The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-06-15


SO much will have to remain unsaid.
that tho one attempting its description
is. at the beginning, staggered with
the sturcndousness of his task and.
al its completion aggravated and dis E
appointed that the effort has fallen
so far short of what II ought to be. in
justice 10 the event.
Let 1t be said. at the outset. that
while it was great disappointment
to the committee to receive excuses
from the celebrities who had promised
to come. the absence of these same
relcbritins detracted very little from
the general success of the affair. In a
way. it tended to augment the sue
cess. Had there been a galaxy of
Roosevclts. and Wheelers. and Miles
and stones. and so on. to be paraded
and viewed. the significance of the at
fair would have had too much atten-
ton drawn from 1t.
But there were celebrities there
galore. and the military ones were
very gorgeously there. 1t was their
brilliant uniforms,, with their gold
braid and npaulets. to say nothing OF
the atlractiveness of figure. face and
carriage which the cilded trappings
novelty that was at once picturesque
and generally inspiring.
l'pon entering the armorN last night,
one saw not the armory. What little
could be -. '-'-, ~"'nory after pass
ing the frcnt rooms wa, the portion OF
the asphalted floor reserved for prom
cnading Pretty much every other
square foot. top. sides. ends and bot
.,c
room. was hidden from view.
At the far end Il raised dancing floor.
elevated eight inches above the asphalt,
and covered with white crash, ana
fringed about with plants and flowers
to an average heighth of three feet,
was the most striking. If not the most
beautiful of the appointments.
Occupying about the same quantity
of space as the dancing floor. were tiers
of chairs facing the front gallery. to
the speakers.
The side walls were hidden by the
boxes and the boxes in turn were hid
den by a complete covering of bunting,
and flags and carpeted with crash.
The ends were taken up with GAL
leries and the fronts of these. with
Orately decorated.
At the farther gallery in which Bau-
er's band was accommodated. the rail-
ing was hidden behind band of foil
age extending the whole width of the
room and unbrOken save by the cleo
trical illuminationS which relieved its
too somber green. The center Of this
band of foliage was a great electrical
peacock. with outspread feathers. 1t
was the principal piece of illumination,
although there were many to claim this
distinction. for the waving flags
made of electric lights. which bedecked
the end walls above the speakers gal
lery or the gallery Just over the en-
trance. Especially pretty, too. We're
the hanging flower pots, jeweled with
tiny ncandescent bulbs. which We're
suspended above the railing of the
front gallery.
1t was the roof. however. which ap-
proa c!led the truly marvellous in its
beauty. The roof is a succession of i'm
menSe arches extending unbroken
from sidewall to sidewall, unsupported
save BY the great cirders of steel COM
prising the arches
These arches. last night, We're "A sue
Cession of gorgeous rainbows. Bunting
of every hue and tint flags of every
color, shape and design, and electric
lights thar as stars to this dome of
artistic beauty fairly outdid in num-
bers. comparatively speaking. the stars
of the Milky Way on the clearest sum-
mer night.
TO say it in Il word. what space was
not taken up by decoration was made
an abiding place for illumination.
The sight was truly magnificent.
Scranton never beheld its like before.
Before the exercises began and only
such lights We're lit as are ordinarily
used for illumination. the behoder
would ask himself, "How could it be
more goreeousr" He had only to wait
for the taps" that opened the formal
programme for an answer. The first
notes of the buslc had only sounded
when every one of the myriad of arc
and incandescent lights used for decor
ative purposes We're suddenly flashed
on by the pressing of button. That
surely is the limit one would then be
tempted To say, but before half an
hour passed he would want to retract.
The height of the beauty of the scene
WAS reached when the boxes filled.
along the promenades and the dancing
floor was alive with soldiers with their
gay uniforms. the women folks with
their vari-colored costumes, and the
poor male civilians in their black and
white. adding to the scene only such
effect as comes from having contrast.
And this scene continued from shortly
before o'clock, the hour the dancing
hnn .l,l,-
\ third gallery was erected over The
north entrance to accommodate the
Alexander band from Wilkes Barre.
which played the dance music, In the
recess beneath this gallery, The Phoe-
nix Fire company's chemical ana hose
apparatus was stationed with four
iiremen attending.
That an affair of unusual magnitude
was in progress was evidenced upon
approaching the armory. A thousand
persons assembled in front of the build
ing and watched the seemingly unend-
ing line Of carriages unloading their
JOY seeking freight for The best part of
two hours. A line of militiamen kept
the roadway cleared and the regular
city police force contributed hand
some squad In assist in regulating the
carriages.
After passing through the gauntlet
Of the outside crowd. the guest was
ushered by way of the grand staircase
to the cloak rooms and parlors on the
second and third floors of the admins
tration building, every one of which
latter were completely and tastily fur
rished and decorated, cut flowers in
lavish profusion being the most prom
inent feature of the embellishments.
Committeeman We're everywhere, and
upon reaching the first parlor- floor the
puest WAS taken i'm tow and nrasant