The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-05-02
THE WHEELS REVOLVE.
How the Columbian Exposition Was
Formally Opened.
THE PRESIDENT SAW THE SHOW
AND MADE A SPEECH,

our Hundred and Forty Thousand Peo
pie Pass the TurnstiIes on the Opening
Day--They Tramped Through Mile
After Nile of Buildings and Went Home
at Last Tired Out, But Resolved To
Go Again to the Fair.
CHICAGO, May 1.-Representatives of
all nations elbowed one another in the
broad avenues of the great White City
today. Swarthy Turks, from the shores
of the Bosphorus, walked side by side
with their traditional enemies, the fierce
Cossacks of the Don; sooty Nubians
jostled yellow Lascars; subjects of the
Shah hobnobbed with denizens of the
land of the white elephant; the Esqui-
maux-children of the frozen North
sauntered through the long reach Of
| roadway, gazing curiously at the Java
mes e, whose home is near the equator It
was congress of nations. Of course
Great Britain and Continental Europe
were the most strongly represented.
There was glitter of foreign uniforms
and gold and lace in every corner, and
every third man wore a decoration.
There were Germans, FRenchmen, Rus
slams and Austrians. Spain, which
claims the chief glory of
Ferdinand and Isabella. who sent the
great admiral forth on his quest, divid-
ed the honors with Italy, which claims
his birthplace. Above the heads of the
throng floated the flags Of all nations.
The Union Jack Of old England swung
side by side with the tri-col0r of France:
the red and yellow of Spain was every.
where: and the Austrian eagles few on
the breeze, along with those of Russia,
China's yellow dragon pennant, the sun
flag of Uruguay, the Geneva cross Of the
the Sublime Porte, the lion Of Persia, the
island banner of Hawaii, soon perhaps to
| disappear forever, all these were there;
and floating above them all the standard
of the great republic, the Stars and
Stripes. snapped in the breeze a symbol
OF liberty and asylum to the oppressed
| of the whole earth.
Early this morning, the Duke of Vera
qua and his suite joined the President
and his party preparatory to the short
| journey to the grounds of the exposi-
| ton.
| Meanwhile the procession was in course
| intersection with 22d street and prompt
| ly ats o'clock Major Baldwin of the
Seventh United States cavalry, who was
| in command of the escorting division.
was prepared to give the signal for the
| procession to move. At the head to clear
the way was detachment of mounted
police. Next in line were companies D
| and K of the 7th United States cavalry.
The carriages containing fair officials and
the distinguished guests came next.
In the applause and heartiness of the
greeting, the military shared with the
President. and the latter with the Spanish
plaisance, the welcome was distic-
lively American, but from here on to the
gates it partook of adecidedly cosmopoli-
tan flavor.
The Arabs prostrated themselves on
the ground and cried aloud to Allah. The
Cingalese, in white flowing robes, des-
cribed Salaams with their arms and
shoulders. Eunuchs stood in line with
the beauties of the harem, and the dom
key boy of Cairo, knelt beside his sleek.
coated companion. So the procession
slowly wound its way, past groups Of
Algerians, Mongolians, Africans, Japan.
ese, Laplanders, Moors and Persians,
| through Dahomey village and Japan.
ese camp, past the blue grotto of Capri,
| and the Moorish palace, the Japanese
settlement, and the Zoopraxiscope, under
the captive balloon and through lane
| formed of two score female beauties Of
half as many nations.
| After the President, Duke of Veragua
and all the distinguished guests had tax
en- the seats assigned to them, everything
was then in readiness for the inaugural
| tion of the exercises proper.
Ithad been intended to preface the
| speechmaking with a grand chorus Of
1000 voices, but owing to an oversight in
| drawing the plans of the platform this
| feature was eliminated and in its place
was rendered Columbian march, COM
| posed for the occasion by, Prof. John K.
Paine. Theodore Thomas welded the
baton, and 900 instruments responded to
| his wand.
As the music died away the chaplain
| lain of the United States House of Rep
reseutatives, Rev. DR.. W. H. Milburn,
| was led forward to the front of the
platform and made prayer.
AS he retired to his seat, Miss Jessie
| Couthoui of Chicago, was escorted to
| the speakers stand, and in clear, impress
sive tones, that could be heard distinctly
| by the 1000 guests upon the platform,
and which penetrated far into the throng
| commenced to read the opening stanzas
OF the poem of the day. This was enti-
| tied "fhe Prophecy and is the produc-
ton of w. A. Croffut, member of the
| journalistic profession at the National
| Capital.
| Hearty applause rewarded the reader
Continued on Second Page.
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