Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (June 1, 1898)
2 ' 17IE ( ) IIAIiA 1)11111" BEE : 1VE1)N1:4iAY e1 i'\ I : I , 1898 , ky , A y ! I l , , ( ! rl h C r IViCi ti 1t J. il. HUSs1E , O , w IIOLDREGE. It , A. THOMPSON C. b' MANDERSOIQ J A. WAIEb'1ELD , ALViN SAUNDI/RS , I11Cfs1AN FOUNTZE ( ' 8 , 11toNT00MiCRYA ARTHUR C SMiT1L IC DICKINSON Cr 51'IIt iC POST .i .i7t11 , , 1..r L f j J. L. BRANDE18r t t" . i t OEO , F' IiDWICLL , I't P . .1 f THOS , 1. K1M13AL.L a H IJ4 .y /1 _ DR , .W. 1.EE , v , .a , sh s , - t ? . E. MARIEL , ' f > . .y i A CHARLES METZ. . fr EDWIN C. I'RICIs , yl I 1 t1 C. M. WILIIICLM. H. S. WILCOX , ti t i J. C. WHARTON. 1,1 L1 7G T iII. CORNER STONE Gala Celebration of Arbor Dayl One Year Ago in April. GRAND PARADE AND FORMAL CEREMONIES I Papulnr Interest Mnnlfcsted from ' the Onlsel In the I'rogress of the Work of Con- .1ructioil. Thursday , April 22 , 1897 , was the first gala day In oxpositlett history , and thousands of people marched in the parade and thousands more Jalned with them In mighty cheers ns the big cornerstone swung lowly Into place and eloquent orators pronounced their bcne- dlctlons. The fact that the inaugural festivities 1I 1 occurred on Arbor day , when all the schools I and public buildings were closed , left nearly the entire population of Omaha tree to join In the demonstration. A heavy shower had cleared the air the day before , and the clouds gave place to a blaze of spring sunshine - shine that made the day as perfect as Nature could offer , The city had all the appearnmco of a holiday. The business houses were closed and flags and bunting wore draped from every posslblo point of vantage. The streets were filled with people - ple from early morning , and as time dey nd- vanced the crowd was swelled by thousands - sands of arrivals from neighboring cities , The parade was formed at 1 o'clock In charge of Grand Marshal R. S. Wilcox , and Marshals It. M , Stone , lV. It. Bennett and II , E. Wheelock. It consisted of six divisions , which included nearly all the civic nod mill- tary organizations of this city and Council Bluffs. Each division was beaded by a band and the rear was closed by a long line of carriages , occupied by prominent citizens of the Twin Cities. On their arrival at the grounds the leading divisions fell back into open order and the onncers of the Nebraska grand lodge of Masons , followed by time members of the order , passed between theme to the platform. 3lnseulc Ititumil Employed. The prospective Arch of States , near the Twentieth street entrance , bad been selected as the location of the cornerstone and both the platform and the huge derrick which was to hoist the stone were lavishly decorated - rated with nags and Ak-Sar-Ben colors. The Twenty-second Infantry band played the "Star Spangled Banner" and then the impressive - pressive ritual of the Masonic order was performed by the following officers of the grand lodge of Nebraska. Grand Master , C. J. Phelps ; deputy grand piaster , J. B. Dins , more ; grand secretary , W. It. Bowen ; grand treasurer , Chris Hartman ; grand tiler , Jacob W. King ; grand architect , C. K. Coutant ; grand chaplain , T. J. idackay ; grand Junior warden , G. W , Llninger , and grand senior warden , F. H. Young. After the ritualistic oration had been der livered by Grand Master Phelps , ' Grand Treasurer Ilartman deposited in a niche in the stone the sealed copper box which contained - tained the relics that were to be thus transmitted - mitted to posterity. These consisted of the last proceedings of the grand lodge , grand chapter and grand commandery of Nebraska , souvenir of Omaha , Issued by the Board of Trade , report of Board of Park Commissioners - ers , list of officers of Western Union Telegraph - graph company , report of the exposition association - sociation , with list and photographs of oli- cers , including the Board of Lady Managers - gers , a copy of each of the dally papers of Omaha , list of city officers , report of county i commissioners , and county onlcers , copies of plans of exposition grounds , photographs of buildings and street scenes In Omaha , photographs of Mrs. R , C. dowry , Judge James \V. Savage , General Experience Esta- brook , lion. A , J. Poppleton , John A. Crelgli- ton , Dr , George L. Miller , Hon .John M. Thurston , Hugh G , Clark , Thomas L. Kimball - ball , the judges of the district court , Dion Geraldine , President McKinley , Vice President - dent Hobart , W. Jr Bryan , A. Sewall , Linin- ; ger's art gallery , Bee building. Young Men's Christian association building , Board of Trade building , Union Pacific bridge , South Omaha stock yards nod packing houses and all the public school buildings , names of I members of legislatures of all Transmissis- sippi states , copy of exposition number of members of legislatures of all transmissis- slppi congress at Omaha , official program of inaugural exercises , articles of incorporation of the exposition , blank for applications for space and subscriptions , proceedings of Tangier Temple and photographs of its ofn core. lasorlplinn on the Slone. The stone was then lowered to Its bed showing the Inscription "Laid by the Masonic - sonic fraternity , April 22 , 1897 , M. W. Charles J , Phelps , 0 , M. " The ofllcers applied - plied the square , the level and the plumb and reported that the stone had been accurately - rately placed and then Deputy Grand Master Dinsmore scattered it with corn , poured from a golden vessel , as the emblem of plenty , Grand Senior Warden Young baptized - tized the stone with wine , which had been brought from Jerusalem by G , W , Llninger , and which was a token of joy and gladness and Grand Junior Warden Lininger added a baptism of oil which was emblematic of peace. Grand Chaplain Mackay pronounced an impressive Invocation and tben the grand master handed the implements of masonry to Supervising Architect Kimball with instructions - structions to carry on the work that was thus begun , The Masonic ceremonies were followed by brief addresses which offered a vent for the enthusiasm of the multitude , Mayor W. J. Ilroatch welcomed the visitors as the chief executive of Omaha , In the absence of Gov ernor iiolcomb , Lieutenant Governor Barris spoke for the state of Nebraska. He eulogized the state and its people and referred - ferred in enthusiastic terms to the exposition - tion as the vehicle by which its resources would be advertised to the world. This was followed by an eloquent tribute to the exposition by lion. John N. Baldwin of Council Bluffs , after which lion. J. SterlIng - Ing Morton was introduced as the originator of the Arbor day which was marked by this celebration , Mr. Morton traced the progress of Nebraska from a prairie wilderness to a magnificent commonwealth. He dilated on the fertility of its soil and the abundance of Its resources and emphasized the importance 1 of cultivating forests to protect the soil from drouth and humanity from disease , in + conclusion he said : I "A truth and a tree outlive generations of men , That this admirably planned Trans , mississippl Exposition may plnnt truths as 1 to the economic and material resources of I Its vast and opulent empire in the minds of the tens of thousands of Intelligent visitors and sojurners who may attend it , with as cheerful a certainty nail as serene a satisfaction - faction as we experience in planting these trees In the never deceiving , never disappointing - appointing soil of the fertile Nebraska , is my earnest hope and my sincere and intense desire. " IAINE liiOCiC ill' IIAIti ( ti.t l'l'IC. Sheet Reminder of a 1'eeullnr lucl- deat In Exposition Mister ) ' . Buried somewhere tinder the immense mass of staff and timber that forms the Arch of States over the Twentieth street entrance to the exposition grounds is n huge block of granite that represents the beginning of exposition construction. This is time cornerstone that was laid with mill- lmiry pomp and pageantry over a year ago and over which eloquent orators proclaimed the greatness of the west and its exposition , It contains nil the public documents , photographs - graphs and other data that was thus sought " ART 11T 1lIL EXPOSITION 1 Ohoica Oollection Gathered in the Fine Arts Building. i I NOW THE DEPARTMENT IS ORGANIZED Energetic Action liringn Together Itepresentntl } e Worlks trout All the. Lending Artists of I I time liny. The Fine Arts department of time Trans- mississippl nail International Exposition was early a matter of consideration to the executive conuuittec and directors , who realized the Importance of making it repro- sentntivc and