Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1891-08-21
BENNINGTON CELEBRATION.

accidents. BY Tuesday evening the
town was overflowing with visitors. in
Guiding many distinguished participants,
titled and untitled. The enterprise of
the Benningtonians had made their
streets and buildings everywhere attrac-
tive with streamers, flags and bunting
and the whole affair was bigger and bet
ter than that of fourteen years ago. No
higher praise is needed. For the accom-
modation of the general public nearly
every house in Bennington was thrown
open, and in many halls and buildings
cots were put up for the accommodation
of visitors. Arrangements for feeding
the multitude were made on an extensive
scale. Booths and temporary buildings
for restaurants were erected on all sides.
The new Catholic church was converted
into big dining-room, where 1000 peo
pie could be fed. Accommodation for
viewing the parade were also made on a
big scale. Stands were erected in many
places along the line of march, holding
in the aggregate 10000 people. The Pres
idential reviewing stand was half way up
the steep hill that leads to Bennington
Centre.
The centre of attraction for those in
the procession between the Soldiers
Home grounds and the Presidential re-
viewing stand was the great centennial
arch. 1t extended across the full width
of the street, with a 52-foot span. The
towers at each end were II by Is feet.
The centre of the arch was - feet clear
above the street, and the tower on which
Miss Lille Adams posed as the goddess
of liberty was Il feet high. On each of
the two towers was balcony lG9 feet
above the ground. The whole was paint
ed to represent masonry. The thirteen
original States were represented by
young ladies, the balconies being occu-
pied by $50 young girls dressed in cos
tunes of red, white and blue, who sang
national airs with organ and cornet ac-
compartment while the procession was
passing under the arch. The arch has
the following inscriptions; 110-There
Are the Red Coats, They Are Ours, or
Mollie Stark Sleeps Widow Tonight.
lS9l-Peace Hath Her Victories No Less
Renowned than War. l79l-The Best
Legacy of Nermont's First Century-IIer
Sons and Her Daughters-ls9l.
The presidential party was naturally
the centre of greatest interest. Its
special train reached North Bennington
at 10 Tuesday evening and its mem
bers were escorted to their places of enter
talnment amid great enthusiasm. At his
beautiful home Gen. John G. Mccullough
entertained among Others, President
Harrison, Secretary of War Proctor, At
/ torney-General Miller and wife. Gov.
Fage, eX-Minister Phelps, wife and son,
Senator Morrill,, DR.. w. ). Webb, Rus
sell Harrison and private secretary f. W.
Halford Gen. McCullough's brother-in-
law, F. b. Jennings, entertained Gen. and
Mrs. Russell A. Alger, Judge and Mrs.
w. G. Veazey, Col. and Mrs. Aldace F..
Walker, eX-Gov. Rice of Massachusetts
and eX-Gov. Stewart.
Wednesday morning President Harri-
son and party drove from North Benning-
ton to the soldiers home, arriving at . 80.
lie was met by Gov. Page, ex-Gov. Pres
colt of New Hampshire, eX-Gov. Orms-
bee, Congressman Grout and Col. \. +,
Walker and welcomed to the State and to
Bennington. He was shortly after driv
/ n ha 10 70 h.,
latter to start was given at 10 o'clock and
it was one hour and ten minutes pass
ing in review before the president, being
in az respects the most imposing ever
follows
First DivisiOn-Sheriff John Robinson
in command of his four mounted depu-
ties; platoon of police; Rublee's band
of 30 pieces, Lake Village, n. H.; Amos
keag veterans, Manchester, n. H., acting
as escort to the president and party, who
passed to the reviewing stand when the
line reached Dewey avenue; Brig. Gen.
Greenleaf, Brevet Lieutenant Greene,
Breyet Lieutenant Colonel Smith and
Provost Marshal Cofley, with their aides
John A. Logan G. A. h. post, Orwell, Is
men mounted; Col. Estey with his aides
Montpelier military band of 10 pieces
First regiment Vermont national guard,
II companies First regiment band, New
Hampshire national guard, u pieces six
companies New Hampshire national
guard Doring's band, Troy, n. Y, about
"a pieces; Twenty-lirst separate compa-
ny, Troy Thirty-second separate compa,
ny, Hoosick Falls, N. Y, preceded by
their band; North Adams drum corps
and Light Guard battalion, North Adams
Mass. Cushing's battery, with Fuller:
battery following; hospital corps.
Second Divsion-Col. A. w. Met
calf, I'd regiment, New Hampshire ma
tional guard, with his aides; United
States military academy band of abou
SO pieces the West Pointers, Col. II. S