The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-05-03


going here and there, caused low slapping
sounds under foot as boot-soles beat upon
the muddy tracks and passage wavs.
Early came the cohort of college stu
/ dents who have been employed for the
/ season at $50 per month to wear blue
uniforms and to push chairs about the
grounds at 80 cents per hour. At con-
venient places iron-roofed pagodes had
been erected as headquarters for these
young men, and thereabouts in their light
! blue uniforms, with fiocks of willow
chairs, they were lettering and waiting for
the coming of their work.
Exhibits Not Yet in shape.
There is DO building of exhibit in all the
white city where exhibits are yet wholly
arranged, but this fact did not interfere
with the issuance today OF the official
/ catalogues which told where each exhibit
should be when everyone had done what
Is expected to be done. In order to not
/ lose a moment of profit these catalogues
/ should be placed on sale the first day of
/ the fair and il was very early when a little
/ regiment OF lads arrayed in scarlet uni
/ forms with blue caps and brass lettering
marched through the grounds to their rem
/ devious In the administration building.
| These little fellows were the to-be-venders
! of the official catalogue.
! Between S and o'clock, from some
where away off on the edge of the grounds,
the notes OF the bu2e came softly through
the misty air. 1t was the first indication
| OF stirring scenes that should later occur
/ in the great plaza The bugle notes were
/ almost instantly swallowed up in burst of
melody from the throats of brass instru-
ments carried by the band of the Fifteenth
/ inf -
! dan for duty during the day. Nearer came
the strains of music until. turning the
corner near the transportation building
the blue uniforms came in sight, and
behind the band 400 regulars, CARRYING
each a musket on his shoulder. Lieut.
| Col. Overshne was at their head and led
them to a position TO rest alongside the
north wall of the administration building.
/ As the butts of their muskets dropped
with thud into the soft mud. the sounds
| OF other bands of music drifted out upon
] the air and soon the Second regiment
National guards OF the state OF Illinois
marched to position on the south front Of
the administration building.
Clearly the great CITY ct the northward
had not, through the night aud in the
lowering clouds, forgotten this great white
camp on the prairies seven miles away.
i The coming of the troops Rttested the
/ fact and showed that already the elements
! to the great demonstration were being
moved into place. Meanwhile lettering
breeze had changed the conditions some
what. The heads of the great supporting
columns of the building had come to
view the mists had so lifted that on the
! low dome above tho agricultural build
ing the great figure of Diana, brought
from New York City, could be discerned
pointing her arrow straight into the
| Northeast. Away up 200 feet on the roof
of the manufactures building the figures
| of a half dozen men might be seen creep
ing like ants upon an iceberg. half con-
cealed by mists and half revealed against
! the dark iron work of the structure.
Great white winged gulls circled above
| the blue basin of water and ont through
| the cOionade the movement OF the waters
of the lake could be discerned. Eastward
in the SKY the softened light was growing.
Somewhere in space the sun was gaining
power as the day grew older. Then, soon
after 8 o'clock, began the incoming
of the people whose great enter
prise was to be consummated at
noon. Coaches rumbled over the
moist earth and gravel TO dispatch their
guests at favored places where they should
witness the display. Officials became in
evidence-frst in struggling groups and
then In squads and battaions. Farmers
folk were there, too. They came with
| wholesome baskets in which was carefully
stored a luncheon for the family. Mo-
mentarily the light grew stronger aloft and
the clouds sailed higher in the air. In
front of the grand stand, where the presi-
dent should be, there was a lofty flagstaff,
and at its peak. in a baloon-like bunch,
the flag of the United States was ready TO
broken out when the electric signal was
given. At each corner of the grand stand
were other stats OF great height, and Just
above the heads OF the people. at their
bases, the crossbars OF great banners hung
waiting for the same signal to give them
forth to the air. Having observed this, a
visitor gazed about all the buildings and
upon every flagstaff. At every gable and
at the point of every tower, smaller ban
nerettes might be discerned, each waiting
| the same signal for the same part in the
great outbursis which should attend the
opening signal. Beneath the colonade
the revenue cutter, Andrew Johnson, i,
steamed through to place in the basin.
Prominent Guests Arrive.
Ten o'clock had come and the dull roll
OF carriages with prominent people was al
most constant. They were deposited at
| tue northern entrance OF Lne aOnlnIbtra-
tion building and found their way to their
seats, indicated by their tickets, upon
the grand stand. Rapidly then the spaces
there filled up. Among the early comers
was the earl OF Aberdeen, attended by two
of the British fair commissioner. A 1.-the
man of nervous temperament, he viewed
the gathering of the people with quick
and lively interest. He beheld the repre-
sentatives OF the press OF the country hud-
died in pens upon the ground level on
either side of the jutting circle of platform
on which President Cleveland would be
seated. These quarters for the press were
protected against the crowds that might
come only by light wooden rail. Mean
time the skies had again thicksned, and
while not obscuring absolutely. they
dimmed again the outlines of all the
structures round about At 10 o'clock
several guards had placed upon the presi-
dents platform a small square table over
which was draped an American flag. Two
electric wires were uncoiled from the
floor and carried up to the table. Upon
the table WAS placed a square. pyramidal
stand, which was covered with gold and
blue plush. Up through this little pyra-
mid the electric wires were run and were
then adjusted to a golden telegraph key
the button of which should be pressed by
~ r a