New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-08-13

-. .,r,. tho entering crowd had scattered far
ara Wide through the vast seating space. ana
the Galleries we're filled, even that last gallery
c,osA M, under the roof at which dizzy height
men seemed like ants clineing TO the fran 'front.'
"a they leaned forward to catch any poss,oie
aronninss from the oratorcal sanctuary. The
boxes too were filled generally with people "ho
seemed 10 have come more TO see IMAM 10 ne"''
for the occupants Of these nclosed spaces res'eo
for the most part at their ease, and were no, par
ticu,arly disturbed at any frenzied movement
on the mart Of the throng above and beneath ana
on either hand.
once only there any demonstration from
the box quarter That was at one point IN Mr.
Rrvan's speech when a very stout man of a
lvnnnhatic temperament apparently wildly
waved a chair from the front of the box TO the
evident CONSERVATION of those in his neighpor-
hood who saw the movement and who feared
for r,ecious human lives beneath the circling
veapon should il ESCAPE from the hand of the
enthusiast But he was a powerful individual,
ana the chair waved its defiance or its approval
until the stout man wearied and humanity
hreathed freely once again. or as freely as the
furnace-like atmosphere would admit
ANYTHING FOR COMFORT
The south gallery which stretched its length
onposite the rostrum looked not unlike laun-
DRY with its washing hung to the breeze after
the crowd had disposed itself for the season OF
refreshing. Every man elbowed MS heighoor
with freedom AS he welded his enormous palm
leaf fan after the awkward fashion peculiar to
the male sex when in hurry to cool off after
period of undue exertion. and every ran
welding arm was innocent of a coat-seeve.
ba1 diSappparpd. Npgllge
vas the order and II pressed to the limit
Of respectable possibilities At 40 o'clock the
so-caued reserved seats the main floor were
all taken there being many women in the
throng that occupied them, and the moo was
flowing in an irresistible tide through the Madi-
son-ave entrance. At the same time the nand'
which was in the gallery at the eastern end oil
the hall was trying 10 make Its presence Kh""h'
Ii was a hopeless task almost for the vast ma
jority were looking for a breeze that cometh
NOT from the business end of a bass horn in
operation. 1t not a melody but blizzard
that your New-Yorker wanted. and II MT
Bryan instead of bringing his speech had
carried a Rocky Mountain zephyr in his hanu-
bag and poured it with unstinting hama upon
the perspiring mob he might have counted
more surely on ultimate success in this cam
paign than from any possible effec; his speech
as inality made for him.
THE DECORATIONS.
While the people We're still entering. and whiie
the band was still wasting its energies those IN
their seats had opportunity 10 study what the
artist had accomplished in the way OF cohceh-
trated decorative effect. OF course it is too much
10 expect that any one genius could compass an
elaborate system of decoration for the wilderness
space of Madison Square Garden except after
iol.o, yiol,tc If Ra
ticular artist apparently believed in condensa-
ton of effort for here were no streamers Oh
bunting to distract the gaze from "the Boy Ora
tor" Everything was subservient TO the halo
effect about his devoted head The grandstand
rail was draped with the American colors to the
height Of a mans waist. Back of that. and over
the head of the star Of the evening was g'~
gantic portrait Of himself. fanked by one of Mr.
Sewan of equal size and potency. Both were
framed about with the red. white and blue
Stretching above from the pictures was broad
band of the same National emblem reaching TO
the rail Of the top gallery and in the centre was
the conventional shield. surrounded with small
flags Between the portraits there also a
vignette arrangement of the shield Just before
the meeting began some mercurial individual
stationed himself al the of the rostrum with
a flag Of bothersome size. which he waved on
every possible occasion lie was evidently there
for purpose He evidently had in mind the
young woman in white of Convention fame. for,
as soon as Mr. Bryan had been introduced he
carried the flag down and tried to insert the staff
in the resisting palm of the Presidential candi-
date who looked numerically bored at this ef-
fort to make Of him a male Columbia posing In a
grand tableau COR effect The flag episode. there
fore failed
SIGNS OF ACTIVITY.
At 80 o'clock the first signs of activity were
noticed at the rOstrum The policemen re-
doubled their vigilance and took on new life, Sc
that the crowd began to move restlessly as
though preparing for some expected and i'm
portant episode They filling their lungs
it appeared for the preliminary outbreak In
the midst of it all the gong of a hurrying am
bulance resounded sharp and clear through the
dense air presage of what might come to al
most any one in the vast assemblage and there
was an instant of almost deathless quiet
1857 the first cheer was recorded. Some chaI
in the faraway heights of the gallery over tn
rostrum howled out. Three cheers for Bryan.
II sounded for all the world like 20 Brien, Du
that made no difference, and the summons wa
followed by a spasm which was destined 10 ire
quent repetition during the evening. Amos
instantly the band, whose leader appeared t
he IN a Joking mood struck up Go way. Your
Foolin'." and followed it with MY Girls
Corker" 1t was almost at this instant that ;
very pretty little woman appeared in one Of tn
boxes at the left Of the stage. III was MIS-
Bryan and there was tumult she gaze'
calmly about her as though rather enjoying tn
sudden wave of popular approval, and ther
seated herself with just the same degree o
calmness.
Seats on the platform Immediately in the real
Of the rostrum had been reserved for members
OF the National Committee. members OF the
Notification Committees and few prominent