creditable. Early in 1897 the executive commniltee of the exposition re I quested the \Veslern Art association to make suggestions in regard to the organization of this department , which was done by the creation of the directors of the 1Vestern Art + association as an advisory committee upon fine art subjects. This cmnmitteo selected as its chnirmau Mr , Paul Charlton , and 1n consultation with the architects-in-chief , j Messrs. Wnlker and Kimball , suggested time form of building to be use(1 ( , and , after comi- and in number far beyond what was desired , necessitating a limiting of the number. Time dealers in the United States have been most generous in their loans , and it has thereby become possible to secure many representative pictures which would have been otherwise unavailable. A great ma- i jorily of the pictures have been in storage in Omaha for many weeks , but owing to repeated delays in the construction of time building it was impossible to begin to unpack - pack them until Monday , May 10 , 1898 , when three rooms in one gallery were opened. The work has progressed rapidly- , day and night. The pictures entered were by the owners sent to authorized packers 1n New York , Boston , Philadelphia , Cincinnati , Pittsburg , Detroit and Chicago from tern- tor ) tributary to those cities ; time foreign pictures were collected by time commissioners for the various countries , Pictures accepted in time hands of packers are instated , transported - ported and returned free of cost to the sender ; amid pictures sent imidivIdunlly , if accepted , are treated in the samme way , amid if not , are held at owwmier's expense , The walls of time umniim galleries up to time cornices nre of dull red ; lime lobbies are cool , dull green , the latter for the purpose of slmowiug black mmd white and other draw- ings. The denies are mast huposing , the panels being treated hum green , yellow amid gilt ; nil time interior architectural nmembers nre a warm ivory , and the effect , as time galleries are successively bung , proves the success of the building mid the scheme of : > 't' ' ( b M bye. , , i . , , ' - ' p. Y pV , { - ) ! . : .L. ' I ' . ' , : . : J 1.\ . . \ ; . 1 . . .111L t " H Y 9 I v. t I y S .I I FINE ARTS BUILDING. I to be transmitted to posterity and for nmomitlms it stood surrounded by a small railing - ing as a landnmark and the expression of the hopes of the exposition promoters. That it is thus ignominiously consigned to an unmarked - marked sepulcher is the result of a change of ' 1 plans in regard to the construction of the arch. It was originally contemplated that the Arch of States should be a permanent monument when the other exposition architecture - tecture had crumbled and been forgotten. It was proposed that the arch should consist - sist of a massive pile of granite gathered from the various transmisslssippi elates and I fashioned into an imposing sentinel. Arrangements - rangements had been partially made for the contribution of the stone , but the Board of Park Commissioners , who were to pro- vile for the necessary expense , decided that the structure as proposed would cost a sum that would ho out of nil proportion to its utility. Consequently the plan was dropped and all through the months of exposition construction the single cornerstone - stone remained a lonely sentinel at the gate. + Eventually the exposition management decided - cided that since there was to be no permanent - manent arch they would work out the original - nal idea with the same materials that were enmployed in the other buildings. The contract - tract was let at once and this was one of time last of the structures on the Kountze tract to be erected , It was easier to build around the big stone than to move It out of the way and in a few days it was hidden trout sight. ( i OItGl OlJS 1)1S1'h.lV OF 1'LAGS , ILublrums of .ill Nut Ia11N Give Color to the IiiioMh µ r Sceuc. The patriotism of many nations will be emblazoned against the white outlines of the exposition buildings by every breeze that sweeps acres the grounds. Flags innumerable - numerable will float from the towers and cornices , their blaze of color affording grateful - ful relief to eyes that weary with gazing at the endless expanse of white , Each of the main buildings is profusely arrayed In bunting , and while