The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1904-04-29
FAIR ALL READY 10 OPEN
ST. LOUIS EXPOSITION ToMoR.
ROW BECOMES A FACT.
PROGRAM FOR DAYS EVENTS

NJ " SIOSN OIHOlIO" "O''''9 t'C
Directors Will Meet In the Office
Of President Francis - Secretary
Taft viii be There, Also.
st. Louis, April 29.--At noon tomor
row the Louisiana Purchase eXposi-
tiOn, upon which months of labor and
millions of dollars have been eXpend
ed will become an accomplished fact
The great fair will be opened with
exercises of a simple but impressive
character. The completed program
for the ceremonies is as follows:
9 a. m.-The board of directors of
the worlds fair, the members OF the
national commission, the board of
lady managers will meet in the Office
of President Francis at the Admins
traton building, where President
Francis will receive the special gavel
$3.50 a. m.-The entire party will be
escorted to the Louisiana Purchase
monument, where they will be joined
by the foreign commissioners, who
will assemble earlier at the British
pavilion; and the governors of states
and state commissions and commit
tees, who will first assemble at the
United States government building
Secretary Taft as the representative
of President Roosevelt will be es-
corted to the exposition grounds by
a military guard. The committees
from the United States senate and
the house of representatives will
have escorts provided who will meet
them at their respective hotels.
1890 a m.-President Francis will
call the assemblage to order and The
Invocation will be made by the Rev.
Frank w. Gunsaulis of Chicago. An
address by President Francis Will fol
low.
William II. Thompson, chairman of
the committee on grounds and build
ings, will present Isaac S. Taylor, di-
rector of works. The latter will de
liver the keys of the several cyhibit
palaces to President Francis.
The transfer of the exhibit palaces
to f. J. V. Skiff, director of exhibits,
will then be made. Mr.. Skiff will de-
liver an address.
Address by Thomas II. Carter, pres
ident of the national commission.
Addresses by a senator and repre-
sentative in behalf of the congress
sional committees.
Address on behalf of domestic cX-
hibitors by Edward H. Hartman,
president of the New York state com
mission
Address by William II. Taft, secrc.
tary of war.
President to Press Button.
At the conclusion of Secretary
Taft's address, President Roosevelt
viii press an electric button in the
East room of the white house at
Washington, which will start all the
machinery of the worlds fair IN mo-
ton.
p. m.-Opening of "The Pike -
imediately after a parade of all ma
tions," in which all the strange poo-
pie of the Pike attractions will take
part.
The people of st. Louis today get a
clear idea of the conditions that will
confront them dur =, the next six
months. Passenger trains by the
score rolled in all daY, and governors
and governors stats and other dis
tinguished visitors poured through
the gates in what seemed a reverend
ing stream. The visitors who wore
no gold lace and came merely to see,
arrived by the tens of thousands.
They came from all parts Of Missouri,
Kansas, Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky,
Tennessee, Arkansas Oklahoma, In.
diana and other states and territories
still more distant II WAS the first
day OF the coming rush and it came
cared for promptly. All the distin.
gulshod guests We're met by escorts
and escorted to quarters previously
sct apart for their comfort and enter.
HooV vi lilC IhulllluhC
who had made no previous arrange.
mt for rooms were compelled Ia
lunt Tor what they W 'ntrd The ho
tells were full, but rot .overcrowdcd
Hundreds of visitors sought cheaper
a; 0mmodations at o. .rding hmscs
and looming houses. The bureaus of
in'br'aetiOn established at the rail
way stations and othe- public places
we { kept busy answorirg question
ar.d providing quarters for those whC
applied for them.
the exposition grourls rcsembICt
2 T2.itable bee hive )f industry Hun
dreds and hundreds OF worlimen were
,itc ally working with lhor coats oG
acting things in sp,ck and span
s'alo for the opening day. A mal
army was employed in clearing Nh,
sounds of debris and rubbish, hun
rrecs of others were Dut,.ua the Gn
laIpg touches to the a-coraticus an,
/ the arrangements for illumination