The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1885-02-01
THE WORLDS FAIR.
A Letter Descriptive of the Open
ing Days There.
New ORLEANS, January 24th. 1885,

HN OhAEANSi JdIIudIy zttA- 1000.
Correspondence o. THE HERALD
Inmy jOurneyings do not forget you,
and knowing your desire for news, I
take my pencil in hand to tell you some
thing of my experience at the Worlds
Fair. In our haste to be present
at the opening day of this. the
grand exposition, we sighted rela-
tiyes and friends, and their kind
invitations to visit them, in their New
England homes, until we had witnessed
the grandeur of this "openlng day
ut is hardly necessary for me to explain
why | use the plural I'VE" instead of
the singular 81" as THE HERALD has
already kindly heralded the public ex-
planation.) The day was fair enough,
but the fair was unfair to the thousands
congregated there. Packing cases,
packed and unpacked, was the con-
fusion which greeted the many eager
eyes, restless to see something to pleas
antly riyet their gaze. Being fortunate
in getting seats near the stand, all that
was said, we had the privilege to hear,
but l experienced something of an
Oliver Twistish feeIing-in desiring
more-not exactly of the same kind,
for Rev. Ta'mage's prayer was long
enough and the addresses were not
brief, but l missed the soul-stirring
words fitting to such an occasion, and
then the music, while loud enough, did
not penetrate the air with that
richness of volume l have many
times heard on such occasions Our
grand national air, the "Star Spangled
Banner" was so muffled by variations,
that it wasshardly to be distinguished.
There was, to the'sensitlve mind, an in
describable something discordant, with
an outward show of "E Pluribus
Unum'-may there not be an inward
feeling of disunion still? The impor-
tant event of the day. and by far the
most attractive tableau, was the recep-
ton of President Arthur's message.
1t was received by Mr.. Burke's little
son, boy of years, he standing upon
pedestal draped with flags, beneath
which the telegraph wires were at
tached, and as ne received the message
it was written down and read to the
audience. 1t will be known that Mr..
Burke is the principal man in directing
this Exposition. 1t has cost him his
! health, and almost his life-this great
care, and the short space of time al
lotted him, and now they are trying to
raise funds to enable them to keep the
Fair open. 1t was great mistake
to announce an opening for so early a
day A year hence the exposition may
be ready for inspection.
l spent the next day in search of
something to interest me; the art gal
lery was not yet opened, and the
woman's department was not vet pre-
/ pared-and Utah had no corner. A
straw from home would have been
weight with me; but not even our mines
were represented, and while Dakota
had her fanciful display of waving
grains, and other Territories had some
thing to show, Utah is alone silent and
unrepresented.
To those interested in the mechanical
world, there is much to interest, and to
those interested in fine animals, there
are horses weighing from LOCO to 1900
pounds, coming all the way from Nor
mandy, and so tenderly cared for that
when put on board the cars, heated
palace car received them.
The great day of the year in New
Orleans is the day signifed as "Mardi
Gras." 1t is day on which the grand
carnival paradeS the streets,
and during the evenings for
three successive nights the city
is brilliantly illuminated and immense
trucks or cars are so constructed as to
transport this illumined display of gor-
geously decorated persons and things
through the principal streets. New Or
leans on this day will be literally jam
med and every available room occupied.
Fabulous prices are already asked for
very meagre accommodations. A gen
| f1o,1,or, Pncfnn cfffinO
me at dinner yesterday, re-
marked, During the carnival season,
I fear there will be many go hungry and
cold, for the city can not accommodate
such crowd as will then be here :"
At the next writing hope to be able
to tell you something more of the
Worlds Fair
In haste, yours,
G. 1. KIRBY.
Formerly C. l. Godbe.