The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-01-27
PREPARING TO OPEN THE FAIR.
Grover Cleveland VIII Touch tho Button.
Tho People VIII Do tho Rest.
TSpccial Correspondcpcc


Especial Correspondence
CHICAGO, Jan. .'.-While renewed ac-
tivity and energy are, with the opening of
tho new year, being manifested in all de-
partnents pertaining to the Worlds Co
lumbar exposition, there is one commit
tee in particular that believes in taking
time by the foreloclS and is carrying out
tho belief i'll practice. This is the COM
mittee on ceremonies. The recollections
of the glories of dedication week arc still
with us. 1t seems but yesterday since
that magnificent civic parade moved over
our spacious thoroughfares; since Manu-
features hall resounded with the acclaim
OF the greatest audience ever gathered
under a covered roof.
But although tho recollection still
dwells with us, Dedication Day is
thing of the past; Inauguration Day is
before us in the near future. 1t matters
not that ground has yet to be broken for
the ornate structure i'll which it is pro-
posed that tho inauguration ceremonies
Shall be held. Such u little thing rs that
doesn't trouble anybody so long as the
ground itself is actually there. That the
programme should be framed before the
be carried cut has actually begun to rear
its walls-and only four months to spare
may be regarded as simply another il
lustration of the goaheadativeness of tho
United States in general and of the me
tropolis of the west in particular.
Wind and weather, contractors and
walking delegates and various other
concomitants permitting, the ceremonies
that are to signaliZc the formal opening
OF the exposition to the people of the uni
verse will be held in Festival hall. Tho
site of this structure-when it is struc-
ture-will DO on tho west sido of the
lagoon east of tho Transportation build
ing, near by tho Administration build
ing, and easy of access to the Sixty-sev-
enth street entrance.
Just now the ground is occupied by II
frame restaurant, within which at noon
day Major Moses p. Handy may often
times be found diligently engaged in the
task of keeping those whiskcrs of national
reputation out of Il bowl of mock turtle
soup or exploring with fork the mys-
tcries of Il dish of pork and beans, while
on the other side of the table Director
General George r. Davis or President
L. w. Palmer may be cracking jokes or
exchanging witticisms between mouth
fuls of nush and milk OF ham and eggs.
The frame restaurant, however, has q
limited lease of life. Within few weeks
it will be RACED to the ground, and Festi-
val hall will rise upon the ruins. 1t will
have seating capacity of 5000 souls,
and as its name indicates, will DO avail
able for reunions, state gatherings and
festivities of Il general character. Should
there be conditions, however, that mill
tate against the completion of this build
ing on time, the Inauguration exercises
will be held in Music hall. This is To-
Gated between the Agricultural and Man
ufactures buildings, just about north
cast of the latter building. Its seating
capacity will be about 1000.
Possibly Il good many people may be
inclined to ask why the exercises should
not take place i'll tho open air, or why
the Manufactures building, i'll which
the dedication exercises were held, can
not be utilized next May. AS to the lat
ter suggestion, the building itself will be
crowded with exhibits. and the POSSIBLE
ity of rcscrving sufficient space even to
construct temporary auditorium is out
of the question. So far as open air OK
ercises are concerned, mono of us who
have lived in Chicago for even decade
is likely to he cntranced with the idea.
We don't dance about May poles here
abouts with the opening of the month of
flowers, nor as Il general rule do we be-
gin to warble Spring, spring, gentle
spring." until we ara we'll into June.
IL iS NOT CD many I-aarc nUo cipca fro;,,e
were snowbound within fifty miles of
Chicago for two or three days in the last
week in April. What happened then is
likely to happen again. Open air exer-
cises on the LIST of May might mean
colds and catarrh and that fiendish mon
ster, la grippe, and its consort, pneumo-
mia, and bronchitis and numberless other
ills to thousands if not tens of thou
sands of patriotic Americans. And SO
an open air Inauguration has been ia
booed and very wisely tabooed. 1t
would be profitable thing for the med
ical fraternity, but neither the Illinois
nor tho National Medical association
has offered Il percentage on the profess
sional fees that such programme would
bring forth, and hence it has no place in
tho list of concessions.
That energetic secretary of the COM
mittee on ceremonies, Colonel E. c.
Culp, to whom much of the success Of
dedication week may DO fairly attribu-
ted, expresses the opinion that a quarter
of million people will pass through
the gates of Jackson park on opening
day. Hence, if his estimate comes any
where near being correct, it follows that
$4,000 of them will get neither within
seeing nor herring of the snecial exercises