that "f the paIl"I. >tIaNcd i'll groups.
wlgglnT III the most UnIc>tI:Iimrd fash
ion 1T everything that they >aW ol
heard. At the Judges Pavilion the
country folk who were anxious to see
the ''GoNcImuI and the. other gentle
| men who we've To make the addIr>>,>.
fairly fought Tor places. 'Bl the great
gosh. Sal. said one in my heating.
''aIm,t il mean To- let u> come all the
WAY from louisville and then Ice crowd
ed "ut this WAY ,! These N,Ic city
folks haim't got II" manners. n"h"w. e
said an old lady. l""kin. drcadtully
glum in the midst of the, crowd. An
hundred hands clutchcd at Il man seen
going through the m;i>> with his hat of.
SAY. mister. take me in with Nou.
WAS the cry. IL he Was taken fnr an
official. "Trll the Governor the folks
l. WaIiiu I" see him." cried another.
/ Il
storm of cheers. The vast a>>rmhla",.
caught up the applause. whose echoes
dGttcd ont to them from the Judges
hall and passed it from group I" group
along the grounds. Machinery Hall was
At one tim" completely surrounded bN
DENSE thInu.>. some of whom were
struggling I" get ont. others t" get i'll.
and both WeIc Nocitcrou>lN cheering
without the least idc,t " hat it WIS all
about.
The most remarkable spectacle, ct the
day WAS the sight of these. crowds Going
and coming. Not one of the people
placed III Il ear WAS hunt not one was
in any manner DELAYED hey omd an hnuI .
/ OF at most. two hours on his vaN. But
the rNpcdIcmt> tnI getting places were
r'-maI hahlr IN the extreme. Long lines
at freight cans we've put into use. and
the men and Women pctIiug Owen the
Stats At the side doors looked like PMS
nurr>. or the '.f"uth class" passengers
IN a German railway train. Boys and
men crowded the engine tenders. uI
rode on the tops at freight and pl>>rn-
gel cars. seen from Il high bridge in
the Vicinity at the Exhibition. the W hole.
landscape seemed covered with trains.
Wheeling III all directions. ~ even
lmg fell. the crowds did not appear to
diminish ii all. The gorgeous fire
works announced had wonderful charms
t"r the popular eye. Nearly tW"-third>
"t the people remained t" see these.
fireworks. The ingenious arrangement
"t calcium light at various points on
the grounds allowed the crowd now and
then To hr drluurd with light The
effect "t this WAS very remarkable. The
>plrnd"i> of the fireworks appropriate
~ concluded y day which was in every
SENSE popular.