The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1888-06-22
BUSY REPUBLICANS.
The Great National Convention
Begins at Chicago.
John Nj. Thurston, of Nebraska, p esides
TemporariIy-He Warns the Conven-
tion Against Nominating Blaine
Virginia's Contest Causes Row.
FIRST DAYS SESSION.


CHICAGO, June s0.-When Chairman Jones,
of the National Republican Committee, as
cended the platform Of the great auditorium
hall at noon, to call the National convention to
order. he looked upon d scene unparalleled in the
history of public gatherings in this country.
Larger assemblages have been held in more
spacious halls, but at none of them have the oc-
ular properties been effective or the brillancy
of illuminate ard picturesque colorings been
SO splendid.s Every face can be seen without
effort, and an audience of less than 10000
appears to be an almost countless multi
tude. The magnificent sweep of the great
gallery alone, which seats nearly 5000
persons, is picture which jmpresses
even those familiar with great audi
ences and the whole scene bathed in a food of
electric light shed by 1850 incandescent lamps,
thrills even the most sluggish heart. The
auditorium is 800 feet long and 10 fees wide,
with two side balconies and a great gallery, the
seats OF which rise tier on tier an an angle OF
40 degrees The stage which is but slightly raised
above the floor of the hail. commands a view
not only of the great audience in front, but
of large balcony in the rear and q tier of
boxes at either side. This stage stretches
from side to side of the.hall, and accommodates,
in addition 10 the Presidents platform which
is in the center, several hundred newspaper
represent atives. There are just s, 100 seats in
the hail. and as the convention is called to
order probably 5000 people are within the
glance of Chairman Jones eye.
Some or the details of the auditorium
decorations are worth special mention. At
the apex, in front of the cha rmafs desk, ID
a gilded American eagle, and beneath it a
portrait CT Washington. On the right of
the chairmans desk is a plaster bust of the
late General John A. Logan, in heroic size,
draped with an American flag. Hanging from
one of the boxes at the right is q large painting
of Logan's charge at the battle of Atlanta.
On the face of the north and south walls of the
auditorium; framed in festoons of large Amer
lean flags, and surmounted by a circle of cleo
trio stars, are portraits of Lincoln and Grant
the designs being mammoth in proportion,
and forming the two most striking details of
the decoration. Flashlights part:-colored brill
fancy full INTO the face of the audience and
formed of different colored electric lamps.
This shield, Its horizon OF stars, it's stripes of
the Union, all pictured out and put in basso
relieve of light by the flashing jets through
the red white and blue globes. At
the points of ext and entrance to the hall
which dip like great wells into the auditorium.
are the Nations standards. planted at either
side and draped so as to hide the rough boards
which form the staircases of these avenues to
the convention, of which there are sufficient to
empty the place, in case of an accident, in three
minutes.
CALLED 10 ORDER.
Precisely at 1881 the gatel of Chairman
Jones, chairman of the National Republican