Grand Rapids morning telegram., 1884-12-17
THE EXPOSITION OPEN.
SET GOING By The PRESIDENT.
The Ceremony DELAYED Until After
Three Pleasant ,ay and Large
Crowds Presidents Address.

NV OAI.KAss. Dee. 1.-the day was clear
and pleasant, and nothing was left undone to
make the opening ceremonies brilliant and
imposing. Never beore have the streets of
the city been so crowded with people this
= morning. Already he hotels are full and
great difficulty Is experienced in securing
good quarters. he buildings along the
principal streets are profusely decorated.
Flags. banners, bunting of all colors and
decorative designs have been tastefully az
ranged along the house fronts, while at
many of the more prominent street corners
tf1umphal arches have been erected. While
TIE building ls not entirely completed,
AMI while oLe-htlf Of the exhibits are not yet
arranged, still as much Progress has
already been made "a at any inter
national exposition on opening day.
The management Used every endeavOr TO
push the work a. fast as possible, and the
delay has been rather the fault of exhibitors
than Of officials. Everything was IN readi-
hess for tbe former. but they simply did not
take advantage of it. Great delay, how
ever, was caused by the blockade OF rail
roads. Many hundreds of cars of exhibits
have not yet reached the grounds, the jam
being especially heavy on the Illinois Cen
frai and Louisville 4 Nashville roads. These
cars wall be brought IN rapidly, and by the
tilae the holidays are over everything will be
in coinplete order. Ia the main building
one-third or the space Is, yet, nnoccu-
pied, but exhibitors are putting up
Their platforms rapidly. These dis
plays, complete, represent ever conceiv-
able article manufactured, from a needle
TO the mammoth Harris Corliss engine. All
displays are tasty, many are elegant and
ricn. he space for foreign exhibits IN this
building u almost entirely vacant. This il
L caused by the rigid enforcement of the Gus
toms regulations. Over thousand tons of
goods of the loom are lying in bonded ware
HOUSES or aboard ships, although the manage
meut has used every endeavOr 10 secure a
modification of customs rules and the usual
formalities attending entry IN ports, and al
though they were seconded b. customs Off
cials here, and the Treasury Department at
Washington seemed willing to make some
concessions, only last night Collector
Badger received an order from Secretary Me
CullOch TO allow articles intended for exhibit
To be sent To the grounds Immediately without
their beiag disturbed IN any way. A bond
will be required ON small articles of great
value, which will be given by the Exposition
management. Under this order all foreign
exhibits viii be Immediately sent TO the
grounds IN bonded barges, rapidly arranged
IN the departments. large number OF
arrivals from Europe viii not reach here
until the arrival of the steamer Great East
ern, which sails from London Friday These
latter are expected to- be in position early in
January. BY far the largest and most in
tert sting foreign exhibit viii be that from
Mexico. 1neIr building. has just been
completed. fact caused by the delay in the
iron work at Pittsburg. In the government
building there seems 10 have been an unrea-
sonable delay on the part of the commits
sioners and owners The United States ex-
hlDlt n a magnificent one, but it il not yet
complete. The Smithsonian Institution and
Geological Department is well advanced, and
very little more can be added to them. AL
most every animal of prehistoric times. and
of the present day, IL seen in the formers
space, from the mammoth that occupies a
large portion of the gallery To the smallest
fish. The Patent Office Is represented by
thousands of models. The State department
IL constructing large glass globe to repre-
sent the world IN miniature. both from the
the inside and the exterior. This will be
transparent so that one standing within will
have a birds-eye view of the entire globe, its
commerce, its population. etc. The navy
department had very creditable exhibit,
though not yet complete. Here are seen
models of every class OF vessels, and defensive
aud offensive armament. A large portion
of this space Is filed by articles
brought back from the Artic regions by the
t6reely party. These attracted more atten-
ton than any other single exhibit. Among
them we're suits worn by the men, sledges,
sleeping bags and canvass cases for provis-
IONS with the saIl-b0at of the party. Some
Of the state exhibits are completes, some in
embryo state and others not begun. The
Ohio buiiding Is beautifully constructed.
sky-blue bobbinet. interspersed with stars,
produces an exceedingly fine effect, the
dofnee being an exact picture of the heavens
"a mirrored in a sheet of water. Louisians
and Mississippi, perhaps, show the most re-
sources. The mineral display from the
Western and Pacific coast States could not
be finer OF more complete The finest and
most picturesque display m the building is
hat. ff.<,f I, 4 - -
Railroad. In a large Swiss chateI built of
sheaves OF grain. with ornaments Of corn IN
the ear IL every vegetable raised in the vast
section Of country through which the road
pa*et
The art gallery was not completed in time
TO admit Of hanging the pictures. which,
however. are ~ the grounds. and viii be put
no in week. The art collection is said 20
be exceedingly fne, containing the gems of
the best artists. Connoisseurs declaee that
Il will equal any ever exhibited. HOrticul-
tural Hall - a garden Of Eden. Every flow
er, seed aud plant Of the tropic aud temper
afe zone II seen.
Il was never expected that sech stream of
Vi1jtors would set ia until after the holidays.
and the Attendance today was exceedingly
gratifying. Fully twenty thousand attended
the ceremonies IN the main hailding. and
many thousands more we're scattered about
the grounds. Several lines of cars and steam
beats conveyed the crowd 90 and from the
grounds With much less cru@h thar was antici-
psted IL - generally admitted, however.
that accom- modatioBs are not yet suf-
icient. and by the rnisisile of jam
AIRY double-frac road with large
passenger coaches will be ready for the
pubiic Visitors to-day showed no disap-
poiHitnent st the uacompleted state Of work.
but. on tie contrary. those who attended the
opening Of the Centennial expressed surprise
: nf the progress made and The smoofhness
with which tbinRz were coutfucfed. They
say in two weeks TIE Exposition vii be what
the management ciafrne<i. the rransieet inter-
national fair ever held. The greeting 81
Mainr Burke. director general. IS fhe vsst
autiience. Nta sprnf nfsneous, hearty and lonz-
continued. He had "a panse ten minufea
hefsre he apf-1anse sube1siesi ard IS go
Htfi1g triisHta g. the man eho hae worked
eizh1een honfs das for AZ nsonths. 90 Fnake
The afair = saeeess. attending - every sistaii