Los Angeles herald., 1891-10-28
THE FAIR OPEN.
The Third Annual Chrysan-
themum Show.
Features of the Opening Last
Evening.
Blossoms, Music, Art and Eloquence
Formed the Display.
A Scene Of Unique Beauty-The Addresses
and MusIc-SOme of the NOta-
bles Present-A Grand
Success.

The third annual chrysanthemum fail
began last night at Simpson tabernacle
on Flower street, and this wonderful
single flower exhibition will now be
open for visitors this week and next
1t is unique display; and the visitor
last night was not obliged to shut hi;
eyes to believe himself almost in fairy
land. Under the immense canvass tent
which encloses the extensive beds o.
chrysanthemums, are two hundred an6
fifty varieties of the esthetic flower
The beds are arranged, some with gra'
dations of colors, some with but single
color, and all with exquisite taste
Scattered about amidst the blooms are
a number of picturesque booths, presided
over by fair women. The whole
is brilliantly lighted and it was as pretty
a picture as could we'll De imagined. A
HERALD reporter came suddenly upon
Mr.. HamashIgeta around aturn in one
of the paths shortly after the crowd be-
gan to arrive. This talented Japanese
has had the sole charge of the cultiva-
ton OF the chrysanthemums, and he
was looking at the Japanese booth,
where bevy of beautiful young ladies,
decked in Japanese costumes, were put
ting the finishing touches to their tip
tilted eyebrows. He seemed dazed as if
he had dropped down into his own land,
into garden of his favorite flowers.
''It is a very nice display" he said, in
good English, "only not so many varie-
ties as we have in Japan. There you
sometimes see 1000 varieties. We have
been growing these since April"
The tent adjoins the tabernacle on its
northern side, and the visitor goes
through the wide entrance into the au-
ditorium of the tabernacle itself, where
an excellent art display has been ar
ranged and where there are retiring
rooms for the ladies.
BY s o'clock, the time fixed for the
opening exercises, the large auditorium,
which is very prettily decorated with
evergreens and flowers, was crowded
down stairs, while the galleries were
pretty we'll filled. Bartlett's orchestra
rendered an opening piece delightfully."-,
when H. u. Osborne, the chairman of
the evening, in few well chosen words
introduced Rev. DIR. Hutchins, who de-
livered short and eloquent prayer.
The address of the evening was given
by Col. j. J. Ayers, as follows:
We are gathered here in this stately
temple, dedicated to the Most High, to
inaugurate the third annual chryean-
themum festival of the ladies' social Cir
Gle of the Simpson tabernacle.
1t would be difficult to imagine more
interesting or attractive exhibition than
the one we are here to open.
Whilst it would be possible almost
anywhere to give general display of
flowers that would be beautiful and at
tractive, there are but few localities in
which considerable exhibition could
be given of only one species of the great
floral family. Yet here in our match
less Southern California we are SO rich
in the bounties of nature that we can
rest assured of the success of one
flower exhibition, because we can pre-
sent to the rapt vision of the visitors q
collection of several hundred varieties
OF that single beautiful species-the
chrysanthemum, or gold flower.
Our lives are indeed cast in pleasant
places. Wherever we turn, our eyes are
greeted by natures loveliest gifts.
What can surpass the penciled beauty
of the infinite variety of California; g
wild flowers? The modest buttercup
dips in the sun-glints that scintillate in
our vernal hills, and great lakes of vari-
colored poppies give striking variety to
the beauty of the landscapes ofour rising
mesas. The gorgeous majesty of our
Alpine battlemepts send their length
ened morning shadows over foothill an d
valley covered with vineyard and orch
ard, and smiling with beautiful homes
embowered in mazes of trees and shrubs
and flowers.
Here the speaker made a few appro-
pirate quotations from the love scenes
in the Lady of Lyons, and proceeded.]
All, what young maiden in the frigid
or sweltering regions beyond the Rockies
could resist the wooer from Southern
California who could draw such pic
ture of 'the home to which, could love
fulfill its prayers, his hand would lead
herr" He might exaggerate about the
marble palace, but the more beauti-
full and esthetic features of the picture
he could truthfully assure her should
be where the ''air was heavy with sighs
of orange groves, and the murmers of
low fountains that gush forth in the
midst of roses"
After all, if life is worth living, it
ought to be lived where it can be lived
at its best. To those who have
enjoyed it in our own match.
less climate, who have reveled
in the priceless gifts with which nature
has endowed our section-its pictur-
esque grandeur of scenery and its mag
nifcent panorama OF valleys and mesas
and foothills, grand in their pictorial
variety of color, and glorious in their
fruit and foliage and flowers-to those
who have knelt and worshiped here at
natures generous shrine, and shared
in her boundless muniicence-who
have felt the heath-throbs of an at
mosphere that quickens the veins with
the glow of newborn strength, and which
acts upon age with the rejuvenescent
vigor of the famed waters which Ponce
de Leon vaiply sought for in the Ever
glades of Florida-surely those whose
lots are cast here and who have realized