Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1893-10-26
IT WAS oHICAGO'S DAY.
THE GREATEST OF ALL, CELEBRA-
TIONS At THE FAIR.

Hundreds OF Thousands of People
Flock to the Exposition to Pnrtici-
pate In the Exercises Commemmo-
rating the Great Fire.
Worlds Fair Grounds. Special-sNeyer
in the history Of the fair were there SO
many people together. From early
morning the crowds came in unbroken
columns. A full force of men were sta-
toned at the gates and thousands OF
the Chicago day crowd lined up at
every entrance. At the Sixty-third
street entrance it was next to impossi-
BILE to gain admission, so dense was the
crowd. 1t was the same story at most
of the other gates. The people came
from every direction. Thousands were
compelled TO sleep in stairways, restaur-
ants and hotel offices last night, as
the city was completely filled. Rooms
were impossible 10 secure, and cots
were at a premium. Trainloads OF peo-
pie We're deposited downtown n in
the exposition district this morning.
All had one object in view, and that
was the White City. The line Of those
seeking admission was endless. Luck
lily about half OF the visitors had Sc
cured tickets and the crowd around
the ticket offices was not so great.
There We're many organizations from a
distance. The FitcEburg Railroad COM
peny Of Boston was represented by
100 of its employ es, who arrived in
their special car. Other organizations
from numerous places were well repre-
secuted.
While the people were ~scrambling
through the gates, Samuel P~ackagan,
the Pottawattomie chief, and John
Young, SOL of the Indian who named
Chicago. rang the Liberty bell. They
We're introduced by Miss Emma q.
Sickles Of Pine Ridge.
81 WILL"
When the smoke had cleared away
after the great Chicago fire twenty
two years ago nobody expected that
such Il city as now marks the site of
old Fort Dearborn would be reared
in its stead. It's growth has been in all
respects phenomenal and the enterprise
Of the Chicago citizen is proverbial.
So when Chicago started to secure
the greatest prize of the nineteenth
century, the worlds Columbian expo
SlIIoL. III lptlltlOu was ti UbNI
and congress set the official seal of the
government on the project.
The opening of the fair and subse-
quent big days have been occasions of
rejoicing and the people of the globe
have proclaimed their approval by their
attendance. When Chicago planned to-
days exercises and festivities the char
actcristic push and enterprise asserted
itself, and n special committee appoint
ed by the city council, assisted by the
worlds fair officials, began the prelim-
mary arrangements TO make Chicago
day the biggest of the exposition. After
several weeks of work the programme
was arranged satisfactorily. The day
was a graE0 success. 1t was the banner
event of the fair. The avenues were
not filled with equiI ages IF state. but
the common people were here by the
tens of thousands, the school children.
laborers, mechanics, in fact, citizens
from every calling cGme in squads.
Speechmaking was no feature. Long
ago exposition crowds have shown a
d.staste for oratorical contests. To-
day all was action. Even before the
popular interests were so numerous as
to turn the head of the average visitor,
n grand fee ture followed another.
Before the sun had peeped above the
blue Of Lake Michigan people hurried
to the depots 10 take trains for the
White City. Down town Business
houses We're locked up Saturday night
and the KEYS hid Until tomorrow. Mer.
chants, actuated by the patriotic i'm
pulse, purchased tickets for their en-
ploycs; everybody was in holiday attire,
end Chicago was at her best. Every
lCode Of transportation was taxed to its
limit. People hung On cable trains
three deep. Visitors were armed with
souvenir tickets, and Chief Tucker. of
the department Of admissions, had
every available man at work.
At the White City.
The decorations at the fair were
suberb. From the fiagstaffs of the big
buildings. keeping company with the
stars and stripes, the colors Of every
nation waved out a greeting to their
countrymen. The state buildings were
loaded with bunting and flags. In many
instances flowers were banked about
the doors. 1t was 10 o'clock when the
Chicago HuSsars, under command of
Capt. Brand, entered the west end of
Midway. AS the company made a
tour of the grounds Battery ID, under
the direction of Lieut.. Russell. was
firing 4 salrte over the lake front.
Flchking the great EGsin and stationed
en- the peristyle, administration, manu-.
Iactures and agricultural buildings
trumpeterS in Eerald's uniform. PLAYED
a short fanfare of peace aud then in
unison splitting the cir to the ends of
the grounds, Peace on Earth: Good
VIII 10 Men, was rlayed. The com
bined bands, numbering several hun
dred musicians played the air of .All
Nations" 1t VAS a grand spectacle.
The height of enthusiasm was reached.
however, when Q chorus of 1000 voices,
under the direction of Prof. Tomlins.
sang The Star Sp&rgled Panner."
The refrain was taken up by 10000 peo-
pie, and as the sir gers executed the
notes of the American hymn the united
bands swelled the volume TO an extent
rarely heard. Then the chorus sang
s.mC Southern airs, including Dixie.
Land" Maryland" and kentucky
Home Columbia, Gem of the Ocean
was then sung. and tho united bands
II arched from the grand plaza to the
west entrance Of the administration
building. Here the new Liberty bell