New Britain herald., 1928-06-12
HOOVER ALMOST
 CERTAIN ID WIN
(Continued From First Page)

South Vienna. Ohio. For a long time he had the whole convention to himself. The two women of the Maine delegation took front TOW seats In the section reserved for their state directly in front of the convention chairman.
 Burton Appears.
 Theodore Burton of Ohio a vet cran Of many a national convention came in soon after 10 o'clock and posed in the aisle for a group of photographers. Soon afterward Poly" Tincher. of Kansas, who is to make the nominating speech for Senator Curtis, strolled into the Kansas section. He told inquirer. he would not give up the ship. and that so far as he was concerned Senator Curtis name would be placed before the convention re- gardless of the slide to Hoover.
 In physical appearance the big convention hall was very like the others in which convention history has been written in the past. The delegate seats, clustered on the low est level of the eliptical arena, faced toward a highly raised platform built along the center of the west side of the elipse. From this higher level jutted out toward the delegate seats {. special speakers platform, some ten feet by six and on either side of it the 600 press seats faced in from north and south, at right angles to platform and delegates.
 Spectators There
 A ring of boxes, raised to about the level of the convention plat form, circled the sides of the dele gate space and behind the seats for spectators rose on a steep incline. Higher up hanging balcony spanned either side of the hall, and higher still, literally against the roof, was a secondary balcony accommo- dating some 2700 spectators. These rafter-roostcrs could hear. by virtue of the amplifying system whose speakers stand, but unless appear ances from below are deceiving they could see little except each other.
 Occupying the place of honor as the convention delegates assembled was q specially made microphone stand, silver plated and looking like big music rack. It stood at the front of the speakers platform and carried on shining double bar at the height of q mans head eight teamed-up microphonea.
 The standards which marked the stamping grounds Of the various state dnle gations on the floor were high and smaller than ordinary. They stood more than ten feet, bear ing fimsy cardboard state labels, black on white, with supporting poles so slender that it looked as though any tumult among the dele gates would snap them into sliyers.
 Decorations Plain.
 The hall decorations were almost severely plain. High among the rafters and the great iron cross ties that spanned the open space over the heads Of delegates and specta- tors there was some show of red. white and blue bunting, but only little to relieve the background of grey paint in iron work; on the ceil- ing itself hung q sky-hluc blanket, with tinsol so distributed as 10 re- scn1ble at least remotely the star " heaven itself; lower down a six foot strip Of pale blue was sus- pended from the balcony rails on north and south. The only real splash of oXtrdlagance in color was represented by silken red, white and blue stream, with gold fringe. which circlel the convention plat form and the lower boxes, all the way around the hall
 "No Smoking"
 IL still lacked nearly half hour before convention time when Chairman Butler somewhat startled q half filled hall by pounding heav- ily with his gavel and asking for order There vas some whispered conjecture whether the Inuch-ad- vertised message from Coolidge to his Massachusetts friend. which so far as anybody knows never has ar rived, might bc here at last. But the chairman's interest for the mo- , fn"nt Vas no' on candidates, hui cigars. Making the first speech q, th" big convention he spoke as fol- lows.
 "l desire To call your attention l 10 the fact that smoking in iho con- , lertion hall IS prohibited All o' those in the hall will please d"siN. '" ' As he finished q plp ographer's 5 flash lanp was set of from the very | center Of the hall sending a cloud if 10 choke 2 locomotive. Although they had their own specially built gallery. 2 1oo-foot runway hung from inc F. tr1