CHAPTER II.

ARRIVAL OF MR. CLEVELAND AND THE DUKE OF VERAGUA.

The President of the United States and the Duke of Veragua Come to Chicago to be Present at the
Opening of the Exposition — They Are Met at the Depot by Distinguished People and Escorted
to their Hotels by Military— Great Turnouts All Along the Line— How Mr. Cleveland Spent
Sunday in Chicago — He Attends Church in the Morning and Christens a Grandchild of Secretary
Gresham in the Afternoon — The Duke Attends Mass and Receives Calls.

UN DAY, the soth of April, 1893, the threshold of the Open-
ing Day of the Exposition, was itself a happy interlude
between the International Naval Review and the premier
exercises and attractions at Jackson Park on the Monday
following. President Cleveland had arrived at Chicago
on the 2Qth and had been received in a manner befitting
his high station, and escorted to the Lexington hotel and
shown to luxurious apartments prepared with great care
and artistic taste. Costly tapestries adorned the walls.
Flowers were everywhere — furnished and arranged by
"Uncle John" Thorpe, except one jardinierre of La
France roses, which had been sent by Mrs. Cleveland.
There were other roses, and there were lilies of the valley, and hundreds of pan-
sies, Mr. Cleveland's favorite flower.

At 8 o'clock Sunday morning the President, in company with a number of his
Cabinet ministers and a few other friends, breakfasted in a private dining room at
his hotel. " I feel very friendly with everybody," said Mr. Cleveland, after rising,
" and I think I shall go to church, as I have had several invitations."

It had commenced to rain forty-eight hours before, and had never ceased
long enough to force a smile from the face of a World's Fair director. It rained
so violently and blew so furiously when the President started for the Second Pres-
byterian church on 2oth Street, in company with Secretaries Gresham and Hoke
Smith, that it was with difficulty that the trio could avoid a drenching. On arriv-
ing the distinguished party was ushered to a pew near the front of the audience-
room. The visit of the Presidential party had not been announced, and the church
was sparsely filled. While the choir was singing the opening hymn all eyes were
directed upon the President, who was attired in his usual black suit, with frock
coat, and who maintained a dignified, reserved manner, scarcely looking at any one,
but paying close attention to the sermon and the services.

The two members of the Cabinet occasionally exchanged a few whispered
10

HISTORY OF THE WORLD'S FAIR. 149

words with each other, but seldom spoke to the President, and, though they both
read the response, he did not.

When the plate was passed Mr. Cleveland quietly laid upon it a two-dollar
bill, numbered A 1940559, with a picture of Jefferson on the left — correct Jefferson-
ian principles surely, so the deacon thought. After the close of the service a
woman in the audience advanced to the President and shook hands with him,
introducing her companion, probably her husband. One or two others shook hands
with him as he left the vestibule. Aside from these there were no special demon-
strations.

In his prayer the pastor, the Rev. Dr. S. J. McPherson, alluded to the Presi-
dent and others high in authority, invoking special blessings upon them, but other-
wise made no reference to the distinguished personage.

The text was from Matthew xiii., 2. The sermon was a clear analysis of
true manhood as illustrated by a Christian citizen, the nearest perfection in its
resemblance to the character of Christ while on earth. In brief it was as follows:

" The crown of civilization is true manhood. Character is the maker, and
safeguard, and measure of all civilization. Our Lord came down in order that he
might give to us qualities like his own. Character is an effect and a cause. In all,
it is a creation of the past and a creator of the future. Every true citizen, noble
man, and true Christian will cherish true conservatism and true progress. False
conservatism stifles energy and freezes nerve and heart. False radicalism recklessly
assaults, tears up the heart as well as the weeds, and rushes after every new will-o'-
the-wisp.

" The treasures of art and sculpture have been kept for us by the conserva-
tive cherishing and embalming of history. No character is possible without the
energy of the character builder himself. The deadliest thing in human life and the
meanest thing is a lie. The value of personal purity is through the force of the
word of God in Christ's own shadow. Following after skeptics, cynics, and mys-
terious leaders like Confucius is agnosticism. Hope and despair are ever ready at
hand. Look up to the former and listen not to the latter. Christ is our ideal type
of the mixture of those two forces. A life spent in the struggle to promote spirit-
ual character is the only life worthy of man."

On Sunday afternoon the President christened a grand-daughter of Secretary
Gresham, and afterward took dinner with Mr. Higinbotham.

The Duke of Veragua, a grandee of Spain, and a descendant of Columbus,
accompanied by his family and other distinguished people, also arrived in Chicago
on Saturday, April 29th, and was received by President T. W. Palmer, of the Com-
mission, and acting President Ferdinand Peck of the Directory. Shortly after ten
in the morning the train carrying the Duke pulled into the Union Depot, and at
a proper time and place after he had stepped from the car, Mr. Palmer delivered
an address of welcome to which the Duke responded warmly.

Mrs. John A. Logan was at the depot as Chairman of the Ceremonies Com-
mittee of the Board of Lady Managers, and she was presented to the Duchess of
Veragua, who carried a large bunch of American Beauty roses which had been

150 HISTORY OF THE WORLD'S FAIR.

p

handed her at the depot by the Spanish Commissioner to the World's Fair. After
Mrs. Logan had been presented to the Duchess and to the wife of Commander
Dickinson, who was charged with the itinerary of the ducal party, the procession
was formed to the carriages.

President Palmer led the way with the Duke and the cheer that went up as
the start was made passed along in a wave line and reached the curbstone before
the smiling features of the Duke had appeared above the landing at the top of the
steps. Then the cheer increased to a roar that never ceased until the party was
safely housed inside the thick walls of the Auditorium. The apartments assigned
his grace and suite had been beautifully decorated. The Duke and his family
attended mass on the preceeding Sunday and received many callers at their hotel
during the afternoon and evening.

[In this connection it may be appropriately stated that in June the Infanta
Eulalia, who represents the youthful Spanish ruler, visited Chicago and the Fair,
and was received in a fitting manner and handsomely entertained during her stay.
She was royally looked after by President Thomas W. Palmer, Mayor Carter Har-
rison, Messrs. Higinbotham, Potter Palmer — at whose hotel she was a guest—
and others. She had a pleasant time, and departed thoroughly delighted with all
she had seen and that had been done for her.]

HISTORY OF THE WORLD'S FAIR.

151