The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1897-05-06


MAJOR A. W. WILLS.
Commissioner General Tennessee Gen.
tennial Exposition.
The men who have thought out and
worked out this wonderful enterprise
have done SO in such an unpretentious
manner that the people of Nashville
the mselves hardly realized that the
white city was an accomplished fact
until they heard its praises echoed and
re-echoed by the press throughout the
world. ,
The principal buildings are as fol- .
lows: First, the parthenon, an origin.
ally designed and completed by Phidias
at Athens; the erechtheon, or history
building, will be the depository of val
liable relics; the commerce building,
known since the worlds fair in expo
sition parlance as the manufacturers
and liberal arts building; the educa-
tion and hygiene building; agricultural
transportation, Negro building, ma
chinery, government building, the
woman's building, minerals and for
estry, and others of lesser note, nearly
so in all.
The women of Tennessee have
played no mean part in the necessary
v ork of making the exposition great
success They organized the woman's
department by placing Mrs. Van Leer
Kirkman, q sweet, womanly woman
and famous beauty at the helm as
president, and she has been ably as
sisted by Miss Ada Scott Rice as secre-
tary and board of managers selected
from the best material in the state.
The opening of the exposition
marks the Tooth year of tbs admission
of the state into the sisterhood of the
commonwealths. The inaugural cere-
monies q year ago were attended by
military pageant that was significant
of the prowess of the Volunteer state,
and after the baptism of arms comes
the sweet presence of art and science
and the formal opening Saturday was
marked by the absence of the citizen
soldiery in uniform, though every
man present was a soldier if called
upon to protect his home in fair Ten
nessee, and to maintain the dignity OF
the Volunteer state. The members OF
both houses of the legislature and
their wives assemb bled at the Union
street depot of the Nashville, Chatta-
nooga & st. Louis railway at o'clock,
and were conveyed in special trains to
the handsome terminal station at the
west side of the exposition park. The
place of rendezvous was the Admins
tration building, whence the officials,
legislators and distinguished guests,
including the governor of the state.
Hon. Robt L. Taylor, Gen. Ignacio
Garfia, postmaster general OF the re-
public of Mexico. and suite, escorted
by q vast concourse of citizens, pro-
ceeded to the auditorium, which, in a
few moments, was filed with above
1000 people, while perfect multitude
was unable to obtain admission, and
contented itself with listening to the
inspiring strains of Bellstedt & Bal
lenberg's superb military concert band
of Cincinnati The ceremonies were
opened with prayer by Rt. Rev. Thos-
F. Gailor, co-adjutor bishap OF Ten
nessee.
After america" had been played in
most impressive manner, Maj. J. W..
Thomas, president of the Tennessee
Exposition Co., arose and was received
with cheers and applause.
The next address was by Hon. Rob-
ert L. Taylor, governor of Tennessee.
As he advanced toward the front of
the platform the crowd rose as one
man, and it was several minutes be-
fore his excellency could proceed with
his address.
When order was restored, or rather
when quiet once more reigned, Maj.
z. c. Lewis, the director general OF
the association, under whose skillful
guidance the marvellous project ma
terialized and came into being, stepped
forward, and as he did SO the volume
of applause shook the very armament
At the conclusion of Maj. Lewis ad
dress, at q given signal, the wire'
flashed the magic word to the whit
house at Washington, President Nc
Kinley touched the button, and, as th'
band played "Hail Columbia" the ma
chinery was set in motion and the Ten
nessee centennial exposition was open
cd to the world.