Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-01-27

chorus. After this the crowds scattered
over the grounds.
Tonight the buildings will be Illuminated
and the opening day festivities will close
with grand pyrotechnic display.
History of the Enterprise.
The opening Of the fair is the consumma-
tion of a scheme which, at it's inception,
was termed visionary. absurd and reckless.
If the historic achievements Of Chicago
were not fresh in the minds of the people
great would be the wonder expressed at the
Pacific coasts triumph. for what has been
done is really marvellous. The widwinter
fair is not exhibition confined 10 the
products Of the region in which it is held.
1t is international in scope, and is much
larger, more beautiful and more complete
than many of the international expositions
OF the past, even in recent years Ii Will
not stand comparison with the Chicago and
Paris expositions, which were planned on a
scale of magnitude infinitely greater than
anything heretofore attempted, but with
the other exhibitions it will stand compari-
son, and the strangeSt feature of it all is
that while years were consumed IN the
preparation of the other fairs San Francisco
required clly months.
EightX-twO buildings, besides nearly one
hundred kiosks and lodges. have been erec-
ted. and they stand today a monument of
the progreSSiveneSS of a section of the
United States the history of which teens
=
of the Argonauts and the glamor of ro-
nance,
The fdea of the fair had it's origin in Chi
cago. There were in the white city many
exhibitors who wished to take part in an
other exposition on the American continent
The project was heard by NJ. II. DeYoung,
vice president of the columbian commits
sion and member from California
He saw the importance of it, and at a
banquet of the foreign commissioners he
invited them to come to the present me-
tropolis of the Pacific coast. He had called
a meeting of fellow Californians who were
then in Chicago, and on the night of May
81 the meeting was held in the rooms of
the California Club. The next morning
the world knew that California dntended to
have an interna tional exposition at the
close of the worlds fair. A second meet
ing was held in Chicago, June IL. and the
100 Californians present subscribed $i5,OOO.
BY this time the people in California were
becoming enthusiastic. and the city of San
Francisco asked how many exhibitors
would go to the Pacific coast Upon receiv-
ing a reply that 1000 were already on the
list all doubts were removed and the peo-
ple there took the matter up In earnest.
July the executive committee organ
lied and elected as president and director
general NJ. II. DeYoung. over Stoo'U So'oUo
was then subscribed. August "a 100000
people thronged Golden Gate Park and saw
the ground broken and 16O acres dedicated
to the fair. The work of construction was
pushed under fair skies with marvellous
rapidity, though the plans were several
times revised because additional large build
ings were necessary.
The site In Golden Gate Park could not
have been more fortunately chosen. There
is no place more picturesquely beautiful in
or about any American city. With charm
of landscape in hill and valley; with broad.
smooth roads, majestic trees, semi-tropical
plants and flowers in profusion; with
great green carpet of grass In the dead
Of winter it IS a place worthy of the praise
which has been given 1t. In the most beau
tiful part of the park the exhibition build
ings have been erected.