Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1893-01-16
BY TELEGRAPH.
THE WORLDS FAIR.
Preparing for the Opening Of the
Grandest Exhibition Ever Held.
Pres. Cleveland viii Press Ii. esiisai the
People will % The RESI-.

People will % The Rest.
CnleAeo, Jan. I2.-While renew.d ae-
tiyity and energy are, with the opening Of
the new year. being manifested IN all de-
partments pertaining to the Worlds Co
lumbar exposition. there is one commit
tee in particular that believes in taking
time BY the forelock and is carrying out
the belief in practice. This is the COM
mittee on ceremonies The recollections
of the glories of dedication week arestill
with us. II seems but yesterday since
that magnificent civic parade moved over
our spacious thoroughfares; since Mann
features hall resounded with the acclaim
Of the greatest audience ever gathered
under q covered roof.
But although the recollection still
dwells with us, Dedication Day IS u
thing of the past: Inauguration Day Is
before US in the near future. 1t matters
not that ground has vet to be broken for
the ornate structure in which it Is pro-
posed that the Inauguration ceremonies
shall be held Such little thing Is that
doesn't trouble anybody SO long as the
ground itself is actually there. That the
programme should be framed before the
buildiny in which that programme is to
be carried ont has actually begun to rear
its walls--and only four months to spare
may be regarded az simply another il
iustration of the goaheadativeness Of the
United States in general and of tho me
tropoll' of the. west in particular.
Wind and weather, contractors and
walking delegates and various other
concomitants permitting. the ceremonies
that are to signalize the formal opening
of the exposition to the people OF the uni
verse Will be held in Festival hall. The
site Of this structure when it is a struc
tIre- will be on the west side of the
lagoon eas, of the Transportation build
ing. near by the Administration build
ing and easy of access to the Sixty-sev
enth street entrance.
lust nov, the ground is occupied by Il.
frame restaurant. within which at noon
day Major Moses r Handy may often
times be found diligently engaged i'll the
task of keeping those whiskerso of national
reputation out of II bowl of mock turtl"
soup or exploring with II fork the mys
teries of Il dish of pork and beans, while
on the other side of the table Director
General George r. Davis or President
7 W Palmer may be cracking jokes or
exchanging witticisms between mouth
fuls of nnsh and milk or ham and eggs
The frame restaurant. however, has a
iinitet. lease OF life. Withina few weeks
il Will he RACED to the ground, and Fest
sal Eall viii rise upon the ruins. twill
have Il seating capacity OF 5000 souls
and ia its name indicates. will be avail
able for reunions, state gatherings ana
festivities of a general character. Should
there be conditions. however. that mill
tate against the completion of this build
ing on time. the inauguration exercises
will be held in Music hall This is lo
Gated between the Agricultural and Man
ufactures buildings. Just about north
east of the latter building Its seating
capacity will be about 2G00
Possibly Il good many people may he
inclined to ask why the exercises shoulii
not take place in the open air. or VIII
the Manufactures building. in wh;t,,
the dedication exercises were held. can
not he utilized next May AS to the Ii:
ter suggestion. the building itself will b..
crowded with exhibits. and the possibil
ity of reservIng sufficient space even t.
construct IL temporary auditorium is or;
Of the question. So far as oren air eA
ercises are concerned. none of us wis
have lived in Chicago for even decade
is likely to he entranced with the idea
We don't dance about May poles here
abouts with the opening of the month oi
flowers. nor as II general rule do we be
gin to MARBLE Spring. spring gentle
spring" until we are well into June.
1t is not 80 many years ago since trains
were snowbound within fifty miles OF
Chicago for two or three days in the last
week in April What happened then is
likely to happen again. Open air eysi
cises on the list Of May might meail
colds and catarrh and that fiepdish mon
ster. Ia grippe. and its consort, pneumu
mia. and bronchitis and numberless Other
ills to thousands if not tens of thou
sands of patriotic Americans. And 50
IN open air inss1guration has been Il.
boded and very wisely tabooed. II
would be n profitable thing for the med
ical fraternity. but neither the Illinois
nor the National Medical association
has offered Il percentage on the proft4
sional fees that such programme woul,l
bring forth. and hence it has no place in
the list of concessions
That energetic secretary of the com
mittee on ceremonies, Colonel +. C.
CHIP. TO whom much Of the success of
dedication week may be fairly attrib1
ted. expresses the opinion that quarter
Of million people will pass through
the gates of jackson park on opening
day. Hence. if his estimate comes any
where near being correct, it follows that
945,00O Of them will get neither within
seeing nor hearing of the special exercises
although that entire number and as many
more may gather in Machinery han
and the other structures and look upon
the machinery as it starts in motion fro.a
the pressure upon the electric button.
Of the 5000 more fortunate indiyidn
ais one-hfth win comprise the official
guests of the national commission
These may be classified in this order.
President and members of the cabinet
the diplomatic corps, the members Of
both branches of congress. the members
OF the supreme court. the national com.
mission. the board of lady managers. the
city council Of Chicago, the park com
missioners. the board of managers of Tie
government exhibit, and last, but not
least. the representatives of the press.
The other 1000 spectators will, accord
ing TO the present programme. put m
five dollars apiece for the privilege. /,
will he cheap at that, for at the Paris
exposition the price of tickets ranged
from two to twelve dollars. according 10
location. and for days before the imam.
they commanded a premium Of
100 per cent. The exercises will be brief
dignified and at the same time impress
i've CIR ,yer Cleveland will press the
button Tine people will do the rest