The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1888-06-20

OTOeT, nc lOOK0u upon scene uaparal
leled in the history of public gatberin G.
in this country. Large assemblageI
have been held in more spacious halls
but at none others have the peculiar
properties been 50 effective, or The bril-
liancy of the illumination and picture:
in colorings, so splendid. Every fac1
can he seen without an effort. and in
the audience of less than 10 600. there
appears to be an almost countless mul
titude. The magnificent sweep of the
great gallery alone. which seats nearly
| 5000, is picture which impresses even
those familiar with great audiences
and the whole seine, bathed in food
OF electric light, shed by $500 incan-
| descent lamps, thrills even the 10 ost
sluggish heart. The auditorium is EGO
feet long and 100 wide, with two side
| balconies and the great gallery, seats
In which rise tier on tier at an angle of
40 degrees. The stage, but slightly
raised above the floor of the hall,
| commanding view not only of
the great auditorium in front but
of the large balcony in the rear
and the tier of boxes at either side.
This stage stretches from side to side
of tho hail. On the Presidents plat
form in the centre are several hundred
newspaper representatives. There are
Just s, 100 seats inthe hall and as the con-
vention Is called to order probably 5000
people are within the glare of chairman
Jones' eye. The decorations appear a
trife bewildering at first, the walls,
ceilings, and every post, pillar and pane
being covered with flags, bunting and
streamers in varied artistic designs and
celOrs, and portraits and paintings OF
historic scenes meet the eye everywhere,
red, white and blue being conspicuous,
Of course, everywhere, bu. the great
sheet of terra Gotta bunting hangs as
roof between the sunlight, which pours
through it from great
Iery and relieves the otherwise
monotony of so prodigal a display
of the national colors. But even the
sunlight shines but dimly in the great
hall, the electric light being depended
upon, because of the impossibllity of
protecting the audience in the presen.
unfinished state of the building, and
letting in the daylight at the same
time. The arrangement of the electric
light in great stars from the roof OF
the hall is one of the most artistic and
beautiful features of the scene which
greets Chairman Jones as he stands
himself striking figure, tall and
erect in appearance, and with the air
Of a patriaech, with the suspended
gavel, to hush the great stir and hustle
before him, to present the clergyman
who is to ask a divine benediction
upon the deliberations of the conven-
ton.
SOME OF THE DETAILS
CT the auditorium decorations are worth
special mention. At the apex in front
of the chairman's desk, is large gilded
American eagle, beneath it, portrait
OF Washington; on the right OF the
chairman's desk, is plaster bust of
the late General John A. Logan, in
heroic size, draped with the American
flag; hanging from one of the boxes, at
the right, is large painting OF
Logan's charge at the battle of Atlanta
On the faces of the north and south
walls of the auditorium, framed IN
festoons Of large American flags, and
surmounted by circle of electric stars. |
are tie portraits of Lincoln and
Grant. the designs being mammoth |
in proportion, and form two of |
the most striking details of the decora- |
ton. Flashing its parti ,colored |
brilIiancy full into the face of the audi |
elce and delegates, is a splendid |
American shield, formed of different |
colored electric lamps. This shield has
the horizon OF stars, and its stripes of |
the Union, all pictured out and put into
q basso relief of light, by dsshing gems
through red, white and blue globes. At
The points of exit and entrance to the
hail. which dip like great wells into the
auditorium, are the nations standards |
planted at either side and draped SO as
10 hide the rough boards, which form |
The staircases of the avenues to the con-
yention, Of which there are suffi oient to
empty the hall, in case of an accident,
n three minutes. A Boston club has
planted its magnificent banner, five feet
ong, just behind the stage, and it
proudly floats there in letters of gold
Upon a field of blue which appear to
De uppermost in the minds of delegates.
The banner is inscribed: Home Mar
Iet Club of Boston-American Wages
or American Observation-Disclosures
markets for American people-Protec-
ion for American homes" This ban
Ter is marked by the delegates as they
ome into the hall, and by the spectat-
RS as they gather in the galleries and
'slconies. 1t is cheered time after
ime.
Thurston. OF Nebraska, has arrived
With members of the committee from
lis State, and takes seat
N the stage, just back of
he chairman's desk, which he is
o soon occupy as temporary presiding
fficer of the convention. He is a
mallish man, wears glasses, and is
ressed in sombre black.
FREMoNT's RECEPTION. II
AS General Fremont entered the hall |,
e was greeted with a round of ap-
lause and cheers, the first genuine {
of the morning. He was
scorted to a seat on the platform, t
here he provoked a further outburst t
applause by meeting Fred. Douglas T
s he came to seat tehind him and G
baking him by the hand. Carson. c
AXE, Of the national committee, q
anne upon the platform Just before a
ne convention was called to order a
nd brought with bin two handsome s
ak gavels, one of them being merely g
olished, and intended for hard pound a
lg; the other more pretentious affa +, l
ltended as a gift to the temporary p
hartman, II is richly chased in GOLD a