The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-12-21
BRIEF CEREMONY At
THE WORLDS FAIR SITE.

THE WORLDS FAIR SITE.
Continued From Page One.
also held up their hands at another and
r'ore formidable sight. The ground was
! covered with cameras. They were nearly
I as thick the grasshoppers of Egypt.
I Every species of Photographic device was
I present. from the s2.5o9 machines of the
American Biograph Company. down to the
! baby push the button box.
Battery AS guns were fifty yards off the
actual scene OF the ground breaking. The
artillerymen. natty and alert, in army over
| coats and leggings, stood ready with Their
/ lanyards. When buSie sang in the sharp
distance. the first gun spoke 1t sounded
like hundred pine boards falling off their
pile. Other guns repeated the sound. Tie
crowd closed in about the hare ash
sprinkled spot. which had been thawed for
two days that the directors might disinte-
crate the soil. The hiograph operator up in
the air on a scaffoldinS yelled for the crowd
TO be driven back. The mounted colica
| brushed their impatient steeds against the
small but eager throns, and the carriages
rapidly emptied their loads. Three ladies
in furs gr; ced the scene. standing on the
wind-swept platform.
PRESIDENT FRANCIS SPEAKS
TO THE SHIvERING CROWD.
President Francis stepped within the
circle which had bsen cleared. and removed
fis silk hat. He began to speak, but his
words Were rot distinguished at first be-
cause of the noise of one thousand feet pat
terins u cold tattoo on the boards OF the
stand. What he did really say was that
( the officials of the Exposition. and the peo-
Pile of St Louis and the sister States had
come together to celebrate the first steps
IN the physical stage Of the Louisiana Pur-
chase Exposition. He earned a round of
| applause by the sentiment that no rigors
OF the climate could prevent the soas Of
the pioneers of the Louisiana territory from
, Drawing the terrors of winter that they
might farther the great enterprise which
was destined to go down into histor- as
The triumph of exposition making. He re-
called that II was just ninety.eight years
ago that the transfer of the territory was
made from France to the United States.
But the crowd was impatient for the thing
that had brought them out into the cold
President Francis VAS evidently suffering
so much from the cold that he was about
to sink the first shovel Into the sod when
Chairman Spencer of the Committee on
Ceremonies reminded him that the Reverend
Doctor Niccolls had not delivered the in
vocation. President Francis gracefully
! gave way for the minister. Doctor Niccolis
spoke shortly and stepped to one side.
Then the biograph got the attention of
the spectators. John [cCutcheon, the man
Wf.O hlU GtNynt tIl< tIOopS ldhh~
ing at Siboney during the Santiago cam
paisn. shouted from the top OF the plat
form:
Keep those people out Of the way''
BlOGRAPH MACHINE
TAKES THE PICTURES.
Every one began to observe the move
ments of the men at the Queer-looking ma
chimes. They saw McCutcheon focusing
big disk on President Francis. who was
standing ready with the shovel. They be
held the President stick his shovel into the
thawed earth. and with the act NC
Cutcheon's assistant began grinding
life There was a Gathering like the revo.
luton of a gatling gun. Whole yards OF
film were running through the camera
making its panoramic impress OF the Mork. .
Wee President Spencer followed President
Francis and then the oroer was o4 y. .oHe" n
Governor Savage of Nebraska tosseo q
shovel full Of dirt. G excalminig @ii Purehase'
,eferrinr of course, to his own Common
wealth. ~,..o.,., and
Selvsd ami were cheered. Director OF WORKS
isaac S. Taylor came in for speciai f', n3e;Se ;S
when he heaved the champion h;b;ts SnIS Skin.
tSs veteran of the Exposition 1orce' re-
ceived a salvo Of applause. ,,a Ch,efs
Then Director followed Director anu J., 0,.u,s rans
NJ I1eDartYncnt followed one another III iap .I
i'd order. All the while the &C: Satefa ne continu
hiooranh company ground out aus coheisi"-
Gus picture performance. ., nod eight
Captain hugota af1.p tir;nc the salute Of sixty
snns sno.s in conmemoration of the territory &C.
suired by the United states: was ae eeoneIuded @
glsn. ar3,,s .9aS r1stoon was under the command
~ dhe I Iieutenant i,ets Eugene sanguinette The
platoon made ug sd Of chapIss haEeh S'snHh JOHN
S, Sosep, CIV Nixon. Thomas Stillwell w.
Je Z Werner. Bert Rutiedge. F. H. I'm; I'm;
Ni,,iam Orcutt, Thomas Hamilton ana here
Farrar.
DISTINGUISHED PARTY