Old Glory 1s given the places of honor on the towering domes and pinnacles the banners of every civilized nation will mingle with the stars and .tripe. . Fully 700 flags will be required to equip the nag staffs in the main court. The larger staffs that adorn the towers will each bear a ten-foot American flag , and the lower projections and the line of staffs that outline - line the cornices will be prodded with smaller nags , ranging from three to eight feet. The contract for furnishing this vast array of bunting calls for forty distinct varieties , comprising those of nearly every nation In the world , and the ensemble of color will add not a little to the spectacular effect of the architecture. siderable research , several names for the position of superintendent of the Fine Arts bureau , Messrs. Eames and Young of St. Louis were chosen as architects of time bulldlng , mmd were asked to submit plans h4 accordance with its suggestions , and Mr. Armond H , Griffthm , director of the Detroit Museum of Art , as superintendent of the Bureau of Fine Arts for time exposition , Messrs. Eames and Young submitted plans which are practically those upon which time bulldlng has been constructed , and its our usual beauty , dignity and adaptiveness prove their fitness for this commission. The appointment - pointment of Mr. Grllnth was approved by lime executive committee , amid ho entered upon his duties in August , 1897. Director Grlliilim first umde a tour of the principal cities , where be saw artists , private collectors and the directors of the principal - cipal museums , and endeavored to interest them in this exhibit. This was followed by much persistent work by Mr. Griffith and time chairman of the advisory committee Imi time way of personal visits and extended correspondence. There was found to be the greatest apathy among artists and private collectors in the east In regard to any exhibit of fine arts ) n the west , the claim being that it was not profitable to them to send their pictures , as they were withdrawn either from their walls or from the eastern opportunity for sale for the period of some nmonths and that their experience in the matter of handling and return had litherto been extremely unsatisfactory. The directors - rectors of time lnuseums were found to be personally willing to do anything to aid the project , but in many cases were prevented - vented by the rules of their institutions train masking loans. 1Vhue this was proceeding - ceeding correspondence was also begun with Jlessrar Jules Itolshoven in London , Dr. Do Greet in Rolland and Frederick Mayer In I'nrls , wIth more encouraging promise , ' Systemnlle ( 'umpalgu. ' Personal letters and personal interviews I were followed continuously , supplemented 1 by several circulars , and finally by application - tion blanks in time early months of 1898. Responses to the latter were tardy , as artists were unwilling to make engagements for pictures which might thus be withdrawn from the spring exhibitions , This objection was met by an arrangement under which pictures .bowl In Now York and B"Gtn up to the middle of May will be hurried forward In time for the opening of the exposition , Dur Ing the last six weeks entries began to come in freely , and something over 700 picture. were offered , The majority of these were passed upon by juries to the larger cltie. , but many have been sent direct by artist. and owner. to be judged 1n Omaha. Offer- logs from American , French and German artists resident la Paris were representative lighting and decoration to be more beautiful - ful and fit than anything hitherto seen in this country. The grouping of pictures eu the walls is accentuated by torches of ivory and gold , which add a decorative scheme , replacing - placing draperies , which were not permis- sible. The offerings of statuary are quite considerable , and will he placed upon pedestals in the center of the galleries , and m about the walls these nre supplemented by full sized casts front the most celebrated ancient sculpture. Between the twin buildings is a peristyle surrounding a Pmnpeiimm gurden , in time center of which is n fountain with a simple spray. spray.1fI&h 1fI&h Chnrneter of Exhtblt. The exlremnely high class of this exhibit from an artistic stmmdpoint and its entirely - tirely representative