New-York tribune., 1884-12-17
OPENING THE EXPOSITION
rxrpcIsrs IN THE MAIN BUILDING.
~, PRESIDENT SETS THE MACHINERY IN MOTION
'n' by TELEGRAPH.

, rxtycRApH TO THE TRiBUSE.l
op,r,Ss, Dec. 16.-About 2o,ooo persons
vi in the Main Building on the exposition
eIs today 10 witness the opening ceremonies.
~ vrsic Hall, which is part OF the MAIN p''"'
Inc - 600 persons, and the galleries accom-
,,odate many more. Iherc was 10. s'"nu,'S 'oV"i
n'ou" tor all who came. At one end of the hall a
oo orcar is being erected, but it is not hall
s',,rod and was used in part for platform Inc
m ,,os handsomely decorated, as were the build
.d .'- the city IN general. The accommodations
.aob,c the grounds are poor as yet, ana the
.oo,s are in such IA condition that carriages i'hu
;, dia;cnlt TO get along. Otherwise the attendance
I'D have been larger. These difficulties VIII soon
no overcome but arc one OF the many ih"io"'''"'
.ho, the magnitude of this undertaking mas hoo
been fully appreciated.
Covernor McEncry, of Louisiana; Governor
1romiton of Illinois; the Governor OF brtish
Honduras General Burke andthe exposition oihcerS
made M the party of the occasion, anu they "eio
escorted by the State militia and company Vi
Mexican soldiers, accompanied by an eNceileht
hand from the Mexican Regular Army. Inc heV,
,r Do Witt Talmage opened with a prayer anu
them the speeches followed. Director General
nprkc 70 whose energy the enterprise is largely
dno was enthusiastically received when he arose to
sneak. He said that there were not 100 feet OF
snace in the sixty acres of buildings which had
NOT been allotted to exhibitors. and that the failure
+o occupy it all on the day of opening was que 10
cons.s not within the control of the management
and that IT would be occupied within short time
and the Exposition certain to be success.
MIR. Richardson. president of the Exposition maze
n speech presenting the building to the Government
by means of the wire IN the hall.
The speech was as follows:
To the President orme United states .. 49, o,,or
The present occasion II the contamination OF an encr
prse naugnratcd In conformity to an act OF Congress
pnssed less than two years age ana AUTHORIZING w ou
son under the ioin auspices of the United states The
National Cotton Planters Association and the cly 4l M
lncaou Ncw-Oreans was then selected as IN" size oi
this Worlds Exposition and In june iss5 the ,-ncn -
% sonnoSs @ Of The United states ana
ai entered upon the discharge OF iheir a. M;
.ralitv' of indyidunls or the city and the state
would he inadequate to meet ihe rtpulitihth'S VI WI
over Increasing magnitude of the undertaking, Accon
inelv an application fer aid was made 70 lh1 hll'u
states through Congress. resulting III oD'alht I'M, nnn -,
Crons assistance which has so materially c0h,inucu ~
the accomplishment of the purpose contemplated t%rou %
tie commence ment It was determined ihat nollnns
should give local or sectional Character o!he @
wnrk but that n shond Doe, rs it truly s hailoai ana
international exposition and consequently 10 u,f hc
world side Jy side with those of onr own Naon9 GOV
eminent aud of every state and Territory Oi ms Ouh
An have contributed examples ~ ihtI i,,,i,i
,heir ntuetss IA this wonderful collection Oi INDUSTRIAL
tummcrcial educational anl aiisir n,9'' r,ub
the inspection w ine V"m' Vt H. me ,ns
a. rood shan t..mI,, hql' hl tc,ngl nrrtn
"l ~ ,sol,,,e rt tt"lt not the least honcit to
l., ir,i,ri from hs Exposition will be the cn'ci ana
~ ottrt Countries hp lp, inrment ~ common uninlci's's
pui the ntmtt establishment ~ brace ~ vu, , wv
,ss. pf hatmnhi nnA swul iepllhs, drslnril " in "
lp,pl ib enihip 80 lnhs hs the 'Win'l isrl shhl ~
T., nn Witch ihesn hHw perfectly uhliDd hiars aip siah
ishri nnW pttshh in inH ihis srrslirt irfN 40
e e', ,negs Win ihe m,l 'lr9 & gi ,', M ,n s' ' ~,
tg,eess attained ~ arpeai 90 q generous Judgment
The speech was forwarded immediately to the
President, and his Tesponso was received ana iHhd'
The President thon lay ielesiaph declared lh"
exposition upen. The electric circuit was cl"aeh
and the machinery was put in motion, large
portrait of the President was displayed on the
platform and It was warmly cheered Governor
McEnory and the Mayor of the city made speeches.
and poem was read when the exercises closed.
The exposition orchestra with the Mexican band
entertained the people for an hour or more.
DELAY IN HANDLING FREIGHT
TIE exposition officials state that the backward
ness OF the enterprise is due to causes beyond the
control # comes largely from the lack oi facilities
10 handle so much freight. About 1000 ear loads
are awaiting delivery. but the railroad companies
here have not the means to handle promptly such
quantities OF goods. Ncw-loIk and Pennsylvania
exhibits which were shipped two weeks ago. have
not yet arrived on the grounds The usual time
for bringing through freight here from New-lork
titles now coming of course more time is required
BY the railroad companies. The Government
officials state that the roof the building designed
for their eN hibits was only put on a few days ago
and the delay in setting up the exhibits was due 10
that fact. a large force of men are AT work night
and day in getting things in order, and wonderful
improvements are made, even IN twenty-iour hours,
but it will be January J. az least, before the exposi-
tion will he III good order.
: From the displays already made and the machn-
e1y in position, It is evident that II will he one of
the best eXpositions of this kind ever held. Mr..
Truman. who represents the New-Iork Coinmls-
sioner. says that the Empire State Will have
altogether over 800 exhibits Many firms have
shipped large displays. Professor Ward, OF
Rochester. has one of the most interesting collec-
tons in the Government Building. 1t appears that
about one half of the 600 given to PcnLsylv lvania
20 pay the expense of its exhibit has been wasted
BY the mon. .'sclected by Governor Pattson to look
after the interests of that State Mr. Thomas and
Mr King who have shipped here five car loads of
goods. making mp that States exhibit, when II
arrived received only II 800 of the $1,000. Five
hundred dollars apportioned TO Philadelphia
80 pay for bringing the Independence Bell. The
city refused TO let il go. and now there is som
inquiry as TO what has become of the money. One
OF the commissioners appointed before Mr. Thomas
spent several hundred dollars, and as II result of
that former commissioners labors he has brought
here one exhibit consisting of stuffed bear in
cage.
COST OF IHE EXPOSITION.
There has now been spent by the managers
the buildings aud IN other ways over ~, lOO, 900
adding to that State appropriations and subscIip-
tions and the amount will reach ~ 100000. Two
ship loads of foreign exhibits in the harbor
When all is in order the exposition will unques-
f..If ,lu 6 tI..,
ieetors
CEREMONIES Ar THE WHITE HOUSE.
artrnrc1tNn orrSIs 1nE IAsI RnnM-IInM