Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1893-05-02
OPENING SCENES.


CHICAGO, May /. Repre- sentatives Of all
nations elbowed one another in the broad
avenues of the great White City today
Swarthy Turks from the shores of the Bos-
phorus walked side bv side with their tratli-
tional enemies, the fierce Cossacks of the
Don; sooty Nubians iostied yellow Lascars; :;
subjects of the Shah hobnobed with deni-
zens of the land of the white elephant; the
Esquimaux--childrcn of the frozen North
sauntered through the long reach of road
wav, gazing curiously at the japanese,
nose home is near the equator.
]. 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, Russians, Austrans. Spain.
which claims the chief glory of the Coum-
bian era in right of Ferdinand aud Isabella
who sent the great admiral forth on his quest
divided the honors with Italy, which claims
his birthplace. Above the heads of the
throng tioated the flags of all nations. The
| nion Jack of old England swung side by
side with the tri-color of France :the red and
yellow of Spain was everywhere; and the
Austrian eagles flew on the breeze, along
with those of Russia. Chinas yellow dragon
penuant, the sun flag of Uruguay, the
| Geneva cross of the Swiss Republic, the
star and crescent of 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 repnhlia,the Stars and
Stripes, snapped in the lrroze symbol of
/ lih,rty and asy lum to the oppressed of the
! hole earth.
! The isdom of the committee on cere-
MONIES in making the opening exercises as
| brief ~ possible was evident. No one was
! in humor to listen to long speeches or
! fiowery dissertations. That sort of thing
was well enough at the dedication exercises
list October. but to-day everyone was
anxious to begin the inspection of the great
| exposition, and the crowds that ebhed and
flowed through the buildings and avenues
was an earnest of the muiitudes yet TO
come when the pilgrimage to the Mecca Of
civilization should have been fairly begun.
t OF cOurse, everyone who could do So hs-
tened with attention ami respect to Presi-
dent Cleveland, but there was an evident
disposition to commence sightseeing soon
as possible. The foreign notables who
bobhed up in every direction were there
fore mt molested bv eurisus crowds al
though here ard there knot of people
would be attracted by an unusually fantas-
tic costume or gorgeous uniform.
In the presence of the aggregation OF
stately structures that lined the lake shore
and clustered around the lagoons. how
ever. no one cared 10 look at an outlandist
dress or a strange face for longer than
moment. There was too much to be seer
in the buildings. 1t is true that the exhi
bits are not yet BY any means complete
They have not arrived so rapidly as ws'
expected. and the work of classification
has been somewhat DELAYED. Still, with a,
these draw backs, the attractions are said Il
be almost equal TO those of any previous
exposition ia its completed state Satisfae
tory a- this condition nf Affairs Is. get con
trasted with the display which will gree
the visitor few weeks hence, that of toia,
will be- remembered only as prologue II
one Of the most instructive and bewilier
ing spectaeles in the history of the world
, 1t is safe to say, however. that none of tn
visitors today was dissatisfied with whs
he saw. From the Forestry Building ol
the south to the Montana Buil2ing az tn
extreme northern limit of the grounds, ,ther
was a successian of strange and novel sights
, moving multiiudes and a display of the re
/ sources and products of civilization such a
? has never before been collected in one place
The crowd was a good natured one
There was of course some of the ineonser;
= ience and discomfort inseparable from
, large gathering, and in some cases curiosit
! to see all that was to be seen overcsme goo
I manners; bnt as n rule there wss disposi
ton to give all an equal chance, and ther
: was nc disorierly rushing into forbifie
quarters. or Ili-nstured complaints at tn
, triaing iaeonveniences which were under
: gone. Asiie from the foreigners, who afte
| all formed only a small fraction of tn
crowd, the bulk Of the mulfitus.
/, was made up Of Chieagoaus
I Ttis was to be expected. enn-iisring tn
? psr,isily unfinished condition Of the gre,
-bew ard the further fact that most of Il,
| prospective visitors from other states an
territories had long ago made their arrange
4 ulent- to reach Chicag, after the xpe-irto
t shall be fully opened. Chicago. however
had evidently resolved to take lay of i
= honor of the event, anil the attendance wa
highly gratifying not only as to numher
/ but also ia makeup. Neighboring cite
/ and states were not by any means unreprs
. sented, however. Special trains brougt