New Britain herald., 1924-06-23
MADISON SQUARE IS
 CHANGED ON INSIDE
Old Timers Would Hardly Know
 This Meeting Place

New York. June eS.---If ghosts of
 all the jewellers should come troopng
 back down the decades today to tip ! toe thriugh the dingy portals of Mad-
 son Square Garden where once they 1 footed it so hraNely, they would halt ! amazed at the sight which greeted
 them.
 i Before their eyes in the dim light
 would lie a vast stone platter, filled
 to the hrim with waiting rows of chairs. Above them would spread huge canopy of red and white and blue. shot with huge stars. And
 everywhere around the CirCling bal cony rails they would sec old Glory;
 flags in thousands to deck the open 1 ing Tuesday of the democratic nation al convention of 1924.
 The ancient hall stands waiting for what would be perhaps the greatest days it has ever known. It is waiting strangely dressed in bright colors within: grimy with age without; old, Unfashionable in it's frills and furhe- lows of stone work amid the stately. sky-piercing structures that surround its iumbled pile. Along the outer walls still hang the signs and pictures that tell of its es- tate today. There are the clustering photographs Of the "pugs' Of mod ern ringdom: the signs of gN gymnasium warnings against growing fat: the plaCard of liddish theater. And crowding against the narrow side walks stand tall iron fences guarding the window approaches,
 But within. despite the lingering odors of circuses and horse shows that hang in the air there is glorious profusion of flags ranked in such numbers that the sight stirs the blood. 1 There will he no lack Of patriotic prompting when the democrats as- semhle for their weighty hours of de- liberation and selection,
 Swept clear of the partitions and markers that have divided if through the lesser days, the Garden today is one mighty rounded chamber where nearly a score Of thousands will sit down tomorrow. In all that number there is no seat but will give its oc- cupant full view of the proceedings. 1 The delegates will sit in a great oh long platter facing toward the flat
 side where the platform has hccn
 raised many feet above the hall floor.
 There will he groups SO closely about
 the speakers bridge that no word Of what is said should escape them, even without the amplifers. Al either end of the space in the loops Of tho plat ter will sit the alternates and some of the guests.
 l}chind these seats. circing and
 raising above the main floor. the bal
 cony runs back in a slow, wide sweep
 10 the walls of the great building.
 And above stand the narrower galler- ies. one over the other The flag
 hraped rails of galleries and balcony
 form n quadruple tier of bright bunt- ing all around the hall
 There are high windows on both
 sides of the hall. open now in the
 summer heat and looking out into the
 stone canyon of Twcnty-siNh street on one side. Above all the steel raft or work and the sweep of skylights is
 hidden with the bunting that forms mighty star sirown union Of blue over the center of the hall then fades away to either ond in alternate broad bands of red and white. At the far ends, the skylights are masked by soft and toned drarcrics which make frame for inc vivid coloring in the center.
 Through this canopy the hot glares of sunlight on the roof Alters down | in sudhueJ rays easy on the eyes ! There will he long hours for inc dele 1 gates In their places when this soft l light will mean much to them.
 For direct lighting, three monst rous ' hanging clusters Of elcCtriCs swing i down from the high roof They have | been dressed like gigantic Jarancsc lanterns however and again care has | been taken 10 make them easy on the | eyes.
 Tine platform itsclf stands so high | that beneath the end of tho speakers 1 bridge is 2 wide doorway gitinE en- trance to the space below and to the . stairs that lead up to the platform itself 1t is draped within and looks as though it might he the entrance 10 some strange show, but if is by this route that delegates selected to place great names iu nomination will climb to the high pitched rostrum.
 Just over the speakers stand. high 1 in the air were a great cluster Of horns swings like a bunch of inverted dark huod lilies. They are the ann pliiicrs waiting to pick up and multi ply inc voices that rise from the stand bclow and fling them out over all the hall I
 Tine platform faces toward 2Gth street and the dignitaries Of the party who will find their places within the platform rails will have a full view of all proceedings without dodgiug inc heads Of those in front. Their seats rise on a slope as do the balcony rows and they can look down on the floor with little effort. Beneath the plat form are the work rooms. on to the sides of the hall under the balcony are other spaces where provision has been made io supply food for those who must sit out the show. however long the hours
 Today. the HaIl management had 2 dress parade of the ushcrs and others who will steer the huge croRd 10 ifs places. They tested out. too ths ra-