Cottonwood report. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1893-1901, 1900-05-18
PARIS EXPOSITION OPENED
TAKE A MONTH TO FINISH IT.
A Picturesque Scene-Pgesident Lou-
bet There-The wdstRer Nice--Ae
Holiday In Pnris-Trahic Arranse-s
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Paris. April l5-The exposition of 1900 .
is opened. but it will be at least a month
before anything but buildings i to be
seen. The days ceremonies were 50 Pesaf
liar mixture of sumptuous splendor I'M
the Sales Des Fetes, and widespread con. I
fusion elsewhere. Nothing could; haveseu
ceeded the picturesque stage setting%m
the beautiful building in which the cere-
monies were held, the gorgeous uniforms
of the diplomats and soldiers, the SPLEEN
did orchestra and chorus and magnificent
effect produced by the grand staircase up
which President Loubet proceeded to view
the exposition, lined with some picked
men OF the Republic Guard, with jack
boots, white brooches, cleaning cuirasses
and horsehair plumes streaming from
shining helmets. At the top OF this STAIR
way was room, the interior OF which
could be seen from the SALES Des Fetes,
and this was hung with priceless Gobelins
from the Louvre. Into this apartment
President Loubet entered, and walked
down the avenue to his boat. This part
of the days arrangement was perfect, and
the rest was chaos.
The weather was luckily all that could
be desired, $4,000 guests having been in
vited to the function, and they had, be-
cause of the fine weather, only the dust
to endure. Had the day been wet the un-
rolled paths of the exposition grounds
would have been turned into a mass of
mud.
The afternoon was holiday in Paris
by general consent and host of country
people crowded into the city to swell the
multitudes, who from an early hour
surged in the direction of the exposition,
and took up positions along the route of
the presidential procession and at the APP
proaches to the grounds. The immense
number of guests practically swept the
central streets clean of cabs, of which an
mnbroken stream, several deep, drifted
slowly toward the gates between noon
and 2:30 p. M.
Drifted is the correct expression for the
rate of progress, because the traffic ar
rangements were so inadequate that hun
dreds of vehicles did not reach the exposi-
ton at all, and the occupants were either
left stranded en- route or were obliged to
abandon their carriages and proceed on
foot. This was the eXpedient ordinarily
adopted, even by several members of the
diplomatic corps, and two gorgeously at
tired officials of the Chinese embassy, after
hastily walking several blocks, arrived in
the SALES Des Fetes just in time to hear
the cheering at the conclusion of the cere-
monies.
The ceremonial within the SALES Des
Fetes was simplicity itself. The recep-
ton to President Loubet at the entrance
lasted but few seconds, and ON reaching
the presidential tribune, NJ. Millerand,
the minister of commerce, Immediately de-
livered his speech, handing over the expo
sition to the chief of state, which address
was cOuched in most eloquent terms and
read in a resonant voice, heard through
out the vast hall.
NJ. Millerand's peroration was especially
fine, and it brought forth storm of
plaudits.
President Loubet then replied, and the
speaking part of the function here ended.
The spectacle that met President Lou
bets eyes when, amid the resounding
strains of the "Marsellaise," he stepped
to the front of the presidential dais on
his entry into the SALES Des Fetes, was
probably never seen before within the
walls of any building. The vast circus
was filled with a sea of human beings,
who overlooked the balconies jutting out
from the sides.
The decoration of the interior was GER
tainly triumph of artists skill, with a
handsome stained glass dome, through
which the rays of sunlight FILTERED down
upon the concourse below, and color
scheme in mural painting with the strik-
lngly executed frescoes of appropriate ell.
legories in brilliant relief
The galleries and balconies were draped
with red plush, and the hall was profusely
adorned with tropics of tri-colored flags.
opening fan-like from shields bearing the
letters "R. F.
Paris glowcd with the myriads of dec.
oratlve lights which shone from public
buildings, the exposition structures and
the boulevard resorts. Thousands of
slghtseers were riding through the thor
oughfares or walking along the boule-
wards enjoying the perfect spring evening.
ltlnerant bands played music to the fes-
tlVities while fakirs amused the crowds
gathered in front of the restaurants. The
cafes within the exposition grounds, which
are barred to the public until tomorrow,
present scene brilliant and attractive.
Most OF the buildings have a row of lights
running about the frieze which bring into
splendid view artistic bas reliefs, statuary
and other effective art results with which
they are decorated. 1t was long past mid,
night when the masses moved homeward
the day and the evening having been spent
as Parisians enjoy fetes.
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