New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-04-28
THE CTTYINT NATIONS GARB
COUNTLESS FLAGS AND STREAMERS.
BUILDINGS DRESSED IN THE RED. WHITE AND
BLUE-FTATURES OF THE DECoRNioNS-

BUILDINGS DRESSED IN THE RED. WHITE AND
nrJ;r-rrATuREs OF TIE DECORATIONS
BEAUTIFUL DISPLAYS
Nc,y-Yor, has been Transformed into a vcritahlc
field of the cloth Of red, white and binc for the
Centennial Celebration. The city has put on ITS
brightest garb OF rejoicing. the National colorS lily
from every flagstaff, and in the principal streets
the houses whose owners are too poor or too uh-
notriotic 70 make at least modest display are
comparatively few. Several months ago ier-sc'-
iur merchants ordered large supplies of the gay
material and four or five weeks ago began to lay
ont their wares for public inspection and 10 put
nm Sims announcing " Centennial decorations fer
sale Those who lorcsaw the great demand and
,hc probable rise in the price Of these goods
bourht their supplies af once. Others. who wanted
70 see if their nciehbors were coinE to make lis
playS before deciding what they themselves would
do. and put of making their purchases. had either
10 pay big prices. or to DO without their hnhtin2
Some Of the hotels that have put mp csI"rlalY
elaborate decorations have had men at WORK Tor
two weeks About ten days aGJ the INST ilhgN
and hunting began 70 appear on the houses ana
by the early part OF Inst week the ornamcnta'ioh
became general Many wise ones waited until the
last moment however fearing that ralh-St"rfh
might ruin the displays. As matter oi i"ct
rcorlv all thr FLAGS. and most OF the hunting. fade
"A great deal WNcn WEI, anu a 'hIH'iAi- nuns WIN
cloth. the colOrs Of which have run together is
particularly dismal object
The decorations are. OF course. most general ana
costly in Union and Madison squares and III that
mart Of Broadway and Fiith-tve thrauGh which
tho parales will pass. in other portions OF the
city howenr there will also be credilablc dis
nloys In Harlem especially the people have
taken hold Of the worl; with great enthusiasm
and have made that part Of Ncw.lork. to all
nupearances a hotbed OF patriotism.
ORDERS FOR DECORATIONS.
Most of the stores and dwellings that will have
handsome displays will he fitted up by regular
decorative firms. There are about fifty Of th"sr
in ewYork, employing from fifteen or t"enty
10 hundred men each. CanvasserS for them
have been out among the merchants for some
weeks. and orders have consequently been pllng in
n, a great rate All The firms say tiey have
about all tlat they can possibly attend TO- ana
some had 10 refuse contracts. Inc week OF
decorating is regular business requiring strong
nerves. IN eye for the artistic and no h'ile en-
uerence. 50 il has been found difficult to get men
70 do il These firms supply ali the materials,
which they take down and keep after the ceic-
bra,ion is over All cf them have large supplies
OF flags, bunting and set h-ure>, such as shield,
and the like, constantly on hnnd Eut most OF them
w,re compelled to lay in additional store ID l.
monico's most OF the large hotels, and many OF
the big dry.goods houses, had men in tleir employ
who understood how 10 decorate artisticaliY, and
had them arrange their displays.
/, is surprising what variety OF effect can be
produced by such simple materials as pieces Of
rsd white and blue cloth. flass, shields and. in
some cases, pictures Hardly two buildings are
decorated alike. A fayorite way Is TO stretch
many lines OF the bunting from the roof To
the first floor: others to frame the windows. 10
pas the gay material from one side of the build
ing to the other. either directly, or to have it
caught in loops az the windows. pretty effect
is produced by q picture OF Washington in tho