The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1899-01-19

Jan. 9nd ushered in the "opening of
the bal" of the great drawing by those
holding tickets for the eight thousand
dollars worth of presents to be given
away, About two O'clock ps m. ar
rived at the mammoth building and
found the standing room all taken up
for a block around the bRilling, the
doors for some mysterious reason, were
closed, and only opened every once in
awhile by a scolding policemen, long
enough TO admit few of the nearest
ones to the entrance, then closed again
Because of. this strange mode of pro
ceedure, people began forming in lines
fronting the small entrances, and hun
dreds strung out looking somethin :
like children playing "King Georges
Army,R The rich and poor were strung
along together in one common string,
with every nationality it seemed, here
and there "a gentleman or lady of
color giving the crowd ''socialistic
air. very amusing to the onlooker. For
two hours the procession formed, while
the wind whistled and howled its de-
light, at causing their faces to look red
blue and spotted, then with a frollicsome
mood it swooped down and caught up
the loose sand the architects had left
lying about the building, and with
fiendish glee, cast it mercilessly into
the faces of the job-like crowd and left
them to dislodgeit at their convent ience
from clothing, eyes and ears. After
patience had been placed high upon
pedestal of merit, and duly crowned
by the waiting martyrs, the "bobby''
as the small boy calls the policeman,
appeared at one of the entrances waiv-
ing his arms aloft and shouting: "All
get your tickets ready and don't push,
don't rush, you may all come in now"
Vain admonition l soon found as I
joined the outlying limits of the NOV
ing throng, and soon found myself
caught up in the funnel shaped crowd,
and pushed forward with scarcely space
enough for breathing room. Mothers
grew frightened and pleaded in vain,
as the crowd pressed closer and closer
and closer upon the little children held
up with weary arms above the shoul-
ders ofthem having them in charge, ]
saw the faces the-wind had pinched tC
rosy hues,, turn white as the crowd
converged towards the doors, and
scarcely able to breathe, we at last
reached the coveted enclosure, and
stopped to rearrange our hats, cloak'
and general appearances. Some laughed
others cried and scolded, according tC
the amount of suffering they had en-
dured. After ascending to the gal
] lery we were able. to take in the mag
nitude Of the building, | was informe(
| the standing capacity was $4,000 an(
1 the seating capacity is $4,000. A plat
! form was built up in the center of tht
building on which sat the bands tina
played when those calling of the nun
bers grew weary Two large wheels
containing the s' tickets were beine
turned, then opened, and the tickets
drawn ont by blind boys and handed tc
those who read off the numbers. On,
of the houses was four thousand dolla
I house, another fine Jersey COW, do
mated by the Armours and for whicl
they offered a thousand dollars in casl
J to the lucky winner. When valuabl
prize was drawn tie vast crowd wen
wild with delight. good -naturedl.
cheering they, know not whom. It wa
really pathetic to- watch, some of th'
\ countenancessoflthose who had stake
largely and. held nahytickets, hopin
for the large, prizes when their mum
bersr would be called off for bat
ticket, "A box of tooth paste or som
: other trifing gift. There were man
amusing features of the afternoon. an
thus ended my visit to the Conventio
Hall Opening. Mrs. W. F. S.
/