Polish-American Pavilion Opened at Lwow Exposition by Adam Svvajkart
Dziennik Chicagoski, July 10, 1894
Lwow, June 24, 1894. The Polish-American Pavilion was opened officially on Wednesday, June 20, 1894, in the presence of the members of the Board of Directors of the Lwow Exposition and other notables.
The official opening was delayed in order that Mr. Erasmus Jerzmanowski, honorary president of the Polish-American Section, might be present at this ceremony.
When all the guests had arrived, Mr. Jerzmanowski greeted them cordially, and stated that the Poles of America wished to present this pavilion to their countrymen in Europe, and that by this token they were sending their greetings. Mr. Jerzmowski then said, "Accept our good wishes, 2consider our desire to be united with you, and extend to us your brotherly hand."
Prince Sapiecha, president of the Lwow Exposition, then thanked us for participating in the Exposition and asked us to tell our countrymen across the ocean that the hearts of their European compatriots will always be with us, and that we can always depend on them.
Then, together with Professor Dunikowski, we served as guides in the Pavilion, explaining our exhibits to the other guests. All were greatly interested in us and in our exhibits, and they expressed great appreciation of our work and of the pains we had taken in getting up our exhibit.
Subsequently, Mr. Kokocinski, invited all of us to his buffet where a surprise awaited us. It was an American Negro orchestra and a delicious American lunch.
3A collection for the Negroes was made during the luncheon at which 129 Austrian guldens (about $51.60) was collected. However, the Negroes would not accept the money, so it was donated to the summer camp. Mr. Jerzmanowski gave another one hundred guldens for the camp, and it may be said that his sojourn here, as in any other place, bears marks of humanitarian activities, for he also contributed three hundred guldens for the veterans, and one hundred guldens for the poor students. He made friends with the peasants' children at the Exposition, and how much he has donated and is continually donating no one knows. All honor to such a Pole!
In order to express its appreciation of the participation of the polish-Americans in the Exposition, and to honor Mr. Jerzmanowski, the administration of the Lwow Exposition invited Mr. Jerzmanowski to a breakfast, which took place on June 21, at the Exposition grounds. The Polish-American Section was represented at the breakfast by Mr. Jerzmanowski, Professor Dunikowski and the writer. The administration of the Lwow Exposition was 4represented by its Board of Directors and by members of the press. As usual at this kind of gathering, the spirits of the guests were very animated and there was a patriotic atmosphere. The first toast was given by Prince Sapiecha, chairman of the Board of Directors of the Lwow Exposition, who greeted, through us, all Poles in America, and thanked us all for our participation in the Exposition. He asked us to transmit his cordial greetings and sincere thanks to our compatriots in America.....
In answer to this, the undersigned, as manager of the Polish-American Pavilion, replied:
"Gentlemen: I am thoroughly convinced and believe implicitly that you do comprehend and understand our aims and sincere intentions. The Poles in America send you their cordial greetings. This honorable task of 5greeting you was temporarily entrusted to us, as representatives of our compatriots in America. On behalf of the mission, I do this joyfully because I realize, together with our compatriots across the ocean, that our co-operation with our native land may benefit us greatly in the future. That we desire sincere co-operation and unity with you has been proved by the enthusiastic and warm reception which Professor Dunikowski experienced among us during his last visit, when we honored him as a representative of our motherland. It was said then that, at last, Poland was not discovered, nor were poles in America discovered, for it was not necessary to look for them; but many important facts were revealed. It was revealed that our compatriots who found shelter in America, this fourth Polish stronghold, possess an inexhaustible store of good will, that they possess national influence, because they are united by societies and organizations; they have inexhaustible vitality, for they are reared in an atmosphere of genuine patriotism. They even possess creative power, 6because they work hard and perseveringly; they do not bear down or destroy but build and accumulate, and above all they cherish deep and true love for their motherland and are generous whenever the good of the nation requires it.
"One of the numerous proofs of our generosity is our humble [Polish-American] Pavilion, which we presented to our countrymen in Europe yesterday. When you view our exhibits, gentlemen, please do not consider the quantity or the quality but center your attention on the enormous amount of tedious work, ant-like, which was necessary for gathering our collection and arranging it in our little house. I am confident that you will not notice any deficiency, but will gladly accept this gift which we offer to you in all sincerity.
"Finally, to prove that this work was started with good intentions, I will quote a few sentences from the appeal to the Poles in America that was 7sent to all Polish settlements, asking them to participate in the Lwow Exposition."
(Here, the speaker cited a paragraph from the appeal that is well known to the readers of Dziennik Chicagoski, the public appeal to the Poles in America encouraging their participation in the Lwow Exposition, in the name of solidarity and reciprocity with our countrymen in Europe, which concluded with the following statement:
"The Pavilion, under American and Polish banners, has been erected. It will bear this message to our compatriots, 'We live, work, and love our motherland; we desire to remain Poles'.")
"Gentlemen, it gives me great pleasure to empty this cup in honor of Prince Sapiecha, president of the Exposition, and to the success and attainment of the great aims which you gentlemen have undertaken in 8creating this memorable work. Floreat, crescat."
Then P. Z. Marchwicki, manager of the Exposition, drank to the health of Professor Dunikowski, initiator of the idea of a Polish-American Pavilion. Next was an address by Stanislaus Badeni, a brother of the viceroy [Austrian] and a member of parliament, who praised the journalists for their excellent work in support of the Lwow Exposition. He then drank a toast to the health of L. Zajczkowski, representative of the press.
In his eloquent reply, Mr. Zajaczkowski praised the merits of Polish journalists in America, and maintained that they should be imitated in many things, because the press in America is not restricted by censure or by personal interests.
Subsequently, Plato Kostecki, our poet, who has already gained immortal fame, spoke on the value of national unity and work for nationalistic 9ideals, and ended his talk by reciting a poem which he wrote for the opening of the Exposition. This poem, inspired with the love of the motherland and deep belief in its resurrection, you probably have already read.
At the end of the breakfast Count Gorajski raised his glass in an old Polish toast, "Let us love one another," and then spoke on national unity.
This concluded the ceremony of opening the Polish-American Pavilion at the Lwow Exposition.