The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1893-07-06
THE DAY AT THE FAIR.
MONSTER CELEBRATION ON WORLDS
FAIR GROUNDS YESTERDAY.
A Quarter Of a Million People Joined in
Celebrating the Nations Natal Day.
Grafton by Vice President Steven
son and Pretty Ceremonies.

the Fourth of July, the natal day c
the nations independence, should wit
,, ness the largest attendance Of the sea
son at the exposition. Although Off
cial returns are not yet in, the attend
ance will not fall short of $50, 900
Every railroad gave special Fourth o
July rates and the closing of CONNER
cial houses in the city enabled tn
working and business people of TIN
city to swell the throngs until the ag
gregate became greater than any pre-
vious days attendance. The weather
was alternately fair and threatening
and just at noon slight shower broke
over the assemblage. Fortunately the
rain was slight and of but a few min
utes' duration. The crowd was good
natured; everybody seemed bent on ap
propriate observance of the Fourth
Every patriotic sentiment of the ora
tors was cheered warmly and the en-
thusasm of the assemblage was in.
spring to the speakers. AT no time
during the day was the weather OPP
pressively warm, and after the shower
it was cool and bracing.
A great number of visitors arrived
early in the forenoon. Most of the ex
cursion trains from abroad entering
| the grounds not later than 8 or 10
o'clock. AS usual most of the visitors
| had heard of or been victims of the
capacity of Worlds Fair restaurants
and the greater number came forti-
fed with lunch baskets. When lunch
hour arrived the greensward east OF
the government building became re-
sort for the weary and was dotted
with thousands of table cloths and
baskets as picknickers spread their
mid day lunch.
The commemorative exercises of the
day began promptly at IL a. IN.
Long before that hour the space for
hundreds of feet surrounding the
grand stand was thronged with spec
tators and every prominent arrival
was greeted with cheers. AT 10 o'clock
Mayor Harrison, the city officials and
the common council of Chicago en-
tered in carriages at the Fifty seventh
street entrance, preceded by the Sec
ond regiment, E. N. G. The mayor
was loudly cheered along the route
( and proceeded at once to the grand
stand with his party, where they were
seated among the national commits
sioners, directors and chiefs of depart
ment. The exercises opened with
music from an immense chorus as
sembled by Director Pratt. Nearly
1000 singers were marshaled around
the stand, groups being stationed in
the galleries of the terminal station,
the front gallery of the mines and
mining building and in the balcony of
machinery hall. There were four
bands, one being located in the west
balcony of administration building
and others distributed at regular in
teryas about the plaza.
When Mayor Harrison and party
arrived at the grandstand, Director
General Davis, who presided over the
exercises called the assemblage to
order. AS he did so Colonel Clarke OF
Milwaukee stepped forward and pre-
sented him with a gavel made from a
piece Of the famous Washington elm
at Cambridge, Mass. Rev. DIR. John
II. Barrows invoked a blessing and al
the conclusion of the prayer General
Davis introduced Gen. Adlai E. Steven
son, vice president of the United
States, as orator of the day. Great
applause greeted Stevenson and his
speech was masterpiece.
| Mayor Carter II. Harrison OF Chi
cago, was the next speaker, and was
given a greeting quite as heavy and
enthusiastic as that given Stevenson
and the crowd listened attentively tc
all he had to say. In the course o.
his speech he said: 1T is now but 8
few moments of IL, aud when thai
hour arrives the original stars anc
stripes which floared at the masthead
of Captain Paul Jones cruiser, the
Bon Hommie Erichard, over 100 years
ago, would be hoisted here and the
new Columbian liberty bell in Troy
New York, would be rung An cleo
trio current through telegraph lines
will at the same moment carry thu
news to every city, hamlet and village
in the land, and in every one flags will
wave and patriotic shouts be heard.
AS he ended the sentence booming
OF cannon and ringing of bells an
nounced that it was high noon. Mrs
Mary Madge Morris stepped quckl.
acrossed the platform and touched ;
telegraph key, and the clicking Of III
struments announced TO the cities dnt
towns all over the country that it wa
noon in Chicago and that the origina
"Old Glory" was being holsted. l
carried the news to Troy aud the new
Liberty Bell sounded its first note.
While the instrument was yet click
ing Mrs. H. r. b Stafford, bowed
down with the weight of three scor
years and ten, with trembling hand
seized the halyards and pulled alol
the historic Paul Jones flag. The vas
throug stood silent with uncovere
heads for a moment and then came
mighty shout that drowned the nois
of booming cannon and changing bells
Hon. Hampton Carson of Phila
: delphia, next made an address. Tn
Declaration of Independence. wa
read by j. s. Norton of Chicago
5 When he tinished there was IA paus
for Il moment and then tens OF thou
sands of people let loose with all th
power of their being a mighty shout
r They prolonged it until it swept owe
the grand plaza like the rumbline of
thunderbolt.
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