The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1893-05-04
EVENT-FILLEn MOMENTS
THROUGHOUT THE DAY AT THE
WHITE CITY,"
Scenes and Incidents at the Great
Exposition From the Gray
Dawn Until the Shades
of Night Had Been
Drawn.
The Wheels In Motion.


gan, so that cloud and waters mingled
into a gray field that battied vision and
perspective.
Northward southward-eyerywhe "A
palpable, leaden veil trailed from aloft
to the lowest reaches of the horizon. To
one who early stood in the midst of the
great plaza where the crowds should
later be, the surroundings, stupendous
in plan,s ponderous in their extent, and
soft white in the morning light, gave
more than ever the impression that this
was ghostly city that had been raised
up in the night; or, that IL may have
been a deserted city whence Titans OF
some strange race had moved away to
other shores. The bases and columns
of the surrounding buildings were softly
distinct, but their domes, minarets,
towers and flagstaffs were yet in the
cloud land. You have seen the rock
ribbed base of mountains whose topmost
trees tore locks of wool from the low
down clouds; so, in some measure, was
the spectacle at early dawn in the alsles
and avenues of the great White CITY
which should, at the noon-tide hour, be
formally turned over to the uses or
mankind. Even Columbia riding her ship
of state ut the eastern edge of the plaza.
though relatively not high i'll air, was
in cloud land, as yeritable goddeSSes
ere and should be. The figures or hef
handmaidens, straining at the oars,
were wet and dripping with the mists
O the morning, which chiefly constituted
their raiment. Under the PROV OF Colum-
bias bark, and stretching out toward
the restless, cloud-smothered lake, the
waters of the grand basin were steely
blue in the half-light. Circling them.
about was their setting of green turf,
between the great buildings of agrlcult-
ure and manufactures. Human pigments
of green and blue are never used as
foil. one against the other, for no SHADES
of these colors that man has ever mace,
harmonize or blend. But here was
Natures own Artistry
defying the tastes of man, but reachlils
combination and results beautiful III
the early hours when the city was scarce
ly astir, and when none, save guards and
watchmen, were about to see. Across
the vista, lakeward, arose in. delicate
grill work the pillars of the colonnadc,
under which the waters of the lake creep
| into the lagoons and basins. Like dim
| picture of the imaginative school these
| outlines. while positive, were so softiy
| limned against the gray background OF
waters and clouds as to suggest rather
than affirm their own existence. Within
her gives of wooden scaffolding, the God
dess of the Republic at the lakeWard end
Of the grand basin rose up ponderous IN
her golden might. Yelled she was by the
curtain which was so arranged that IL
should fall away at the moment the ma
| tion's president should give the electric
| signal touch to open to the world TINS
great enterprise. Towering above all,
| the administration building, whose gold
en- dome was half-wrapped in vapors,
stood stark and sentinel-like in the midst
of this great white camp of buildings.
| At its front, and sloping upward to the
second story, stretched from side to side
the grand stand where the dignitaries of
the earth should later sit in their rep
resentative dignity. Hundreds of chairs,
dumbly waiting for their occupants,
seemed yawning in wet discomfort after
| a night out of doors. Under the main
arch of the building, and having for its
| base the topmost row of seats on the
grand stand, was the great sounding
board within which the bands and the
orchestra should be placed during the
ceremonies. Strange vagaries come to a
| lonely watcher in such hours in such
weathers, and while the day was yet
young, this great white cavern seemed
to be Titanic ear, listening to the mut-
fed swash of the waves out yonder, be-
yond that beautiful colonnade. 5
| For the Days DOings,
| Meanwhile, what was being done? A
| ponderous grinding roller, keeping slow
time to the saorting of its little, impudent
engine, was ambling to and fro across
/ the sloppy plaza where soon thousands of
| feet would be standing. The Columbian
| guards, moving to their places about~the
grounds, and the watchmen going here
| and there caused low, slapping sounds
| under foot as boot soles beat upon the
muddy tracks and passageways Early
came the cohort of college students who
have been employed for the season, at
| $50 per month, to wear blue uniforms and
to push chairs about the grounds at 40
cents per hour. At convenient places
| iron rooted pagodas had been erected as
| headquarters for these young men, and
thereabouts in their light blue uniforms,
with 1ocks of willow chairs, they were
| lettering and waiting for the coming of
| their work. L.
| There is no building on exhibit in all
the White City where exhibits are yet
| wholly arranged, but this fact did not IN
| terfere with the issuance to-day Of official
catalogues which told where each exhibit
should be when every one has done what
is expected to be done In order not to
lose any moment of profit, these cata-
! logues should be placed on sale the first
| day of the fair, and it was yet very early
when a little regiment of lads arrayed in
scarlet uniforms, with blue eapg and brass
lettering marched through the gf6mads 10
| their rendezvous in the administration
| building These little fellows were the
to-be-yendors of the eftdlai catalogue,
Between 8 and o'clock, from some-
where away off on the edge of the
grounds, the notes of the bugle came soft
ened through the misty air. 1t was the
| first indication of stirring scenes that
should later occur in the great plaza.
| The bugle nQtes we're ALMOST instantly
swallowed ny, in bnFsts III maiadY FROM
| the throats of brass Instruments carried
| by the band of the Fifteenth regiment ins
| fantry, ordered from Fort Sheridan for
strains of music until, turning the corner
near the transportation building, the blue
| uniforms came in sight, and behind the
band 400 grim faced regulars, carrying
each muSket on his shoulder. Lieut..
Col. Overshine was at their head and
led them to a position of rest along side
/ the north wall of the administration build
ing. As the butts of their mHskats
droppedwith q thud into the soft mud at
their feet, 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
fhS 0T klssK MI nft,tc cf,sak kiSkr
building. Clearly the great city Of the
Northwest had not, through the night
and in the lowe ring clouds, forgotten
this great white camp on the prairies
seven miles away. The coming of the
troops attested the fact, and showed
that already the elements to the great
demonstration were being moved into
place.
Meanwhile a lettering breeze had
char ged the conditions somewhat. The
heads of the great supporting columns
Of the building had come to view; the