The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1877-05-25

bined to tell the story OF general rejoic-
ing. Neither national nor 4 munich
pal enterprise is the new Exhibition, and
yet it was very evident that last Thurs
day the great pnblic had determined to
give it a good send off, and they did
By half past nine o'clock the aspect Of
the Centennial grounds wildly recalled
the gayest of red-letter days Of 1876
Barring the absence of few red tur.
baned Turks, outlandishly attired Moors
dark-skinned Tunissians, black-eyed
Egyptians, monogram-backed Japanese
and pig-tailed Cinnamon the general ap-
pearance of the scene was delightfully."-
yet in some respects painfully sugges,
tive of a glorious season which cannot
in our life time return. The Main
Building, in which the present Exposi-
ton is held, the Machinery Hall and
Horticultural Hall still stand in all their
pristine wonder of architectural expanse
and beauty. The Judges Pavilion,
the japanese, Swiss, German and En-
glish buildings also remain and here
and there can be seen the several State
cottages presented to the city. All the
statues, monuments and fountains in
cluding the marble statue of "Washing-
ton crossing the Delaware the exquis-
lily beautiful troup of Religious Lib
erty," presented by the Hebrew socie-
ties, the artistic statue of Columbus >
erected by the Italians; and the mon
ster fountain and collection of statues
contributed by the T \ B Union, still
adorn the gracefully bordered avenues
while the absence of the unsightly fence
and scattering booths give the place a
park-like and cosmopolitan air prev
iously unknown. Through this vast and
now truly magnificent space, the crowds
roamed at will, Except that they looked
less careworn and travel stained they diff
fered little in general appearance from
those seen last year, but at II o'clock
thesignal was given for opening'the East
and West doors of the Main Building,
and then followed the usual rush for the
entrances; the familiar jamming at the
turnstiles (demoniacal contrivances in
herited from the Centennial) and until
2 o'clock, P VI, the stream of humanity
ever increasing in amplitude and impa-
tience poured into the vast struture. In
the meantime, the invited guests, includ-
ing city, State and national officials.
members of the foreign legation and
officers of the army and navy besides a
heterogeneous collection ofschool teach
ers, preachers, real and assumed men,
bers of the press politicians, merchants
and others-which means the personal
friends of the management-werep push
ing their arduous way in through the
Elm avenue gate and frantically scram-
bling for seats The crush of opening
day at the Centennial will long be pain
fully remembered by many readers, but
all that crowding was out doors in the
pure air of heaven. Here almost as
great a multitude was enduring the
same strain on mental, moral and phys
lcal energies, but it was all indoors and
much Of the time the atmosphere was
filled with suflocating dust Did the
visitors snap and growl and
little feuds 10 be settled
after SCHOOL," Not a bit of il. Every
individual determined not TO be obliter-
ated by the crowd, but at the same time
the American free-born spirit of good
nature reigned supreme and ephemeral
tortues were endured heroically, while
the victims sadly smiled and begged
pardon. Here and there to be sure the
healthy Yankee motto, "Don't tread on
me-" was illustrated, but in such cases
the crowd in the immediate vicinity Of
the disputants would quickly decide
who was right and by the potent mag
natism of pure moral force compel the
would-be "bull-dozer" TO recognize the
pettyness of his own personality and the
of abstract human rights. Up
to this time no one in thousand had
thought OF the Exhibition proper and
the only remembrance those who left
after the ceremonies cou'd
have carried away was confined recol-
lection of gorgeously painted organ,
crowds, crystal chandeliers, crowds,
marble, bronze and clay statues, crowds
elegant cases of silver, gold and ceramic
ware, crowds, an iron fountain of April
like SPRAYS, crowds, and the unfinished
roofs Of several miniature ediiices whose
precise uses were undetermined. For
the inaugural exercises a gradually as
ceuding platform capable of seating
5000 persons, had been constructed in
in the north transcept from the floor to
the organ gallery, and on this were seat
ed the most distinguished guests. the
Of 1000 voices, and the orches-
ira. But from this stage extended lines
of seats clear out TO the centre of the
Long before . o'clock all the
seats on the floor and nearly all the
seats on the stage were occupied and all
that the representatives of the press who
had excellent positions, geographically,
could distinctly recognize, WIS that they
were in some vast auditorium with the
colossal bronze statue of Liberty in
the back ground, an indiscribable array
of pavilions, courts, columns, arches and
industrial exhibits on both sides, sea
of human heads in front, an ocean of
anxious countenances behind, and ris-
ing wave of very contented faces ON the
stage in the distance, these gradually
TO the organ gallery on the
north side. On each side and towering
far above the main auditorium were two
arcades extending from the centre tow
ers to the organ gallery and these like
every other solid structure in the yicin
ity were crowded with people who gazed
exasperating enjoyment upon the misery
of the victims below. Fancy $1,000
people, packed in one auditorium, some
on the main floor, some on the stage
and others on the balconies, arcades,
towers and cases surrounding the enclos-
ure, while numerous adventurous spirits
are perched upon every structural or or
uamental projection left by the archi
tect, and then remember that this audi
torium was but the transcep, q mere
adornment to the real Exhibition edi6ce
and you will have some idea of the ap
pearance of the audience on the opening
day and the size of the structure known
as the Exhibition Building. The entire
Union Army at the beginning of the
war might have been quartered in this
transcept, had the Main Building been
A,,1,