The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1893-12-14
TIE PARLIAMENT HELD AT CT
CAGU DURING THE FAIR.
A Paper Prepared for the Woman,
board OF Missions by MIRA. Mary
). whitney.
Published by reduest1.

ginating the great plan of taking adj
vantage OF the great crowds attending
the Worlds Fair at Chicago, to gather
them together into convention of all
professions, religions, sects, trades and
societies, for mutual conference and
enlightenment. While during the six
months of the Fair there were held
separate congresses OF all religious
sects OF English-speaking people, this
Parliament undertook the grand pro-
ject of gathering together representa-
tive men and women from all the
great religions sf the world, to freely
and without hindrance state their pc
culiar doctrines and practices, and
leave the comparisons to be made by
the conscience of their hearers.
These meetings were not held on
the Fair grounds, but in the city, on
the lake front, at the foot of Adams
street, in great unfinished building
called the Art Institute. 1t was built
for this purpose and has two large
rooms, the halls of Columbus and
Washington, and numerous smaller
halls. The Parliament was held in
the Hall of Columbus, which was said
to hold three or four thousand people.
II was poorly ventilated, very hot and
always crowded. The Illinois Central
railroad ran on one side of the build
ing, and every few minutes an engine
would pass, shrieking and putting, as
III eager to show these commemorative
Orientals" how little, after all, Chi
g. m ~
sageS and the ages. The Parliament
held their sessions daily for seventeen
days, and, with all these drawbacks,
it was generally impossible to find a
seat without coming long before the
meeting commenced.
Though Mr.. Bonney was the origin
ator and acting president of all these
conventions, the honor of the success
of this Parliament was due to Rev.
VIM. II. Barrows, ID. D., pastor of a
Presbyterian church in Chicago, who
spent two years in corresponding with
leading men all over the world, ar
ranging the programme for these fifty
one meetings. He was rightfully
appointed the president of the Par
lament, and made most wise and
sympathetic presiding officer.
cannot hope in this brief paper to
more than touch the personnel of the
y
into one or two of the meetings. L
was fortunate enough to attend the
opening meeting, which / shall at
ter.3p to describe. y little after the
time announced, n wonderful process
sion entered the hall and marched to
to the platform, where they were
seated. 1t was headed by Hon. G.. G.
Bonney, walking with Cardinal Glib
bons. The Cardinal was dressed in his
f,.Il xFf nfn rob n hPIl taf of
silk cloak lined with heavy brocade of
the same color, fastened at the neck
and open down the front, showing an
other red robe beneath, reaching to
his feet A heavy gold chain about
his neck held large gold cross set
with Jewels. oh the back of his head
was a small red cap. DR.. BarrOws
followed, with Archbishop Latus, of
Athens, very high official of the
Greek Church. He was short and
portIy and wore long black cassock
with immense sleeves, and u high,
curiously-shaped hat. Across his
broad breast there were numerous gold
chains holding crosses and jewels of
various kinds; he carried a long carved
staff, which he held in front of him as
he sat. He had long, white beard
and a benevolent expression of coun-
tenance. He was attended by two
them when they were seated was
Suami Vivekananda, Hindoo monk,
dressed in an orange-colored robe OF
some plain cotton goods, wound about
him from head to foot in numerous
folds and secured by red sash. On
his head he wore q saffron colored
turban-a most uncomfortable looking
affair. His face was not dark, ana his
expression very attractive. He was
great favorite all through the conven-
fion. There were several other Hin
docs dressed much like him, in equally
vivid colorS.
On the opposite side in row sat six
Buddhist priests from Japan, with
shayen heads and white robes, and
near them Rev. Renchi Sibata,
priest of the Jikko branch of the
Japanese Shintu sect, whose attire IS
thus described: "a most curious bit
of millinery was on his head. Fancy
n shining black travelling cap fastened
by O string under the chin. AT the
back a black, openwork ornament
foot or more long and four inches
wide, fastened apparently by another
ornament, also black and shining, ana
which stood up like the backcomcs OF
our great grandmothers. His top
Gown was of snow white brocade,
faced with vermilion; the undergoWn
looked in the shadow dark green and
black. He made his bow with clasped
hands, and seemed a strange, remote,
picturesque personality belonging TO
another planet"
There were several Chinese, chief OF
whom was Ping QuaDg Yu, Secretary
of the Chinese Legation at Washing
ton, in rich silk robe and mandarin's
cap.
A most attractive figure seated mod
estly on one side was Christopher
Jibara, from Damascus. His face re-
called at once the old paintings OF the
Redeemer. His hair was parted In the
middle and curled slightly where it
hung long upon his shoulders. He
wore a simple long black gown, and
his sensitive face showed interest and
appreciation.
These were only few of the many
curious and interesting foreign dele
gates. Beside them there were as
many more Europeans and Ameri-
cans, with more familiar features and
attire, and four ladies: Mrs. Potter
Palmer and Mrs. Henrotin, two ele-
CANT society ladies of Chicago, repre-
senting the woman's committee, Miss
Jeanne Serabji of Bombay, dressed In
a rich native costume Of red and black