MELBOURNE TOWN TALK.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume II, Issue 185, 21 August 1888, Page 1

MELBOURNE TOWN TALK.

(FROM OUB OWN COBRESPONDENT.') August S. Since I wrote last, the one topic of general interest has of necessity been the opening o* the Exhibition, and I intend devoting my hebdomedal column this week to a retume of the proceedings. Io triumphs, Melbourne has been singing to a gay tune indeed, in which all and sundry joined in the grand chorusNo matter what the antecedents or what tbe penalty, certainly Melbourne has not seen such a day as that of Wednesday last—never opened her arms to such a horde of strangers, distinguished and otherwise—never displayed her richness, her greatness, and her wealth so royally—never known the tumult, the excitement, the emulation, and the display of Wednesday last. The two great functions were the procession through the City, and afterwards the formal opening of the Exhibition. It was my duty to witness both. The former I viewed from the Argus office, a convenient site for such a purpose, and then having a hansom in attendance, dashed out by the back way and round by Flinders-lana and Richmond to avoid the crowd, arriving just a minute too soon to be shut out. From my post in Collins-street, nothing but a surging mass of people was visible up and down, deft in twain as though by a thin ribbon, where the police kept the fairway clear for the procession. There must have been 20,000 people in Collins-street alone, and they waited with exemplary patience from 10 o’clock till 12, when the procession filed past. First a troop of Mounted Bifles; and then the Gubernatorial Party ; then more military; then the fire brigades ; then the trades muster ; then the temperance forces of the colony—el voila tout. Tbe procession took a',little over three-quar-ters of an hour to pass the Argus office, but it must be understood that most of the military contingent was collected round and about tb» Exhibition building itself. As I dashed up the sight was really imposing. An immense crowd had assembled about the entrance and along tbe roadway—such a Bea of people that it reminded me of a London crowd—the military, marines, and sailors from the fleet were drawn up in military array—and deafening cheers were being roared out by 10,000 voices as the Government House party entered the building. Loudly then the trumpets bray, Gaily band the sounding basses | As on its triumphal way, The regal procession passes. Mr Lavater told me there were 80,000 people inside the Exhibition—and I believe him. I was just in time to see the Vice-Regal procession enter the Grand Hall, the National Anthem being rendered by the organ and full orchestra, and ths colors being dipped. The Governor and hie party then ascended the rtuaed djiis, the otber notabilities, forming the procession took their seats on tbe platform behind, and the proceedings opened, It was a brilliant scene, and little as I care to be im,‘ pressed by such empty displays, I could not help feeling a glow of pride at the thought tboi all of it was but the outcome of ouf colony’s growing greatness and importance Every hole and comer, every avenue and gal lery, tier upon tier, was overflowing. From the Vice-Regal diiis, with its ruby hangings fringed with gold, up to the dome windows, was to be seen varied mass of coloring. Near the Governor and scattered about tbe Hall was a hot-bed of military, naval, and civil uniforms. Two banks of female forms, with sashes of blue and cardinal, filled up the ,nace in front of the organ—the chorus 800 ; strong. The orchestra at 66 near by, with the sun's rays glinting their instruments—the detaeKpent of troops—the gay dresses of the Indies in the galleries, the parterre-like aspect of the east and west nave and the northern transept, the mingling of the blue, red, grey, (eaelet, ai?d gold, all helped to form a picture at ortc-e unique, impressive, and picturesque.

Truth to tell though, the ceremony itself was anything but entertaining. I was lucky to escape the long tedious wait of two hours I most of the spectators had to undergo, but a'eepite that I was terribly bored with the nr oeeedings. The first gbnee round wee pl Bl isant enough, for as I have said, the couo <l' <eil was magnificent, but after I had had ti met 0 take in all tbe d etail ’. I little o,’ se t 0 do - 14 was wetohedly cold inside the building, and most of what took place was quit® inaudible A long address was made by Sir James Mcßain and a reply made by L lir Henry, but what it was all about nobody ' kuew exactly until they read it next day in th. e Argus or Age. The musio and singing w ere we come interpolatmns. The!" Old Hundi edth, which followed the National Anthem, ’opnded to me both grand and solemn, given .with full power by organ and orchestra, ami Bowen’s own composition, the "Somj of ThanU<‘ving,’’ written specin u l- «nr the ieaUk' uratlon > waB baautlal yby him . « b rendered by the fully and even oUC ™S art of the prochoius. Yes, the i. . ... . es |; o f jf wag gramme was a treat, b. j bvthn time it was not very entertaining, an. weary, all over everybody was un. -eppxtto the cold and hungry. I was srijMls the editor of one of our dailies,'p. '.##<) I greatest literary gun in Melbourne ’wt )t overheard his wife say to him, “Oh i. -ea impressive “ Impressive he answe. with a grunt. “ Oppressive, I call it."

Pecamiam in loco negligere maximum est lucrum— quoted oue of the Exhibition commissioners to me, when I asked him after the Show was all over— cut bono 1 "To spend money freely on proper occasions is the greatest gain,” said he, aud it may be so for all I know. 1 hope it will do the colony good. I think it will, for looking back, surely the six we have already had have done their part in the work of Victorian advancement. 1 would like to have seen the country, the provinces, taking a more active part in the celebrations, for it seemed to me that most of those concerned were of the city. However, that is nothing if good comes of it. It ought to give us a bold and wide advertisement, for a press friend reckoned out to me that detailed accounts of the proceedings would appear in no less than eight hundred to one thousand newspapers throughout the world. I overheard Lord Carrington wittily describe the Exhibition as “the world under a glass case," and it really is so. Victoria has waved her wand, and every civilised nation has responded to the call and come forward with specimens of her wealth. Surely this should be a source of pride to u>, and help us on further by example. Said Sir William Clarke to his caterer when ordering for the first of his Exhibition gaieties last week, “ Get the very best supper you can spread for fourteen hundred, and I don’t want to see or hear from you until you send in the bill," and something similiar to this Melbourne has been doing. We have been sparing no expense and reckoning up no cost —hoping, knowing the results will atone. So may it be—say all of us, and so amid prosperity and advancement and increase, wifn good hope and fair interest, with every incentive to success and profit, the Melbourne Centennial Exhibition—the seventh of its kind—is launched on its way to run its short journey of a few months.