The herald., 1894-01-27
THE MIDwINrBR FAIR.

The opening of the midwinter fair in
San Francisco today ought to mark the
beginning of an era OF renewed prosper
ity to the whole state.
Nothing ia better established in this
age of activity. invention and intercourse
between peoples separated from each
other by wide distances, made close by
the wonderful facilities of rapid inter
communication which his period enjoys
over all preceding time, than that the
knowledge of the progress and resources
of any section spread abroad by indus
trial expositions, tends to the advance
ment and prosperity of any locality
which successfully holds them. The
worlds fair at Chicago has spread the
reputation OF that city to the four quar-
tiers Of the globe, and has carried the
news to millions that in the center of
this continent there has grown up one
OF the gres: metropolises of the world.
Before the Columbian exposition was
held, outside of the most enlightened
and travelled classes in the old world,
there was no adequate-indeed. only q
fsint-conception Of the immensely and
the resourceful power OF the great states
in the mid-continent of our country.
The worlds fair, however, has retired
from the general mind of Europe the
idea that the great west was still q
frontier country, struggling in the thralls
of primitive provincialism, and placed
it conspicuously before the people OF the
earth as one of the most progressive
centers Of modern civilization, and con-
tanning within itself all the substantial
elements Of an empire of unapproacna-
BILE power and advancement in the in
dustrial and esthetic arts.
The common ignorance of the great
ness OF the west which the Chicago fair
has dispelled throughout Europe is like
to the far too prevalent ignorance that
exists in the eastern states about the
resources and progressive status Of the
Pacific coast states. We are looked upon
in the common mind of the Atlantic
states as a distant frontier province.
Our intellectual standard is deprecated,
and our civilization is discounted. In
all, except our equality of political
rights, we are looked upon as an sppan-
age that has no seat in common with
the eastern states at the table where the
industrial and commercial destinies OF
even of our most intelligent eastern fell
low citizens have the faintest idea of the
immensely of the resources and the
matchless natural benefcences of the
Pacific tier of states. Everything that
man can desire ia within the grasp of
these states. The precious metals abound
in unprecedented profusion, and coal,
iron, oil and all the minerals and all the
chemicals of the soil are here in untold
quantities. Agriculture has here her
most prolific home, and fruits of the
temperate and sub-tropical zones have
their chosen habitstion in our favored
state. The manufactures and the arts
have made gratifying progress, and edu-
cation in all it's branches has received
the liberal fostering care OF the local
governments. We defy any OF the east
ern states, which have had three cent
uries OF growth, to point to two such
universities within their confines as the
university at Berkeley and the univer.
sity at Palo Alto, in a state which two
score years ago was wilderness.
The midwinter fair will do much to
dispel the dense darkness that prevails
in the eastern mind in regard to this
coast. 1t will bring many representa-
tive men from the transmontane states
to see for themselves the magnificent
section of the union we occupy, and to
experience the delights OF climate
where spring and summer perennislly
finger in the lap of winter. As the pop
ular idea oil Europe, that the great west
was still semi-bsrbarous frontier, was
effectually dispelled by the Columbian
fair, so the eastern fsllacy that the Pa
cifc coast states are only little re-
moved from the crudeness of print
tive condition, will be removed by the
midwinter fair that opens today at San
Francisco.