Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1897-05-05

STARTED BY Mr.. M'KINLEY
Machinery of the Tennessee Exposition
Set in Motion.

Machinery of the Tennessee Exposition
Set in Motion
WASHINGTON, May 2-ln compliance
with the request of the executive COM
mittec of the Nash Vile, Tenn, centen-
nial. the President opened the exposi-
tion by wire from the White house at
1:13 o'clock to-day. The arrangements
were very simple in detail. The cir
cult was made up by the Western Un-
ion officials, under the supervision of
Mr.. Montgomery, executive clerk in
charge of telegraph, and of Manager
Marean of the Western Union. The
wires were connected with Nashville
by way of Richmond, Va, and Ashe-
vile, n. c., repeaters being used at
the former place.
Immediately upon the completion of
the circuit INTO the exposition grounds
the President was notified by Secretary
Porter and walked across the hall to
the Telegraph room, where, under the
guidance of Mr.. Montgomery, he
stepped up to the desk, placed his
finger upon the Morse key and slightly
depressed it, which action instantly
gave the signal to the Nashville end
and put in motion the wheels of the
exposition machinery. The members
of the Tennessee delegation in Con-
gress, Pension Commissioner II. Clay
Evans and several other prominent
Tennesseeans witnessed the ceremony.
NASHVILLE, Tenn, May The
weather was bright and cool to-day
and the streets were early thronged
with people assembled to witness the
parade of the Essenye order and other
societies and the o>ening of the Cen
tennial exposition. The procession
formed on the public square and
marched through thH principal streets
to the exposition grounds. 1t was
headed by a detachment of mounted
police followed by local divisions of
the uniform rank of knights of Pyth-
las, officers of the Tennessee Ecsenye
order; the Legion band of the First
Tennessee battalion, Company A of
the First Tennessee regiment of Knox
vile, Company A of the Ohio national
guard of Norman, Ohio, the sponsor Of
the Ancient Essenye order and maids
of honor, arrayed IN costumes of white,
in tallyho; senator's and knights of
| the local senate and supreme officers
and visiting knights. Governor Tay-
lor and his staff in open carriages
went to the grounds later. The public
buildings and hundreds of business
houses and private residences along
the line of march and every
other portion of the city were hand
sornely adorned with the national
colors and other decorations.
Arriving at the exposition grounds
those in the procession joined with the
! thousands of Other -isitors in inspect
ing the splendid buildings and the very
attractive grounds.
The opening ceremonies of the expo.
sition were simple, but impressive, and
events of Tennessce's history. The
members of the Legislature, with their
wives, assembled at the Union street
station at 9 o'clock and were conveyed
to the exposition in special trains.
The auditorium was filed with a
crowd Of 1000, while multitude was
unable to gain admission.
The ceremonies were opened with a
prayer by Bishop Gailor of Tennessee
Major J. ". Thomas, president of the
Exposition association, then arose and
was received with cheers
The next speech was by Governor
Robert l.. Taylor. AS he advanced
toward the front of the platform the
crowd rose as oro man, and it wa.
some time before he could proceed
with his address.
At tho cNnclusion of Governor Tay
lor's aG"-ess the band struck VI
Dixie, and the building thunderet
with applause. When quiet once more
rcigned Major E. c. Lewis, director
general, gave a short history of tn,
building of the exposition and for
mally turned over the keys to Presi
dent Thomas
Then at a given signal President Nc
Kinley was notified at the White hous,
and touched an electric button. Al
the band played Hail Columbia" tn,
machinery began to move and tn,
Tennessee Centennial exposition wa
opened to the world.