Omaha daily bee., 1889-09-24
Formal Beginning OF the Sioux City
Festival Last Saturday.
VAST CROWDS IN ATTENDANCE
Hon. John NJ. 1hurston Delivers the
Address-The Public Mlumina-
tions q Brilliant Feature
Hawkeye News,
Sioux oity's Corn Festival.

yesterday, and to-day all the incoming trains
were well filed. The streets, notwithstand-
ing the drizzle, present an animated appear
ance. The business buildings and many
private residences have elegant decorations
in the same general style as the corn palace.
In some cases these displays of corn and
other agricultural products, wrought up In
accordance with artistic designs, are very
elaborate and striking. The city has put on
holiday attire and it is evident
that every preparation for the
accommodation of the city's guests
will be needed The greater portion of the
visitors to-day are from the region about
Sioux City, from neghboring cities and
towns. Those from greater distances have
not yet fairly begun to arrive. The special
trains which will be run on all the roads
begin to run tomorrow, No special train
arrived to-day except the one this morning.
which carried the New York Seventy-frst
regiment band, which furnishes music insiae
the palace
The doors of the palace were opened at
noon to-day and thousands passed within.
The palace at noon was substantially ready
for the public, uut it was made so only by
the most strenuous effort. Saturday night
an immense amount of work remained TO be
done, but an extra force was put on
and under the electric lights they
labored all night and Saturday
and last night clearing away rubbish and put
ting on the finishing touches. A vast amount
of work also remained to put in place the ex
hibits, and this is not yet entirely finished.
The doors were informally opened at uoon
aud the visitors simply passed through the
building, viewing the marvels of its decora-
tions. The Seventy first regiment band gave
u concert.
The formal opening occurred tonight, be-
ginning at o'clock, when it Is estimated
there were 1000 people within the place.
Under the glare of electric lights the scene
was a brilliant one. The effects of the intri-
cate designs and bright colors of the interior
advancement of the palace is perhaps the
most interesting place of this novel structure.
The main feature of this evenings pro-
gramme was an address by Hon. John M.
Thurston, of Omaha Mr. Thurston said
II congratulate the people of this magnlfi-
cent city upon the auspicious opening of their
harvest festival In this splendid palace the
goddess of the mighty west has established
grateful homage of her willing subjects
Crowned with the golden tassels of the corn
she sits serene amid the garnered riches of
q prosperous year. The happy earth heaps
up the sheaves of rpened grain, the finest
products of the vine and tree are here dis
played, ana every eye can see, and every
heart must feel how blessed is the measure
of the seasons JOY"
The speaker then commented on the mar
velous changes wrought in this part of tho
country in the last thirty years, and then
continued:
AS people we are fortunate in being
located In the American corn belt. Iowa,
Nebraska, Southern Dakota and Northern
Kansas produce corn in it's greatest perfec-
tion. Wherever it will successfully grow it
is by far the best paving crop that can be
extensively raised, 1t does not impoverish
the soil like wheat, and although it can not
well pay the cost of long transportation to q
distant market, yet the pork and beef it fat
tens can. l maintain, without fear of sue
cessful contradiction, that the corn growers
west of the Mississippi river have been, and
are now, accumulatlng wealth faster than
any other class of people in the
road to fortune through the corn
field or across the farm. No man can grow
suddenly rich or accumulate millions from
tillne the soil The agriculturalist has no
opportunity to speculate upon the misfort-
unes of his neighbors, nor can he rob them
eff their hard earnings by questionable
methods of legalized chicanery. But no
man can show me 100000 people, engaged
in one pursuit, on any portion Of the globe,
who have gained SO rapidly IN material
corn region. The farm mortgages are not
evidences of poverty; they have been given
to provide for necessary improvements, for
stock and machinery purchased, and, in
many instances, as part payment for the
farms themselves. They can and will be
paid. Slowly, but surely, the older agrlcult-
ural communities are reducing their incum-
brances, and the foreclosure of farm
mortgage is a rare occurrence in any Of our
courts.
Ao 7 n ;o TOD
i fiud l have no words in which to fittIngly
express my appreciation Of the energy, per-
severance and genius of the designers build
ers and decorators, who have produced this
marvellous result In this corn palace, too,
city and country meet IN business ana social
intercourse, and both come to understand
how much they must depend upon each
other.
Speaking Of the relations Of this section to
the great country to the northwest Mr..
ThursJon said:
This Is the natural source of food supply
for the whole mountain region beyond us.
We ought to command the trade of every
mining camp from the slope of the Rockies
to the Pacific coast We can put upon the
hardy miners table all the deiicaces of the
season. Hog, hominy and hoe cake make
banquet ut for prince. IL might not be
proper in Iowa to suggest, little corn juice
ION the side." We are already shipping
thousands of tons of baled hay to the cattle
is constantly increasing.
West of the Mississippi river is more than
twothlrds of the area and nearly one-thrd
of the population OF the United States; not
including Alaska. This immense territory is
richer il natural resources than any other
portion of the globe. 1t can mine more val
liable ore, raise more cattle, grow more grain
aud cut more lumber than all the rest of
North America. Its citizenship possesses the
highest order OF intelligence, energy and
courage. IL Is law abiding and loyal TO the
general government. But its present ad
vancement and future Importance is neither
known nor understood by the people of the
east. Owing TO this fact, it has never yet
been given its just measure Of recognition in
public affairs.
The star of the west Is fast rising in the
political armament never TO set; and after
the year 1900 the east must ask of us, whom
will you have for presidentf In that day OF
ITS power the "wlld ana woody west' win be
both generous and just. It's ambition. bound
less as the universe, will be- only for the
welfare of our common country and the
honor of the nations flag. The ancients be-
lieved in an Arcadian realm towards which
those happy mortais favored of the gods
might sail on summer seas; and where the
sunset kissed the ocean waves they saw its
golden strand. This is the land; the centu-
ries have given IL To the human race. Have
given IL, that on its peaceful shores earth's
toiling millions might find rest and hope;
have given II, that those enslayed in other