The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1896-06-06
HE TENNESSEE EXPOSITION
THE
One Hundredth Anniversary OF Adj
mission as n state.


Nashville. Tenn. June IA century ago
this morning George Washington, first
president of the United States. issued
the proclamation which set forth the
fact that Tennessee was admitted as a
state to the new Union. 1t was the
sixteenth state to be so honored, Yer
mont and Kentucky alone having pre-
viously been permitted to join forces
with the - original states. Today with
booming of cannon and with patriotic
songs and orations the people OF Ten
nessee celebrated the one hundredth
birthday of their commonwealth. The
principal celebration took place in TINS
city, and marked also the Inauguration
of the Tennessee centennial exposition.
The residents, as we'll as the thousands
of visitors from abroad, were early
astir, an appropriate salute of 10 guns
fired at midnight having awakened the
sleepers. Soon thereafter the streets
were filled with the clatter of horses
hoofs and the steady tramp of military,
as the various divisions began to form
for the grand parade.
Anniversary day dawned gloomily. As
the day advanced rain began falling.
The city's gay decorations were drenched.
The great procession was to start at
$3.50 o'clock, but so foreboding was the
weather that the committee decided TO
postpone the parade out to the exposi-
ton grounds.
joy the demonstrations in honor of the
hundredth anniversary of the state.
The rain still poured down. rhe order
was received to march at u o'clock, rain
or no rain. and the parade took place
according to program.
General Charles Thurman was chief
marshal of the parade, and the head of
which moved north from Broad street
at the booming of a cannon. Five thou-
sand federal and state troops made up
the first division, and then came repre-
sentatives of the federal government and
state department; industrial, benevolent
and social orders and societies. the mum
icipal departments and citizens in car
riages, on horseback and on foot.
Rapidly the participants gathered about
the flag staff, or rather the series OF
STATS at the exposition, for the summit
was over 300 feet toward the clouds. Here
Major John w. Thomas president Of the
exposition, read the proclamation of
President George Washington, and while
a salute of one gun for each state now
in the Union was fired, and the children
sang 1.-THE Star Spangled Banner" a
mammoth "Old Glory" of the finest silk
was slowly hoisted to the top of the pole.
This ceremony over, there was a break
for the Auditorium, and in which a seat
ing capacity for nearly 1000 persons had
been prepared Governor Peter Turner
called the immense assemblage to order,
rs pTeSlulnB OIncef, ana a ferNent prayer
was offered by DR.. d. c. Kelley. There
was a patriotic selection by the Grand
Concert band the children's chorus sang
America" and the orator of the day,
Hon. J. n. Dickinson of this city assist
ant attorney general of the United States.
delivered his address, taking as his sub
ject THE One Hundredth Anniversary
of Tennessee's Admission Into the Fed
eral Union" The address, which was a
scholarly effort. was listened to with close
attention and repeatedly applauded. At
it's conclusion the prize centennial poem,
composed by Mrs. Virginia Fraser Boyle,
of Memphis, was read by that lady, and
after the childrens chorus mad rendered
Tennessee" the benediction was pro-
nounced.
This afternoon the architect of the wo-
mans building delivered the keys of the
edifce to the building committee, which
in turn placed them in the hands of the
president of the womans board thus for
mally establishing the transfer from the
builders to the owners The celebration
Will be continued tomorrow.
The idea of the celebration of today
originated nearly two years ago. and was
heartily taken up by the people of the
state. The exposition comprises seven
large buildings, located in a park of 200
acres. lying two miles west of the state
capitol. 1t will be formally opened on
May l Of next year.