The herald., 1893-08-25
THE M|DW|NTER EXPOSITION,
Ground Broken in Golden Gate
Park.
An Immense Concourse Of People in
the City.
Interesting Ceremonies 1T the Insugura-
tion of the EnterprIse-The First
ehovelful of Earth Sold
for $3.50.

By the Associated Press.
SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 2.-One hun
dred thousands residents of this city
and the surrounding country gathered
in Golden Gate park to witness the
breaking Of ground for the buildings Of
the midwinter fair. Never before was
such crowd OF people seen in San Fran
cisco. 1t came early in the day and
remained to the end of the exercises.
The people by their presence testified to
their interest in the exposition and de-
monstrated the liberal manner in which
they would support it. Just as 1t has
mainly been the poorer people-the
masses-who have contributed their
money to the enterprise, go it was the
masses who assisted in breaking the
ground. They came in carriages, by
cars, and walked. They gave evidence
that the proposition had their approval
and that they realized that the fair
would be in the nature of the salvation
OF the city. 1t is estimated that 5O, 900
people gathered in the valley in which
the buildings of the exposition will be
located. On hillsides and in neighbor-
ing valleys there were fully that many
more, and it is very safe estimate to
place the attendance at 100000. The
parade was a very creditable one, and
the unemployed" followed by the teams
and scrapers engaged to level the grounds
formed pretty picture. 1t was long
in moving, but the thousands who had
gathered did not become impatient. A
grand stand had been erected there and
the flags of many nations fioated from
the hagstaffs erected by nature, the
stars and stripes predominating. In
front OF this there was q perfect sea of
humanity. By l 80 o'clock it was al
most impossible to gain access to the
grand stand, even by those who held
tickets emitting them to that distinc-
tion.
When Director. General De Young and
his staff appeared. !. at about O'Clock,
they received q most enthusiastic well
come. As Mr.. De Young and his asso-
ciates marched on the stage from the
rear of the grand stand, preceded by
of police under command OF
Chief Crowley. a great shout went up.
and Immediately the battery stationed
on the Qo1kutb UnCh Va OoAOokO NnAoy
began firing q salute.
Speech-making before such mass OF
seemed almost impossible,
but it had been arranged for, and had to
be carried out.
General Hammond called the meeting
to order, or tried to do 30, as president
OF the day, whereupon Rev. John
Hemphill invoked divine blessing on
the undertaking.
Then Director General De Young was
and was received by most
applause. His recital OF
the work of the committee, Its
adoption of rules for the awarding
of the contract for grading, and the
passage OF the midwinter world g fair bill
by congress, WAS received in a most
enthusiastic manner. When he de-
clared that under any circumstances the
fair would be held, the enthusiasm Of
the people was boundless.
The practical speech of Irving M.
Scott was we'll received. His reference
to the fact that the fair would mark a
new epoch in the history of the state
the inauguration OF the industrial era
was accepted as the keynote of the sit
uation. The fair meant work for the
and fair compensation for
the wage-earner and capitalist.
Then the chairman OF the finance COM
mittee, Gen. w. III. l.. Barnes, wae1 in
troduced, and he made a speech that
was up to his acknowledged high stan
dard. He said the exposition was in
the nature of a bow of promise to the
state-equalled by none that God had
ever spanned heavens with aa hope to q
people.
Preceded by Chief Crowley and
others in authority, Director-General
De Young then proceeded
to lift the first shovelful of
earth with q silver shovel, which he
deposited in the silver cssket provided
for that purpose. On his return to the
stage he exhibited the casket, and sim
battery OF artillery began
to fire the national salute in evidence of
the Inauguration of actual work on the
fair. In the meantime the teams OF the
had come into the park, and
while Mr.. De Young was lifting the first
spadeful Of earth, the plows and scrap
ers were put to work, and the actual
building of the exposition had begun.
When the attention of the audience was
drawn to this fact later on by Rabbi
Voorsanger they cheered Justify.
A grand chorus of male voices, accom-
panied by the united bands, under the
leadership of Adolph Bauer, sang the
anthem, America, with mag
netic effect. 1t was very interesting
scene. The booming cannon, earnest
singers and people hopeful in the great
enterprise just undertaken were acces-
sories that entranced the beholder.
Five hundred Thousand dollars as
guarantee fund has been nearly all sub
scribed by citizens, and the work of con-
buildings and preparing the
grounds will proceed without interrup.
tion until the fair opens.
This afternoon Director-General De
Young took the first spadeful of earth,
which was put in a silver casket and
sold at auction to the highest bidder.
Five hundred men began work at once
on excavations for the site.
1t is expected that large part of the
exhibits in the Chicago fair will be
brought out here, as congress has passed
a law allowing foreign goods to be
brought here for exhibition purposes
without payment of duty.
When the first shovelful of earth was
put up at public auction the first bid
was $3.50. Bidding was spirited, and
the earth was finally knocked down to
Roos Bros, q local clothing firm, for
1850. The spade with which the first
earth was turned was sold at auction to
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