The evening times., 1900-06-19

at Has, and this was The signal for the
first yells Of the Convention. There was
a rattle Of applause as he made his way
along the corridor and up 10 the rostrum.
Matthew s Quay came in behind the
National Chairman, and the Pennsylvania
contingent applauded him literally
The Convention Hall.
The Convention met in the great build
ing which was constructed for tn big
Export Exposition. 1t is situated in West
Philadelphia. close by the grounds Of the
University OF Pennsylvania. and is readily
reached by half dozen trolley lines run
ming from the heart OF the city. Those
trolley lines were taxed to their utmost
TO carry the crowds that hurried over the
Schuylkili 10 the scene Of the great 20
litical meeting. Hundreds Of cars had been
concentrated at the west end OF the city.
and at 10 O'Clock the time set for the
opening OF the doors, they started en- heir
way.
Then the movement to the hall began
Every car went out iammed. a large squad
Of police had been thrown around the
building to keep order aGd they had a
lively time OF it keeping things straight
and directing the crowds 10 the various
entrances called for IN the tickets.
Promptly al 10 o'clock the doors Of tho
hall were opened and the peo-
pie began to pour in. The build
ing Is an GEoruous one. be-
ing a low structure Of frame and Iron. The
hall occupies the entire southern half Of i
and affords seating capacity for fully 10 600
persons. The speakers platform is at tns
northern end so-th8t with the exception OF
a few hundred distinguished guests" who
| had seats directly behind the rostrum the
I chairman faces all OF the vast audience.
The rOstrUm is surrounded ~ a low
hedge OF palms At each corner is an
| enormous vase Of roses and on the chair
mans table is another great bOue ret The
| delegates have the body OF the house right
under the rOstrum. and about them are
| the thousands Of spectators.
The hall had been elaborately decorated
/ Around the iron pillars and the girders
| long ropes Of green had been wound. The
/ front Of the gallery at the southern end
| was hidden beneath long bands OF red
/ white and blue bunting Bunting was
stretched along the walls on all sides. and
/ was draped from the roof in profusion. On
/ the main pillars Of the hall were hung
| large shields bearing the cOats-Of-arms OF
/ all the States, and around these hundreds
| OF small American flags were arranged.
Conspicuous among the decorations were
/ portraits of the Presidents"
Portraits of the Presidents.
| Convention art is not OF the highest type.
1 Fscially. the Presidents Of the United
States were divided into two classes by
! this Convention artist Men w:sh boards.
| Lincoln, Grant. and Garfield we-e shown
/ as much alike as three peas: while Jack
/ son and Washington and Buchanan were
shown as though newly shaved and heavi-
| y bay-rummed and powdered. They were
/ TO be told apart only by the cut Of thsir
a.fl1 p . -.
/ behind the platform and with q great flag
! as a background hangs a large crayon pic
| ture OF President Mckinley.
| Among the first men TO enter the hal
was a representative Of George W. Ven
/ Sicklen. OF New York. who has be- U
| whooping things up for the Beers. This
man carried a great bundle of pro- -Boer
| circulars.
Van Sicklen saw in this Convention an
| opportunity to do a little work in behalf
| Of the South African Republics, and so he
| got up for distribution a pronunciament0
| Gr the subject of mediation. On Nav %
| he mailed to the clergymen of the United
/ States letter asking for an expression
| Of opinion by them on the question of me-
\ diatiOn- In his circular, distributed today
he embodied a number OF the replies re-
| ceived and in his own review OF his work
| announced that Ice. $50 OF the ministers
written to had replied favoring the United
| States Offering mediation, while 1886 had
| declared that they wished Great Britain
| to conquer.
Hundreds Of those who came to the Con-
! vention Hall today had no tickets to pas:
| them through the high iron fence thai
guarded the small park in which il stands
| They had to be content to stand outside
Of the police lines and get what satisfac-
ton they could in catching an occasional
glimpse Of some well-known men. From