Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1893-11-17
CLOSE OF AN EPOCH;
END OF THE WORLDS COLUM-
BIAN EXPOSITION.
Grafton and Song Give Way to Prayer and
Dirge at the Finale Of Joyous Season
Exercises Held in Festival Hall-Laae
Day Shrouded In Gloom.



The end came at sunset on Oct. so.
The great Columbian Exposition faded
as quietly and sadly as an autumn day,
and when the belching cannon Lad sent
a score Of shOts to heaven and pelted
the dOmes and pinnacles with million
echoes the giant had died. Silver.
throated chimes tolled the knell, MUIR
muring fountains sang the requiem.
white clouds hung as the shroud. The
night stole on, the breakers slept, the
lagoOns grew as calm as painted ponds,
the lights blinkcd cut and it was over.
1t passed as gently as the whitening OF
summer rose, to leave a me merry as
sweet as the fragrance of On incense
pot. The mighty organ groaned and
wept, the preacher prayed, the whiz-
zing pulleys ceased their jangle, the
rafting wheels hung silent, the throt-
ties were choked.
The waning moon looked down at
midnight upon wilderness of beauty
awaiting the assassin's AK. Columns,
towers and turrets, portals, peristyle
and palaces, Dianas, mermaids and he
roes, archers, Neptunes and pyramids,
sculptors' groups and artists panels,
treasures of genius and marvels OF
brain, all stood mute at the altar
side, awaiting the torch to make
them ashes. It was a sight sadder
than funeral and as melancholy as q
winter forest. The wind sent shafts
to the marrow and ratified grewsomely
in the withered leaves and frosted
boughs, and from end to end the fairy
acres were as sOmber rs the valley Of
the shadow Of death.
Tho End Come. In Woe.
There were no pageants, no long
lines OF gorgeous floats, no noisy pro-
cessions. Neither bombs nor mortars
rent the sky, nor were sizzling rockets
lOOs cd. There were no merry banquet
ers, no concerts, no jubilees. The trum-
peters Who heralded the Fair were
silent, and the thousands who sang the
patriotic hymns o half year ago were
hushed:. The flaming fagots that fared
under the ribs OF the gilded dome were
unlighted. There were no epics read,
no striding meters unrolled no males
tic bars blown by the wind. There
were no chapeaux, no epaulets, no
gathering of the nations great No
orators scaled the heights with con-
gratulatory elOquence, no gOnfalon fell
at the signal of a pOtentate. All the
fetes became funeral pyres; rejoicing
hymns were turned to songs of sadness,
and triumphant strains were dropped
to death marches. Tears ran where
smiles wore won't and sorrow filed
breasts where pride was due. Pity for
the end became grief for the calamity
and all the thousands mourned the
tragedy which ended the grandest
event of four wonderful centuries.
Fate had been cruel and in it's unkind-
ness had added a piteous death as the
climax. Thus tho sadness of the end
was twofold and the. great Fair went
out under double cloud.
The final function was in Festival
Hall. President Palmer held the CEN
ter OF the line Of honor, and on either
side were President Higinbotham and
Director General Davis. Behind them
sat distinguished men. whose homes
make circuit of the earth. After an
invocation by Mr.. Barrows and an adj
dress by Mr.. Higinbotham. President
Palmer formally executed the edict of
Congress.
Simple in the extreme were the
closing acts. The war ship and reve-
nue. sloop loosed their guns and all
about the grounds rolled the roar Of
the last act. Sailors were stationed at
each flag mast, and when the first shot
echoed to the shore the halyarls were
drawn and the emblems OF sixty ma
tiOns were furled. The streamers on
the stats of honor in the main court
came down to earth, the dream was
over and the Worlds Columbian Expo
sltlOn became memory.