[CHICAGO, DECEMBER 9, 1889.]
Monday morning, December 9, 1889, President Harrison, accompanied by Mr. and Mrs. Russell B. Harrison, Mrs. McKee, and First Ass't Postmaster-General J. S. Clarkson and wife, arrived in Chicago for the purpose of participating in the dedication of the great Auditorium building, in which—while in an unfinished state—was held the convention of June, 1888, that nominated General Harrison for the presidency. The distinguished party was met by a committee comprising Mayor D. C. Cregier, Ferd. W. Peck, Gen. Geo. W. Crook, Hon. A. L. Seeberger, Col. James A. Sexton, Alexander H. Revell, Franklin S. Head, C. L. Hutchinson, Charles Counselman, J. J. P. Odell, Col. O. A. Schaffner, F. S. Bissell, and R. W. Dunham.
During the morning the President and Vice-President Morton, under the guidance of Mr. Ferd. Peck, visited the Board of Trade and were tendered an enthusiastic reception by the members of that famous exchange. Then followed a reception and lunch at the Union League Club, as the guests of Mr. Peck and President Bissell of the Club. Other prominent citizens present were Governor Fifer, Geo. M. Pullman, Marshall Field, Joseph Medill, S. M. Nickerson, J. R. Rumsey, N. K. Fairbank, Sam. W. Allerton, A. A. Sprague, H. H. Kohlsaat, Wm. Penn Nixon, A. L. Patterson, Adolph Caron, C. I. Peck, A. L. Coe, John R. Walsh, J. W. Scott, John B. Carson, M. A. Ryerson, V. F. Lawson, and O. W. Meysenberg. Later in the afternoon the President and Mr. Morton, accompanied by Governor Hoard, of Wisconsin, General Alger, and Judge Thurston, visited the Marquette Club—of which the President is an honorary member—and were received by President Revell, Secretary Gould, H. M. Kingman, C. W. Gordon, and C. E. Nixon, comprising the Reception Committee.
The dedication of the auditorium hall in the evening was an event of rare interest in the history of Chicago. President Harrison and his party and Vice-President and Mrs. Morton were the honored guests of the occasion. Other distinguished out-of-town guests were Sir Adolph Caron, Hon. G. A. Kirkpatrick, C. H. McIntosh, and Mr. Wells, of Canada; Governor and Mrs. Fifer; Governor and Mrs. Merriam, of Minnesota; Governor Hoard, of Wisconsin; Governor and Mrs. Larrabee, of Iowa; Mrs. Governor Gordon; ex-Governor Morton, of Nebraska; General Alger, Judge and Mrs. Walter Q. Gresham; Mr. and Mrs. House, of St. Louis, and Mr. and Mrs. F. J. Mackey, of Kansas City.
The Auditorium—the modern Parthenon—typifying the spirit of the age, is largely the conception of Mr. Ferd. W. Peck, and its realization is the fruit of his zeal, supported and encouraged by the wealthy men of Chicago. The great structure, costing three and a half million dollars, was built by the Chicago Auditorium Association, whose officers at the time of completion were: Ferd. W. Peck, President; N. K. Fairbank, First Vice-President; John R. Walsh, Second Vice-President; Charles L. Hutchinson, Treasurer; Charles H. Lunt, Secretary. The building was begun June 1, 1887; the laying of the corner-stone occurred in September that year, and was witnessed by President Cleveland and other distinguished visitors. It has a frontage of 710 feet on Congress Street, Michigan and Wabash avenues. The exterior material is granite and Bedford stone. The height of the main structure is 145 feet, or ten stories; height of tower above main building 95 feet, or eight floors; height of lantern above main tower 30 feet, or two floors; total height 270 feet—one of the tallest buildings in the world. The permanent seating capacity of the auditorium is over 4,000, but for conventions—by utilizing stage—this capacity is increased to 8,000. A feature of the great hall is the grand organ. In addition to this unrivalled convention hall the colossal structure contains a recital hall, 136 stores and offices, a hotel with 400 guest rooms, and a magnificent banquet hall 175 feet long.
The gathering at the dedicatory exercises nationalized the Auditorium; 15,000 people were within its walls. The President and Mrs. McKee were the guests of Mr. and Mrs. Ferd. W. Peck. Among the several thousand prominent residents present were the following gentlemen and their families—stockholders in the Auditorium Association: G. E. Adams, A. C. Bartlett, G. M. Bogue, C. W. Brega, J. W. Doane, J. B. Drake, J. K. Fisher, Carter H. Harrison, Charles Henrotin, O. R. Keith, G. F. Kimball, S. D. Kimbark, J. T. Lester, W. L. Peck, R. W. Roloson, W. C. Seipp, Lazarus Silverman, Robert Warren, John Wilkinson, Jr., C. S. Willoughby, C. T. Yerkes, J. McGregor Adams, W. T. Baker, Gen. J. C. Black, H. Botsford, R. R. Cable, C. R. Cummings, J. C. Dore, G. L. Dunlap, C. B. Farwell, J. J. Glessner, E. G. Kieth, W. D. Kerfoot, W. W. Kimball, L. Z. Leiter, J. M. Loomis, A. A. Munger, N. B. Ream, Conrad Seipp, J. G. Shortall, W. Sooy Smith, P. B. Weare, Norman Williams, F. H. Winston, and J. Otto Young.
The exercises opened with an address of welcome by Mayor Cregier, followed by a speech from Mr. Peck, President of the Association, who received an ovation. President Harrison's address was followed by the rendition of the hymn "America" by the Apollo Club of 500 trained voices. Hon. John S. Runnells delivered the dedicatory oration. Then came the real event of the day—"Home, Sweet Home" and the "Swiss Echo Song" by the incomparable songstress Adelina Patti, who shared the honors of the occasion with the President. The programme concluded with an address by Governor Fifer and the grand "Hallelujah" chorus from "The Messiah."
As Mr. Peck introduced President Harrison the great assembly enthusiastically testified its welcome. The President spoke as follows:
Ladies and Gentlemen—Some of my newspaper friends have been puzzling themselves in order to discover the reason why I left Washington to be present here to-night. I do not think I need, in view of the magnificent spectacle presented to us here to-night, to state the motives which have impelled my presence. Surely no loyal citizen of Chicago who sits here to-night under this witching and magnificent scene will ask for any other reason than that which is here presented. [Applause.]
I do most heartily congratulate you upon the completion and inauguration of this magnificent building—without an equal in this country, and, so far as I know, without an equal in the world. [Applause.] We have here about us to-night in this grand architecture, in this tasteful decoration, that which is an education and an inspiration. [Applause.] It might well tempt one whose surroundings were much farther removed from this scene than is the capital city to make a longer journey than I have done to stand for an hour in the view of such a spectacle of magnificence and grandeur and architectural triumph as this. [Applause.] And if that be true, surely there is reason enough why the President may turn aside for a little while from public duty to mingle with his fellow-citizens in celebrating an event so high and so worthy of commemoration as this triumph to-night. [Prolonged applause.]