The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-06-21
Remains Of German Village Will
Soon Pass Out of
Existence.
EXHIBIT COST A FORTUNE.
Promoters of Heidelberg Castle
Lost All They Invested in
Financiering Unprofit-
able Venture.

REPUBLIC SPECIAL.
San Francisco. June CA picturesque
relic OF the California Midwinter Fairs
greatest ''hoodoo" is dwindling into moth
ingness
Once again 1t is undergoing the process
Of dismemberment, losing most OF its ma
terial being, and soon 1t will have passed
out Of existence
OF the many iH-starred undertakings In
that Pacific aftermath of the Chicago Ex-
position the. one that stood pre-eminently
as a failure was the so-called German
Village.
1t was designed to make this section
of the fair the most attractive, If not the
most beautiful. in the grounds, and the
men behind the enterprise strove nightly
to accomplish their purpose of condens!ng
into an acre or so of buildings much that
was representative artistically OF German
and Swiss architecture of the village
type.
a reproduction of the famed Heidelberg
castle on a huge scale was to be fea,.
when it's skeleton began TO grow high
above the surrounding chalets, and homes
of the Rhine, the gratifcation of the
manifest in devious ways.
1t was 10 be Just like visit to the old
country the announcement ran, and the
German resident looked forward with
he would be enabled to walk into little
Germany.'' sip old-countryc cbrewed lager
served in stems by pretty Gretchens, and
listen to the nations songs and music.
Castle Was Never Finished.
When the Midwinter Fair was opened
with the tremendous enthusiasm OF an
eager people. a noticeable drawback was
the uncompleted condition OF the build
ings, and conspicuous among the iasgardS
was the German Village. Something had
gone awry. There were rumors Of inability
to finance the scheme to successful! con-
ct, x.-hf har NJ he
structures were In perfected state. the
crowning feature of the show place-the
castle.lacked much to make it finished 1lsnei
Tor public inspection. and the regulation
"spieler,'' ticket seller and gatekeeper en-
ployed.
But the sound OF the hammer or SEW
was never heard there again. The mechan-
les found no recompense for their labors;
to regard with Indifference the half-cOm-
pleted enterprise. and the blighting touch
Of financial Jack Frost made 4 quick
transformation to deserted village.
The promoters of the exhibit lost for
tu-.e.
when the Midwinter Fair ended. one OF
the extensive purchasers Of Its freak struc-
lures was the late Adolph Sutro, and some
III happy impulse turned his desire toward
that time some Of his friends date the com
mencement OF the troubles that darkened
Source of Expense.
Mr.. Sutro purchased several of the build
tngs, had them removed to a block OF land
below the Affiliated Colleges. and there he
reproduced on a smaller scale the failure
OF the fair. He had figured that it would
be eagerly sought by persons desirous of
conducting a roadside Inn, but the seekers
never came. 1t was unsuitably located. and
instead OF becoming producer OF profitable
income the place became source of ex-
pense. and never paid enough rental to COW
er the taxes.
Now it is undergoing another change-one
that leaves but single building remaining.
The settlement Of the litigation among the
Sutro heirs has made the site available for
other purposes, and the last relic of the
California exposition will be shifted to a
spot further westward to serve as n real
estate office for a few months Then per-
haps the death warrant of the ''hoodoo"
Will be displayed on its facade. thus:
BUILDING TO BE TORN DOWN
FIREWOOD FOR SALE.