New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1893-07-05

Ology was sung by a chorus of 2. 600
voices, and was joined in by the entire
audience. At the end of each line a
! salute was fired. l-..'..
Had Need of Patience.
The concourse had need of patience
for 1t was not until II 20 that Director
General Davis arm in arm with Vice
President Stevenson appeared at the
head OF the steps leading to the plat.
form and a mighty shout went up from
100000 throats. Behind the director
general and the vice president came the
mayor and corporation, the national
| commissioners and board Of directors,
the lady managers and special
| guests of the occasion. Below the
| platform were the members of the
Columbian chorus. men and women
fifteen hundred of them, each with a
big flag that later on was to be waved
in triumph to signalize the touch of
| the electric button that was to dedicate
the new Liberty Bell a thousand miles
across the continent. While the guests
were being seated OH the platform re.
neWed enthusiasm was created by the
appearance of the venerable out
sprightly woman from Martha's Vine.
yard, Mass, Mrs. Stafford, who carried
in cardboard box her precious pos.
session
The First American Flag.
She Kept it close to her as she smiled
and bowed her Acknowledgements to
the cheering multitude. She was given
seat underneath the small fagpole
erected for the purpose of receiving the
nag which was fastened to the line
ready for the hosting by Mrs. Stafford's
lnfirm hand at the stroke of IL o'clock.
When the last of the que. is had been
seated Director General Davis brought
his gavel down on the table and called
the multitude to order Rev. DR.. John
Henry Barrows had been announced to
deliver the opening PRAYER. but he was
absent, and in his place R,v. DIR. Can
field OF the Universalist church was in
troduced.
Vice President Stevenson was now in
PRODUCED. AS he stepped to the front
OF the platform he was greeted with a
rouslng cheer. He spoke in stentorian
tones, with considerable emphasis and
gestlculation and succeeded in getting
his statements to the hearing of the
great majority of those before and
about him. Brief and to the point, the
address was frequently interrupted
with applause and it decreased ten-fold
as the vice president retired.
Sanp Columh;.
Then S. c. Pratt, of New York, came
to the edge of the platform and at a
wave of his baton the chorus rose and
commenced the opening stanzas of
columbia the Gem of the Ocean. "
BY the time that the chorus
was reached the audience was
wild with enthusiasm and
it joined in the refrain with vim and
vigor, tens of thousands of arms wav-
ing the stars and stripes overhead. It
was stirring spectacle, but it was to
be intensified later on. When the sing
ing had ceased it was the turn of Mayor
Carter Harrison to speak in behalf of
the Worlds Fair City.
Mayor Harrison continued to speak
till within a minute of no N. Then he
paused an instant, after which he said:
1.-The supreme moment is at hand"
For mo,nent the multitude stood
breathless. Venerable Mrs. Stafford.
shaking and trembling in every limb.
uprose and grasped the cord OF the flag
pole.
1.-The moment is here" shouted the
mayor: A roar of cannon, and then
with palsied fingers the old lady drew
the cord toward her and Paul Jones'
flag, old and faded. but still a priceless.
emblem of liberty, went up to- the top
of the pole in full view of the, throne.
simultaneously Mayor Harrison grasped
the sword Of Andrew jackson and
brandishing it over his head shouted
above the roar of cheers: MEN and
women Of America, let every American
swear at this moment and by this
sword that he stands ready to draw his
sword in the defense of his country"
Forward to the stand, like the roar
of tidal wave sweeping inland, came
the voices of tens of thousands of reso-.
lutte men, and the weaker voices of
thousands of the gentler sex, Eyes, YES,
we swear, we swear" From the bal
comics of the structures behind and be.
fore, to the North and; South, down:
from the dome of the Administration
building, came like an echo the deep
earnest roar, Yes, yes. We swear, we
swear" Still the mayor stood with
sword pointed toward the, Sag Like
Ajax defying the lightning.
The moment was. dramatic; intense:
one of those. moments that are exper-
fenced but once in a. lifetime. There
was not man or woman in the vast
throng but at call from the country
would have marched at the moment to
the defense. of the flag. Then the scene
changed. With preliminary burst of
melody the combined bands. COM
menced the, strains of the "Star
Spangled Banner" and tbs: choras fol-
lowed in unison. ~.
'Sing, Sing, all sing" shouted Mayer
Harrison as the refrain was reached
and flags were: waved and hats waved
and handkerchiefs waved. Never be-
fora newer AGAIN will Jackcop ,,arl- no