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Chicago Globe
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WAR DANCE AT THE FAIR.
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Eighty-Five Indians Occupy the Administration Building.
One of the most pleasing features that transpired in the Administration building at the World's Fair grounds yesterday, immediately after the scenes following President Cleveland's act of pressing the key which set the machinery in motion, was the war dance, given by eight five of Buffalo Bill's Indians. The dance was given in honor of President Cleveland and the members of his cabinet. Some members of the presidential party were unfortunate in not being afforded an opportunity of witnessing the whole performance, as they were, at the beginning, in another part of the building.
There was a happy reception accorded the eighty-five stalwart Indian braves in war paint and feathers as they filed in singly through the south door of the main floor of the Administration building. Among the chiefs easily recognized was "Rain-in-the-Face," the noted Sioux warrior and counselor of Sitting Bull in the many bloody battles fought during the '70s, and which finally resulted in the massacre of Gen. Custer and his band of brave soldiers on the Little Big Horn.
Strange as it may seem to visitors to the World's Fair, no American Indians are quartered in Midway plaisance, where nearly every race on the face of the globe is represented. The importance of the Indian in the affairs of American history seems never to have been fully appreciated by the management; at any rate he has been entirely ignored in a most important department of the Fair.
Every seat in the great amphitheater of the Wild West show and almost every available foot of standing room was occupied at yesterday's performance. There were 18,000 paid admissions. Exactly ninety-three eastern newspaper men and foreign journalists and correspondents attended the performance.
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People on the Platform.
One hundred feet from the east portal of the administration building a small table, covered with the United States flag, stood on a platform six feet in height. Resting on the stars and stripes was the velvet base of the magic key that was to send the thrill into machinery hall and formally open the Exposition. Above this rich velvet and gold pyramid the key itself rested like a beautiful jewel.
Stretching upward and backward from this center piece rose the grand stand, tier on tier.
It was 10 o'clock when little groups of men and women began to appear in the broad stretch of terraced seats. They stood about and talked and looked up at the clouds and wondered why everything seeemd to be late. Still the spectators gathered--ten came into the grand stand and a hundred clustered below in the proportion of ten to one.
It was a remarkable gathering in may ways that filled the grand stand. Not only were there men and women of distinction among them, but a dozen nations contributed to the assemblage. Chicago's representatiev men were there, almost to a man, it seemed. Congress was represented in both houses in this earlier gathering, the army, and navy, the bench and the bar held a place. It was among the foreign contingent that attention was chiefly directed.
Three figures well to the front received gen-
Chicago Daily News
May 2/93.
eral notice. They were the Scottish earl of Aberdeen, Sir Edward Birbeck, and Sir Henry Wood. Baron Kunowski came on the platform accompanied by Marshall Field. Abdul Rahman, rajah of Jahore, was a noticeable figure, dressed in black with a purple apron tied about him, and with an oriental wealth of insignia across his broad expanse of shirt front. Fred Douglass' dark face and long, white fleece showed near the big frame of Buffalo Bill, who, wearing a white sombrero, passed among the throng to be admired.
Indians Greet the Great White Chief.
Buffalo Bill did not take his Indians to Midway plaisance to meet the president. Rocky Bear, the venerable chief of the Sioux, issued orders Sunady night for his young warriors to dress themselves in their best clothing for Monday noon. Having painted themselves yesterday morning and tied fresh ribbons in their long black hair seventy-five Ogalallas and Brules were taken to administration buliding to meet Mr. Cleveland. There were in charge of Major Burke and old Jack Nelson, a scout. It was the biggest crowd Nelson ever got into in his life. He had not gone far before a wall of people swept him off his feet and drove his old coonskin hat into the jaws of a mountain lion resting on a pedestal at one of the approaches to the lagoons. The Indians were taken into administration building and led to the top floor. The panorama spread out before them was so grand and so startling that they could not suppress their emotions. It was with difficulty that they were led downstairs. Rocky Bear was introduced to the president. They shook hands. The president said "How do you do?" The Sioux said "How?" and then both bowed profoundly.
After Rocky Bear left the president he called Major Burke to one corner of the building and gave his estimate of Mr. Cleveland. "Leela tonka," he said, and when Major Burke was asked what "leela tonka" meant he said that Rocky Bear was satisfied because the president was fat, and that, being fat and big, he must be a good president.
Old Flat Iron, a scout with a nose like the beak of an eagle, was so badly scared during his ride in the elevator that he clung in terror upon the neck of Agent Small, who accompanied him. When he reached the bottom the old fellow exclaimed: "Leela washta!" (very good), and the, drawing his blue blanket about his head, he fought his way with the rest of the warriors through the great crowd surrounding them.
Chicago Times
Their Ancestors Greeted Columbus.
Only less striking than the guide venders was Buffalo Bill's detachment of Indians. They wore the fullest of their full war paint The nodding plumes of their war bonnets waved above the heads of the throng, and there was a rush to see the men whose ancestors greeted Columbus, the representatives of the only nation permitted no recognition on the platform at the inaugural ceremonies held in Columbus' honor. Shouts of delight arose from the throng as the braves passed on their way, answering the applause with their own shrill war whoop. May 2/93.
Chicago Herald May 2/93.
It was the greatest crowd Chicago has ever seen or probably ever will witness.
Taking a Bird's-eye View.