character will make it n surprise to persons who have been led to expect the usual conglomernUon custom- nrlly seen at exhibitions iii this country. Anmong the 000 pictures to be shown ) n these two buildings nre ninny by time greatest - est artists of the various periods and eclmools , it would bo Invidious to ) mention muses , but there are good examples of Corot , Troyon , Van Jtarke , Pourhus , Sir 'plmmnas Lawrence , 't'itian , a Van Dyke , maid examples of most of the living artists of eminence , inpossiblu now to particularize Time aim hums becu to have a small and repre- setmtallvo exhibit of good examples of the i beat pnlntars only , mend it has succeeded beyond - yond the most sm + gulmie hopes of those who IL'nre had the umatter in charge. 'l'lmese buildumigs are sure to be the gather- hog pluce , umd center for the large number of persons who mire becoming interested in such subjects , amid will prove time most patent educational feature of time exposition. 't'here will also bo shown modern ox- nnples of reproductions of famous toaster- piecea , time orlgimis of which are entirely + uaavaliudmlo for exhibition purposes , and the room where these mire shown will he a point of interest to persons who have not had the opportunity of visiting the foreign galleries - leries , and two yet desire to know something - thing of the manner in which the historic pictures , which one reads of constantly , were printed , The catalogues will be complete - plete in biographical detail of the artists represented , and will contain about forty half-tone reproductions of pictures suitable tor such process , These will form an lo- dispensable guide to an Intelligent understanding - standing of the pictures , amid a valued sou , vonir of what promises to be one of the dis- tlnctlvo and progressive features of the ex- . The Concessions deparinent received see , enty-11ve spplicalions for space for merry- go-rounds , They were rejected except in cases where they formed a feature of a nmoro pretentious attraction. 1iOBIIIZI1 ' r 7 ' 111 { ll i [ I13ITS Allotment of the Floor Space Not an Easy Task , PRODUCTS OF FARM , MINE AND FACTORY Methods ICttiihii d for the Purpose of Contitlatr the Displays to the Choicest Classes of Goods Offered , It Is conceded by the best authorities that the cxhlblts that have been moldlized in time white palaces on the exposition grounds excel iu quality mod in artistic arrangement any that have prevlously been shown at an Auterlcmm exposition , This lu spite of the fact that the entire work of time 1)epmurtment of Exbihils has been miccouplished Itt less than one year , while three years were consumed sumed lmi securing amid collecting the exhibits hibits that illed tlto huge buildings tit Chi- cago. The itmanlgers of the Colultiimian exposition - position had also nearly twenty tines the resources its had the promiwlers of time present enterprise amid yet Ommmmmimu hums more than hull as tuany exhibits as were cou- tained in Jackson park. As a umuler of fact thousands of feet of space have becu re- fused. It has hewn a question , not so much of bow much , but of how good. Inferior exhibits have been reduced amid aothiug ad iultted to the buildings not cnieulalcd to interest and instruct their visitors. The elrecttv'u manner iii which the exposi- tinu has been advertised nil over time world contributed to create a demumnd far space unprecedented in the history of expo3ltious , The Ilrst official act of lhumager E , f. Bruce of time Depnrtmeul of Exinibls vvmis to secure time services of II. B , iiu dl , au uxpusitlon man of twenty-five yen's' expemm- euce , as the suimcrlntendelmt of time depart- umeat. Since then Mr. Hardt humus had general - eral chn'ge of the task of securing and im- stallimg time exhibits. As further organization tion beeamime necessary the tmtinor details were looked after by time following superlu teudente of departments : Agriculture , Prof. F , 1V. Taylor , Llucohm ; apiary , L. Whit- comb , Priemid , Neb. ; education , Mrs. Frmices Ford , Omaha ; horticulture , forestry and Ir- rigntlou , I'rof. Taylor ; assistant , it. S Berlin - lin , Ouuiha ; dairy mid live stock , J. B. Dinsumore , Sutton , Neb. ; manufactures and foreign departments , 11. B. Hardt ; machinery chinery and electricity , Prof. R. B , Owens , Lincoln , Nub. ; mines amid mining , Dr , David T Day , Washington , D. C. ; line arts , Western - ern Art association , by Paul Charlton , chairman - man , and A. 11. GrIlith , Detroit ; transpor- tutlon and agricultural implements , Carroll D , J. Elliott , Omaha ; decorations and color , It. T Brown , San Francisco. Iteasou for Sptu e Charge , One of the lust steps taken by the tie- hum iueut was to induce time executive committee - mitteo to establish charges for space Instead - stead of gmvlug it for nothlmig , as hind been dutio al previous expositions. Time object of this was to secure the greatest variety of exhibits in time snmallesl space. It. was believed that if tune exhibitors were coin- pelled to pay for the sluice they occupied they would make their exhibits higher and wore compact. This would also operate to induce theme to uwke the nmost of their space and not bring in u vast amount of useless material. The rules mind regulatfomma by which exhibitors were to be governed were selected from the rules of sixteen different expositions , amid 300,000 copies were at. once sent out for time purpose of securing ex- imihilors. 't'hey provided that $1 should be charged for every square foot of iloor space fu buildhmgs , and 60 cents for every foot of wall spnce. Space on time grounds was rated at 50 ceimis per square foot , and au Increase of 25 pct cent charged for cape- chilly favorable positona. ) Thu returns were surprlsingly prompt and liberal. Five muonlhs before the opening d4y ; 20 per cent nmoro Ilium time entire available space was nppllcd for. It was found necessary - sary to eulnrge sooie of time buildings mud also to emit down inferior exhibits to make room for llmoso of superior merit. Emily iii the experience of lima depnrt- nmormt commissioners were sent to each of Ilene trnmisnmIsalasippI at ntes and to the communist - nist , The fnnme of the exposition as pro , nntlgntcd by the Depmninent of Publicity had preceded them and almost witimout ex- caption their efforts were nnmply rowvmrded , There are stale exhibits from Iowa , Nebraska - braska , 1mmnsoa , Missouri , llhnmesuta , Cnli foram , Colorado , South Immkoim ) , North Ia- Rota , Oregon , Utah , Monlnmmn , Nnvadn , North Ca rollmmn , Gcorgla , t1'nshingtnm , Toxns , illlnols , Wyoming , Oh hmhoma mii limo Indian Territory. Canada has 5,000 square feel of apace ; France , 4,000 ; ifawaii , 3,000 , amid the Ceim- tral pnd South American republics , 4,000 I An addmiimmal 8,000 feet is nccupicd by pr- vale exhibits from Austria , Euglmnd , lid- gent Switzerland and various other foreign conmmlries , Time Orientals have been barred front time building en nccount of the bazaar- hike character of their exhlblts. It was time desire of time numagenment to elimuinnta tide feature front time male buildings as far as possilda , rand time Oriental exhibits were relegated to the Midway. The Slate Hxhlblts , Aside from their regular exlmiblte , which mine distributed through the vnrlous buildings - ings , cloven states have erected lmandsoine slate bulldlngs on time bluff tract. These are Iowa , Illinois , Nebraska , 1Visconsin , Now York , Minnesota , Ianmias , Georgia , Oregon , Mommas and \Vaehimgton. Iowa nlso has additional archlt'ctural representation - tion In the wigwams that ! s contributed by time citizens of i'otlawntlamle county. Build- lags leave also been erected by the follnw lag private corporations ; Pittsburg & Gulf railroad , Kansas City , Bombs Bag comn Pliny , Ommilma ; Montgomery , Ward & Co , , Chicago ; Liggett & Meyers , St. Louts. The total number of exhibitors is stated by Superintendent liardt as 10,000 , of which 2,000 are from Nebraska. Timis is , however , deceptive , as It includes all contributors to ' collective state eximibits , Time number of individual exhibitors is probably one-fifth of that number , _ , . , V d t 1 J J IIROWN , A v I ) t I h I , ' jr J , 11 , MILLAItD . I. ' , r ' 4 A FItiCi ) M YOUNGs , ' ' 'N e f , A Wet 1V. A , PAXTON. . i FRANK MURPHY s ryw ty , A ) rF DtTIi EY SMITH. s a ' 1 ! v + . 'y r i JOAN 11 EVANS. J , , * F 1 , tV ( 'Altl'ICNTEit wh , A JNU , A. CItICIGHTON , m 9'108. KILIAATZIIC1 : , t1 + Y S , nle ! ; ] ! a ' wwv ww. . r. ' " * ltlgM111111r11a } N rINL. T -r't r . . - . - txr'otaa Yuur ° prerienCc1 Slim sun Biter 1gli' . , al ' .l .
