Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-06-11
MERIDEN'S CENTENNIAL
The Ciy b Crowded To-Day Wlh
 Home Week Visitors.

Meriden. June 11.-The carly
 morning trains to-day brought hun.
 dreds of guests to this city as wis.
 itors to the centennial celebration,
 which formally opened yesterday
 with well attended church services. Dld residents of the place are flock. ing back here in large numbers and by the middle of the week the city will be well filled. There is a goo,l
 deal in the big celebration to attract any friend of the city even without taking into consideration the various state organizations which are meet. l ing and will meet here before the weeks end.
 To-day being the first week day of the celebration the various exhibits
 and the. midway opened and the long
 program of athletic events was start ed. It was an ideal day for an aus picious start of the festivities and it
 seemed as though everybody joined
 Tn the endeavor to make things pleas. ant for themselves and their guests To-day witnessed the opening eX. ercises of two state gatherings,
 namely the Connecticut State Bank CTS association and the Southern
 New England Funniest, the former
 meeting at the Home club and tie
 latter holding it's athletic events al
 Scheutzen park. Previous to the ath-
 letic meeting there was a parade of the turner's.
 The opening of the Historical Loan exhibition was attended by large number whose interest in the display of historical relics was noticeable. Over at Hanover park the exposition of manufacturers and varied arts was attended by another great crowd. It is probable that this ex4 position will be great drawing card, as the exposition is one of the best fits kind ever seen in Connecticut.
 The meeting of the bankers was called to order by former Governor Abiram Chamberlain, the president of the association, who made br!ei address. Reports of the various otfl- cers were heard and other business transacted.
 This afternoon there will be banquet and the speakers will be former Governor John w. Griggs of New Jersey, who also was a former attorney-general of the United States, and Colonel N. G. Osborn ot New Haven.
 The civic and industrial parade and the parade of the German Cath olics are on the program for the af ternoon and other meetings will in- clude those of the New England Funniest at Schuetzen park and tho State Firemen's association, which will be held in the armory. In the line of athletics there will be two ball games at Hanover park between we'll known semi-professional nines
 The first uniformed body of vis- itors to arrive to-day was the State Veteran Firemen's association, made up of companies from Hartford. New London, Ansonia and other places. The most notable gathering of the day was the Connecticut Banking as which held meeting ut the Home club and elected officers. Among the officers elected was Gen. eral Louis Van Keuren of Waterbuss 4 as one of the members of the execu- tive board. The morning parade that first took place was that of the Turner's and concluded with the an- nual meeting of that body. Socie. ties from Waterbury, Hartford, New Haven, Rockville. New Britain ord other places were present. The sec ond parade of the day was partici- pated in by the German Catholic so- cieties of the state. They held their annual meeting yesterday. In the early afternoon the industrial and civic parades took place. This was of fifty societies of this place and organizations from other Dlaces