Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1893-07-05

stS deop in military order. 3Uo eEposir
tIou exhibitors q ali nations weredfaxa
tip. Every man carried an Amsrieze
flag As the Procession passed through
shs ran - the exhibitors uncovered aud
saved the nsgs whils the bsnds broke
fo<th in unison sifh the Star Spangied
baErcs When the mayors carriage
as<i reached the head u the column the
worl a coulmznd was given. The exhibi.
lors faced r1r ks sou m . ART and the CON
b.red proc-ssioas moved through the
yro1Bds. bringing up IN the Immense
piazza bet~ren the American building
ard the terminal station. A portion -
thts had been filled ia With chairs and
benches and extamporarized seats. while
IA the rear enougf standing room Was
lsft for 4 hundred thousand persons
Who vere wiling 10 joan ia singing the
patriotic music. esen IL they could not
get within q quarter % q mile 81 ear
saot Il the speeehes- La front u the
tsrniinzi building. facing west a spar
io1s grand stand had been erected, and
long before the ARRIVAL IL the pfocession
an ocean ~ faces were turned toward II.
each beasning with look OF good ma
tared expectancy.
Patriotic Music.
The great ooncourses were enter
tertalned gith national airs that stirred
its blood and kept them IN enthusias
tic mood The bands grouped on the
first ,foor were the Second regiment.
Pullman and the Chicago. Silas G.
Pratt Was conductor for all lie stood
90 the stairway. few feet above the
heads II the musicians with a program
OF the music In one hand and book IN
the other. using both AS batons 10 bring
out the volume Of the patriotic melody
% its fullest extent and In the most
harmonious unison. They played the
"Doxology." Red. White and Blue"
Star Spangled Banner. and America
while the multitude spplauded after
each selection.
The concourse had need of pa.
tIence for IL was not until
ll:-D that Director General Davis. arm
In arm with Vice President Stevenson.
appeared az the head Of the steps lead
ing ia the platform. and a mighty shout
went up from .satso threats.
Looked Like pigmics.
The long. deep balconies Of the admin
istration building and the shoe and
leather building on the right and left
were perched away ON the dome of the
executive structure where they looked
ike pignlies. Behind the director gen
eral aud the vice president came the
national commissioners and the board of
directors. the lady managers and
several hundred special guests Of
tho occasion. Below the plat
form we're the members OF the
Columbian chorus, men and women
fifteen hundred Of them, each with
big tag that later on was 10 be waved in
triumph 10 signalize the touch of the
electric button that was 10 dedicate the
liberty bell thousand miles eastward
across the continent While the guests
were being seated on the platform re-
nesed enthusiasm was created 10y the
appearance of the venerable bat
sprghtly woman from Martha's Vine
yard. Mass. Mrs. Stafford. who carried
ia card board box her precious pos
session. the. flrst american nag, She
kept IL close 10 her as she smiled and
bowed her acknowledgements 10 the
scat underneath the small fiag pole
erected for the purpose of recelv-
Jog the flag. which was fastened To
Stafford's infism hand at the stroke of
L. o'clock.
Another Diversion.
Another diversion was created by the
arrival OF a delegation from the state Of
Washington. bearing at its head "A mons
ter stuffed esyle hoisted high on pole
with the stars and stripes fiuttering be
meath. When the last Of the guests had
been seated Director General Davis
brought his gayel down on the table and
called the multitude to order. The Rev.
Dr. John Henry Barrows had been an
nouneed &C. deliver the opening prayer.
but he was ahsent. and in his place the
Rev DIR. Canficld IL the universalist
church vas Introduced. while these
scenes have changed from a wilderness
90 civilization he said. the God Of our
fathers has always been with the people
of the republic" He prayed for divine
blessing upon the president of the
United STATES and ali Others assisting
hin in authority.
Stescnson's Speech
Wise President Stevenson was now in
troduced. A he stepped To- the front of
the platform be was greeted with a rous-
ing cheer. lie spoke in stcntorian tones
with considerable emphasis and gcsticu-
lation aud succepded ia getting his sen.
tlmcnts 10 the hearing az the great ma
iorlty of tho.e before and about him
lie said.
4 am confident that at no time nor
place have human eyes beheld a grander
assembiagc This il AMERICAS day.
Under the auspices % the great esposi
ton other days have been set apart 20
commemorate marked events ia history.
The individual states Of our union and
the nations q the earth. each and all.
aud wisely. too. have had special day
assigned them. In the great cong resscs
which have here assembled representa-.
tivrs ~ all lands a0d all pathways ~
human endeavar. have beeu gathered.
Science. agriculture and the arts have
not heen .orgottsn. All uho toil With
hand owe SCmcihing 20 the men Who
gave = the American colonies tins chart
q their liberties. something - Tho
heroic sifusgie which. commencing
az Lexington. eliminated at
Yorktown 10 the Independence n the
Colonies. something u ths men who IN
l1rl inspired by sisdom more than
human. crystaiized into our federal
legislation the deathless principles
enunrsstsd an the great declaration.
c,lugra.ulste yea. ny ceantry men. upon
this ao-picious criebration - the fourth
tsy ~ July % the giorIes 81 the past
and what Jet fesnslns sure Tor ourselves
and our cbibiren. self government -
90 longer an experiment II has on
dared the fest - more than a hundred
years of trial No period of oar history
kaa kwrarrs a mora afrsftf4af tfatarrssra