The St. Louis Republic., 1903-11-22
GL1MPsEs AT THE FAIR.

GLIMPSES AT THE FAIR
To declare that the Worlds Fair is near COM
pleton. structurally, is to announce an almost in
comprehensive triumph of mind and hand When
you reflect that the genus homo thrust upon
the earth empty-handed and without natural weap-
| ons much surprising those of the lower animals, q
| contemplation Of his prodigous doings at Forest
Park produces profound respect for his ingenuity.
For the sake of contrast Of visual and mental
impressions the visitor ought to approach the
grounds by way Of the Kings highway entrance to
the Park. and preferably on foot. Although the
carefully kept lawns and drives disturb somewhat
the Impression Of utter naturalness nature is here
even crude, unsoftened. untouched in places that
one may without too great effort Of lima gination
believe himself in the country; especially since the
turf and woods and open sky present sudden and
striking contrast to the narrow and crowded arti-
hctalty Of the metropolis from which he has Just
emerged.
Treading along through the Park the impression Is
that the winding ways lead rather to rougher coun
Try thicker woods and less cultivation-perhaps to
wild, impenetrable. natural territory. To suddenly
emerge at the edge of the timber upon remen-
oous artihcaiity, an expansive panoramic creation
OF builders, city springing up out of the fastness.
Is surprise amounting almost to shock
And the sense of unpreparedness is likewise
keeniy felt II you approach the fairy city from the
south, coming upon it the hills; from the rear,
as 1t We're All Is nature, rough, even wild In that
portion Of the park You may mount rise after rise
through the series Of woods, one hill monotonously
leading to another. There is lack of expectation
as you climb the last hill-but as you arrive upon
the summit the forest somehow falls away before
the eye and rich fairyland dlls the vision stretch
ing below is vast picture of pillar and dome and
as If Athens. Rome, Constantinople and Venice had
melted into great capital And If the mellow
sunlight is streaming down, the whole dazng i'm
preston is Of great group of golden palaces.
To travel through the city itself Is necessary to
perfect sense of Its greatness. Immensity and
variety are the characteristics which most affect
the mind. In the city, however, one should rather
drive or ride than walk in order better to get the
series Of quick and changing views necessary to a
unity of impression. Walking, one is more or less
overwhelmed by the vastness Of picture in which
he is seemingly fixed. Moving quickly through a
rapid succession Of view int me Is enabled to
subordinate properly each succeeding perspective
to whole impression and to preserve an idea OF |
the proportions.
At one moment the vista opens upon lines Of pa |
latial facades stretching away almost beyond the
power Of sight to follow; at another the distances
sense
architectural splendor close walls bar the view
change Of angle reveals broad avenue in what |
a moment before seemed an unbroken wall, and |
you turn down the avenue to find yourself In city
within clty-a city hidden within palaces, as it |
were Fpr moment It may seem that you have
penetrated to the core Of the metropolis, but you
emerge at another break Of the vast walls to find
that what you have left is but one of chain
Of great Enclosures reegated to a central plan and
opening upon central picture or clearance
No mere enumeration of distances and dimen-
sions. no description and not even photography can
convey a sense Of the architectural immensity and
variety Of the Fair. The camera can catch only
one VISTA one avenue, at time To appreciate
the grandeur. picturesqueness and panoramic mag
nifcence Of the Fair plan one must course through
It. winding in and out SO that views may follow
Zach other rapidly and that one view may not fas-
zen itself upon the visual memory to the exclusion
If Others. Out Of the confusion Of views which
he rapid succession entails will come finally one
,ather distinct impression of the whole-and this
Impression will inevitably give rise to wonder at
he nobility Of mans art instinct and construct
We genius-the power which could work out OF
,arth's material with no weapons but hands, such
;urpassing artificial marvels.