Viewed from the balcony of the administration building the crowd presented an unusual and a wonderful apperance. Looking directly down on the ground in front of the grand stand not an inch of terra firma was to be seen, so densely were the people massed together. Toward the edges of the crowd it was a little more open. It was into one of these open spaces on the left that Buffalo Bill marched his band of Sioux warrior, while the grand stand was yet filling up. The color lent by the fanciful headdress of the braves and their red, blue and yellow wrappings was a pleasing break in the solid mass of black hats worn by the men, who formed the majority of the crowd. The wide, white hat of the noted scout identified him the moment he turned around the corner of the building, and the crowd made a dash in the direction of the new arrivals, soon surrounding them. The original Americans were shortly taken over to the opposite corner of the building, it taking them fully half an hour to get there. They forced an opening which closed instantly behind them. Beyond the little dots of color here and there in ladies' hats--and the crushed wearers were sprinkled through the crowds in goodly numbers--the Indians gave the bright spot to the scene.
COL. CODY'S INDIANS AT THE FAIR.
Chicago [word?] may 2/93.
Aborigines Grow Enthusiastic Over the Stirring Spectacle.
Had it not been for the fine speciments of the noble red men sent over from the wild west show the aborigines of the country whose ancestors it was that Columbus discovered 400 years ago would not have been represented at the opening yesterday. Eighty-five red Indians rigged out in theri richest beads, feathers, and war paitn viewed the inauguration ceremonies. They wre extended the courtesy of an admission to the administration building, and while there went to the top of the building and were enchanted with a fine view of the "big water." Rocky Bear, who had been at Washington during President Cleveland's former administration, impressed upon his fellow braves the good qualities of the "great father," and the enkindled enthusiasm resulted in a terrific "Ogallala" salute to the president.
The manager quit selling tickets at the wild west show yesterday afternoon when 17,000 people were inside and thousands of others were at the gates. Pleasant weather had fully demonstrated the tastes of the people for entertainment of this sort. The Indian historical tableaux, the wild-riding cowboys, the expert marksmanship of Miss Oakley and Mr. Baker, as well as the grand company of rough riders and the musical drill of soldiers of all nations stirred up the vast audiences to profound depths.
The reception given to Col. Cody by the audience amounted to an ovation. Everything points to the fact that Buffalo Bill will repeat here the success which attended him at the Paris exposition, when the crowned potentates of the earth scrambled over each other to gain front seats at the show.
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(IMAGE)
THE PAST LOOKING UPON THE PRESENT.
SCENES AND INCIDENTS.
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Kicking Bear Salutes the President--Mr. Cleveland and the "Japs."
BUREAU OF THE WORLD, CHICAGO, May 1.--Over 100 full-blooded Indians, mostly Sioux, witnessed the platform ceremonies. They were headed by old Rain-in-the-Face, who was conspicuous in the Custer massacre. They sat stoically through the exercises, and when they were over announced that they were the real Americans and that the earth belonged to them. Kicking Bear insisted on shaking hands with the president. He received the privilege and said:
"Great chief. Me chief, too. Me Kicking Bear."
The president said he had heard of Kicking Bear.
New York World May 2/93
AMY LESLIE AT THE FAIR.
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Yesterday's Opening of the Fair the Grandest of All Previous Inaugural Events.
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A PRETTY PICTURE MADE BY INDIANS.
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What the Park Will Offer in the Way of Lovers' Walks a Month from Now.
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The grandeur, dramatic intensity and poetry of yesterday's Fair inauguration cannot be compassed in words. The simplicity, grace and earnest dignity of the ceremonies, the beauty of the spectacle and the pictuersque incompleteness of the surroundings gave the day something of the awesome solemnity of imagined creation.
Minor inconveniences seemed forgotten; there was only the mighty stretch toward heaven of glistening domes, marble arms and gigantic eagles' wings, brave statues and histories in emblazoned tablets. Out upon the battling whitecaps of Lake Michigan hung a thousand greetingsfrom exultant ships. The presence of strange friends and unaccustomed tongues, costumes known to us only through the spangled veils of art and verse and with it all the tumult of life and pride and youthful hopes. To me there was nothing lacking except a more accommodating weather bureau.
Seas of mud, a morass, a swamp, from the gates to the lake and back whichever way the road might lead. The unkindest trick the skies ever played this ambitious city. But neither the storm king nor the general indication of hurried and partial preparation could mar the impressive hour of midday, when multitudes stood in hushed attendance upon the treasured words they could not hear but trustfully welcomed; awaited the magic touch of authority which thrilled the wheels and foutains, rent the mist with piercing engine shrieks and tumultuous hurrahs and unfurled a forest of banners till the turrets of every shining roof blossomed into color.
A very pretty accident gave an unexpected American tinge to the climax of the interesting ceremonies. Cody's Indians were permitted to go upon the highest balcony of the administration building where they might see the flags run up. By an unintentional gauge of time that seemed strategic just as the machinery began to roar, the whistles blow and the magnificent chorus intone "My Country, 'Tis of Thee," these Indians in their resplendent war-paint, gorgeous necklets and representative American savagery appeared on the north abutment of the building, a blazing line of character moving along with high, flaunting crests of feathers and flaming blankets which stood out against the gleaming white of the staff dome like a rainbow cleft into remembrances of a lost, primitive glory. Nothing in the day's occurrences appealed to sympathetic patriotism so much as this fallen majesty slowlly filing out of sight as the flags of all nations swept satin kisses through the air, waving congratulation to cultured achievement and sumissive admiration to a new world.
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