The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1885-01-10
THE GREAT EXPOSITION
Still In a Grade State...The
Opening Ceremonies. II Ow
Christmas WAS Spent.

cTeu III Win u tnulIituuc vi I'LL nOfus,
the usual powder burning and all
variety of pranks for which young
America is noted And while there
was no snow, the skies we're overcast,
the air damp and chilly, and blazing
fires and heavy overcoats were very
enjoyable. The day was largely Gel
ebrated by an adult class with
'glass HORNS" for which the chilly
atmosphere created an unusual de-
mand, though there was little or no
evidence of intemperance on the
streets nor in the public resorts.
At the exposition it was children s
day, who were admitted at half price,
and for whose delectation large
Christmas tree was prepared, stock
ed with a vast variety of gifts. In
the evening there was fine music,
and the buildings were brilliantly IL
Illuminated by electricity, and great
throng of delighted people, including
the little people, took in the novel
sights for the first time. The main
building devoted to private and gen
eral exhibits, covers a space of thir
ty three acres, and elected many ex
clamatiens Of wonder from the nu-
merous visitors. All the buildings
are on a scale of like magnitude, the
whole including about seventy five
acres under roof.
While many hundreds of exhibits
are already up, possibly thousands,
it may surprise the reader, as it did
your correspondent, to learn that
many hundreds are yet incomplete,
and very many yet TO arrive; and
this is not only true of private but
also of Government and State exhib-
it's, and fully a month must elapse
before the vast enterprise will be in
complete running order, so that the
intending visitor will loose nothing
by postponing his coming for thirty
days, but will be the gamer by doing
so. In he meantime the grumbling
and friction inevitable at the inau-
guration of all great events prevails
in this case. 1t would be thank
less, and perhaps useless task, to
attempt to locate the cause or causes
of 80 much conflict, friction and con-
fusion. Much of it doubtless results
from delay in forwarding exhibits
some for lack of rapid and plentiful
transportation, and some from una
voidable mistakes in the manage
ment. But in short time your cor
respondent believes that all grounds
of complaint will have disappeared,
and the great Exposition will pre-
sent scene of peaceful and multi
form interest never before witnessed
in the worlds history, and that its
results will surpass the widest
dreams of its projectors.
The opening took place as adver
tised, Dec. 18th and was attended in
the Music Hall of the main building
by vast audience of nearly twenty
five thousand people, and in the pres
ence of Cabinet officers, foreign rep
resentatives, hundreds of exhibitors
national, state and city officials, civic
and military. But the real lion OF
the occasion was Major Burke, Di
rector General, the soul of the enter
prise, who was received with the
most tumultuous demonstrations Of
approval when he appeared and, in a
few eloquent words, turned over his
great work, to the president Of tho
Association, who in turn, addressing
President Arthur at Washington
city, turned over the Exposition tt
the nation, and to the world, who
answered it in a congratulatory reply
and declared the Exposition open
All this was, of course, by telegraph
and was heartily cheered by the au
dience. Gov. McEnery read also &
lengthy address; the Mayor of the
city made one of welcome, and midst
the booming of guns, the music o
bands and clouds of flags and ban
ners, the Worlds Exposition was
finally begun.
A number of states have their eX
hibits in an incomplete condition
some are nearly ready, but you
readers must await succeeding let
: tiers for notices of them, as it would
do them injustice to apply eithe
, description or criticism to them a
this early stage, and to which you
correspondent intends to do full jus
tice. The government display, wher
: finished, will be the most complete
, and the most interesting ever at
|. tempted, and will be in itself grea
study, both for the student ant
teacher and for the ordinary observer
Every department Of the dublic ser
vice, the navy and army, the Inter
, ior, Patent, State, Educational, al
will here be portrayed, togethe
with a most wonderful array O
ancient, prehistoric and histori
objects of the greatest interest t.
all. To all of which such atten
t ton will be given as to leave lit
! tie more to be asked for by you
readers.
It may be we'll to remind such o
your readers as intend to visit TIL
8 Exposition, that on arrival here the,
, will find plenty of lodging room iron
twenty five cents to one dollar pc
day, and as for boarding it can b
had at any price "under the sun,
e and in every variety, from han
e sandwich to an elaborate and lux
D urious banquet. The Exposition
. office in the city, 1863 Gravier street
has department entirely occupied
in directing strangers where to fin
: Accommodations, and as the informa