The islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1891-1899, 1894-09-06
THE INTERSTATE FAIR
Immense Street Parade on
the Opening Day.
GRAND PYROTECHNIC DISPLAY.
Extensive Displays Of All the Products
and Manufactures of the Pacific
Northwest-The Cream of the Foreign
Exhibits Are Also to be Seen.

Exhibits Are Also to be Seen.
TACOMA, WASH, August 20. - The
Northwest Interstate Fair was formally
opened to-day. Speeches were made by
the Governors of the States, the Terri
tory and the Province the fair is repre-
senting. There was an immense street
parade in the middle of the day, and in
the evening there was pyrotechnic dis
play at the fair grounds. Altogether
Tacoma presented carnival appear
ance. Blue, yellow and white, the fair
colors, were everywhere. There were
blue, yellow and white sunshades, blue
yellow and white buttons and blue, yell
low and white ribbons, gonfalons and
flags in endless profusion.
While the people of Tacoma are re-
sponsible for the inception of the Inter-
state Fair project and for successfully
carrying it out, they regard it as the
joint enterprise of the commonwealths
that have joined together to make it a
success, namely, Washington, Oregon,
Idaho, Montana, British Columbia and
Alaska. All these have contributed to
further the enterprise, and the fair is
representative of them. There are
gathered together in the buildings of
agriculture and horticulture, fisheries,
mining, forestry and manufactures and
liberal arts, extensive displays of all
the products and manufactures of the
Northwest. In manner never before
attempted are shown the resources of
this section of the country. But
glimpse of what these States have to
show was seen in their buildings at the
Worlds Fair. Here are seen the more
complete exhibits.
In addition to these displays the fair
management has secured the cream of
the foreign exhibits that we're brought
to this country to be exhibited at the
Columbian Exposition. There are six
teen extensive foreign sections in the
building of manufactures and liberal
arts.
Amusement features are numerous,
including many of the best of the Mid
way features at Chicago, such as the
Turkish village; but in addition there
are several thoroughly characteristic
Western features, such as Indian viii
lagos, where the aborigines are shown at
work and play, and typical lumber and
mining camps.
A beautiful natural park occupies one
corner of the large ground. 1t comprises
fortv-five acres of the widest and most
picturesque of Washington forest seem
ery. Roaming at large in it are tame
elk and deer. On small lake in the
grounds are Indians in their dug-out
canoes.
The situation of the grounds has
prompted the admiration of all who
have visited them. Sloping away to the
Sound, magnificent view is commanded
of the water, of the fir-clad hills and of
two mountain ranges-the Cascade and
Olympics. Rising far above the jagged,
snow-capped peaks of the former range
is Mount Tacoma, IA, 444 feet high, over
shadowing the very grounds.
The fair buildings, interspersed with
those of the many concessionaires, are
clustered around the grand court, in the
center of which is a. small lake.
Building the fair and putting the en-
terprise on it's feet was an undertaking
involving no small amount of determi-
nation and hard work. The difficulty of
ScCuTlIS LuOACy W dC OllO Ii oO ONooesSAo
encountered. To start the ball rolling
Governor McGraw, the Mayor of the
city, professional men, laborers and me-
chanics turned out one March day, took
off their coats and started clearing the
grounds with their own hands. Their
actual labor accomplished much, while
the force of their example had good
effect in securing money to 60 ahead.
Floods and strikes set matters back
somewhat, but indomitable Western
enterprise and determination eventually
triumphed, and there is now opened to
the world an exposition greater by far
than any previously attempted west OF
the Mississippi, excepting only the Mid
winter Fair. The cost of the buildings
approximates $500, 600; the liberal arts
building alone cost $135, 900. The ex-
pectation is that 500, 900 people will visit
this exposition before the gates close on
November /.
The fair management is as follows :
Henry BUGGY, Director General; ]. An
thony German, Assistant General Di-
rector; Executive Committee, 6. L..
Holmes, George P. Eaton, G. Fl. Dow,
George Stone, A. Gross, A. J. Hayward,
G. r. Osgood and F. K. Lane.