Daily Kennebec journal., 1884-05-29
THE PRESIDENCY.
MATTERS IN CHICAGO.
Preparation for the National Convention
The Hall in Which il is to be
Held.
CHICAGO. MAY 2S.

! CHICAGO. May 2S.
| The exposition building in Chicago, where
the republican convention is to be held, was
threnged with visitors all day yesterday, and
last night Theodore Thomas occupied it with
an orchestra of zoo pieces. q chorus of 600
voices and an audience of 1000. At the con-
clusion of the musical festival next Saturday
night, six hours work will make all the alter
ations required by John c. News committee.
The only thing which will have to be changed
for the convention is the arrangement of seats
in front of the stage. Six rows of chairs will
have to be removed to make way for 80 tables
| for the press. As the hall now stands, the
officers of the convention and invited guests
will occupy the 400 seats at the north end.
Then the press tables will follow, and next to
them the delegates and alternates. Aisles on
either sidefof the delegates and alternates'
seats separate them from the extra press
seats and private boxes, the latter painted
red. The boxes number Sc on each side and
will hold ten persons each. This makes q
total of 720 box seats. Proceeding south in
the hall, a railing separates the delegates and
alternates from the general public. After
1000 seats are distributed to the holders of
stage and press tickets, and 2000 to the del
egates and alternates, there will be 5000
seats for the general public. This makes a
total of 5000. This number includes the
1900 seats in each gallery, the private boxes
and files.
Yesterday when the committee reached
the hall they made discovery which caused
some amusement. They found that the di-
rectors of the building, who had applied for
| 600 seats and had been respectfully refused,
had surreptitiously erected q platform for
about 100 seats up in the west fly of the
| building. Access is obtained by a stairway
leading to the treasurers office, outside of
the hall proper, so that the committee have
really no authority over the trespassers. As
the seats are so high, also, the committee
will offer no objection.
The exits for the masses are at the south
end of the building; delegates and distin-
guished guests enter by doors near the north
end. The delegates will not come in contact
with the masses at all, high ratings separat-
ing them, and tickets indicating their right to
a seat.
Mr.. New, of the committee, said that rs TO
the contesting delegates, he presumed they
would be admitted on a footing with the other
delegates, and if the committee on creden-
tials chose to dispossess them, they could do
So A member of the committee has meas
ured the hall, and found that it was exactly
80 feet less in length than the hall of 1880.
but what it lacks in length is partly made up
in the arrangement of the chairs. They are
placed closer than in 1880, and are little
smaller. The only trouble to be apprehend
ed is that the seats will not be wide enough,
and there will be great deal of crowding.
A number of committee men visited the
hall during the Thomas rehearsal, and tested
its acoustic qualities. They are immeasura-
bly, superior to those of 1880. Four years
ago the echo was so strong as to drown the
voices of the speakers. Tha year there
is no echo, and q man at the extreme point of
the south end can hear the speaker distinctly.