Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1901-12-03
CHARLESTON OPENS
GATES TO VISITORS
South Carolina and West In.
dian Exposition.
ROOSEVELT SENDS GREETING

Ceremonies at "IVory City" Were Pre-
ceded BY an Imposing Parade-Hon
chauneey Depew Was the Orator o.
the Day.
Charleston, S. c., Dec. 2.-The South
Carolina and West Indian exposition
was formally opened to the world to
day with words of greeting from the
president of the United States. An i'm
posing parade of military and civic
bodies formed down town and escort
ed the guest of honor to the exposi
ton grounds, where they took part il
an appropriate program OF exercises.
In the afternoon all Charleston OBJ
served the day as a holiday and the
city was handsomely decorated. The
weather was beautiful. After the pa
rade had been reviewed at the expo
sition grouAds the guests of the day
assembled in the auditorium, where
the ceremonies took place.
The invocation was delivered by the
venerable Charles S. Vedder, of the
Huguenot church, and Captain F. w
Wagner, president of the exposition
company, and Governor M. B. Nc
Sweeney spoke words of welcome.
Depew Orator of the Day.
Hon. Chauncey M. Depew, United
States senator from New York, orator
of the day, was introduced NY Mayor
]. Adger Smyth. At the conclusion
of the senator's Grafton President
Wagner, of the exposition company
stepped to the wire connecting the au
ditorium with the executive mansion
in Washington and sent greeting tC
President Roosevelt. A few minutes
later the response of the president
was received and the exposition was
| formally declared open.
The principal object of the exposi
ton is to make fully representative
| display of the manufacturing progress
and commercial possibilities of the
country and particularly of the south
this time confrOnts the south, anC
| perhaps the supreme purpose of the
fair is to solve it. The great advance
in the number of cotton mills con
structed in the past few years and the
consequent increase in the output o1
finished products has created a sur
plus of cotton goods. Of this product
China was at one time the largest
consumer outside of the home mar
kets. The recent disturbance in that
country, however, has virtually para
| lyzed the markets and the home sur
/ plus muItiplies. The principal unde
| Veloped markets in close touch with
the south are in the West indies, anC
| it is hoped through the medium of full
displays at the exposition to estab
lish trade relations with that part ot
the world.
Site of the Exposition.
The exposition site occupies about
100 acres of land on the bank of the
| Ashley, with a frontage of 1000 feet
on the river. The architecture of the
buildings follows closely the styles
which were introduced at the Chicago
Worlds Fair and nearly all the nat
ural beauties of the site have beer
/ retained.
The number of great departmental
buildings is eleven, as follows: The
| Cotton and Commerce Palaces, the
Hall of Agriculture, Minerals and For
estry buildings and structures devoted
to woman, art, the negro, transpOrta
tiOn and machinery. The Administra
tion building occupies a commanding
site. The Cotton Palace covers so,
| 900 square feet of ground area; the
Commerce Palace contains $4,000
| square feet of floor space; the Palace
of Agriculture the same area; the Ad
| ministratiOn building 10000 square
| feet, and the Transportation and Ma
chinery buildings each about 10000
| square feet. A commodious auditorium
seats about 1000 people.
The United States government, ii
spite of the failure of congress tC
make an appropriation, has a display
here, the exposition company having
| provided the necessary accommoda
tions for the government exhibit re
Gently seen at Buffalo.
"Sunken Garden" a Unique Feature
The Court of Palaces, around which
the main exposition buildings are
grouped, is 1900 feet in length anC
over 900 feet wide. This court con
tains 1,65O,O00 square feet and one o.
its unique features is a "sunken gar
den" filled with tropical plants group
ed around an electric fountain.
The woman's department is under
the direction of Mrs. Sarah Calhoun
Simonds, a grandniece of the grea
statesman, John G. Calhoun.
The Southern railway, in connection
with the Georgia railway, today pu
| on two new fast trains between At
lanta and Charleston. The Plant sys
tenn similarly increased it's Charles
| ton-Savannah service and the Atlantic
| Coast line will add new accommoda
tions shortly. These additions to the
regular schedules will be further in
| creased Jan. / by the Inauguration o
the regular winter fast service o
these roads, giving splendid travelling
facilities between Charleston and the
outside world.