Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-06-21

ending speeches by Senator Beverage or
Indiana and others; nomination of Vice
President; selection of committees Tor no
titication of candidates.
CHICAGO, June 2l.-The republican ma
tional convention, the thirteenth III the
party's history met in the Coliseum at noon
today and organized. The grand cl max,
the nominations. will not lie reached until
the third day Senator Depew calls today
a curtain raiser for the more serious drama
of tomorrow and Thursday. The curtain
raiser was in itself absorbing produc-
tion.
Weather predictions were disturbing.
There was a suggestion of rain in the air,
and the sun had struggle all the morning
with clouds banked up over the lake. Fresh
breezes from the northwest cooled the tenn
perature but indoors, out of reach of the
breeze, the day was hot.
Five Acres of Seats.
Five acres of seats under the arches of
the Coliseum began to fill by half past 10
o'clock. Black dots appeared in the empti-
ness the videttes of that huge assemblage
which presently shaped into the convention
The interest that had for two days eddied
gently around fifty state or territorial head
quarters centered upon those five steel-cov-
tItd acres, OT uptii bidt VI
an acre of delegates chairs painted green
in front of a crimson-carpeted rostrum set
with Flemish oak furniture. The table was
Il solid piece, fit to stand the blows to be
beat upon 1t.
AS thin lines of delegates and other
ticketholders entered from many entrances.
the watchers outside grew into multi
tude and some hearts burned over fruit
less plannings for admission. But most of
those outside were satisfied with the mild
thrill of being in the neghborhood of where
large things were to done for the first
session of the national convention was an
imposing fact, even II It's general results
were certainties before hand.
As the day advanced the streets took on
an appearance bordering upon activity.
Bands played in front of the Auditorium
and other convention headquarters Party
leaders who had nothing to do but wait for
the hour OF assembly. filed the lobbies and
visited at the rooms of the various i'm
portant delegations.
The band music. the nearness of the
great gathering. the perfectness of the day
had an exhilarating effect on delegates and
convention visitors. and they started early
for the Coliseum
At II o'clock but few delegates and alter
mates and practically none of the men
prominent in the control of the republican
party had put In an appearance at the hall
An army of doorkeepers was on guard at
the various entrances, and inside a numer
Gus body of sergeants-at-a were sta
toned at the commencement. middle and
ends OF the aisles to guide the delegates to
their seats.
Decorations of the Hall.
The last touches to the hall had been
made in the night and early morning. A
large number of palms and potted plants
were placed around the sides of the hall on
the first floor and fresh oak boughs were
fastened to the girders Just above the
upper balcony. relieving I'm a pleasant man
ner the long stretch of saffron-colored roof
ing Portraits of President Roosevelt were
placed. one at every alternate of catch in
the draped bunting that stretched around
the ceiling. Below each picture of the
President and beneath those folds In the
draped streamers of red. white and blue
where the picture was not hung swung bas-
kets of ferns. while the undersde of the
great steel trusses from the bunting to the
backs of the seats was covered with taste
fully arranged palms.
The Coliseum is not yet historic 1t has
been a place for roller skating, balls and
the circus, yet old convention hands
thought II the best proportioned and ar
ranged convention hall in the United
States. The outside walls are of stone,
With castellated turrets. the first i'm
DrcSS.Dn was lflctt Ol II city oTfnOfy. INSIDE
the wide concaves of steel. If black, would
make the place look like n railway station
but as they are white. relieved by stands OF
fiags the effect was pleasing. The first
mental effort after looking at the i'm
mensity of seats. parterre rising on par
terre, was to estimate the total. 1t turned
out to be about $500 numbered places in
cluding the bank of 80 rising behind the
chairman. Above this terrace OF seats hung
the colossal portrait of the late Senator
Hanna a canvas twenty by seventeen