Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1904-05-20
A LETTER fROMA.L.
FONTAINE AT ST. LOUIS

Publisher Of Reporter Writes oil
Trip to St. Leuis..Grounds are
Wet and Buildings Incomplete
and are not Ready for Visitors.
TUESDAY EVENING, May II, 1904.
MY DEAR Mr.. When
left home promised you that l would
convey my impressions of the Worlds
Fair for the benefit of yourself and
our readers. Now that l am here on
the grounds realize that this will be
a great task. Allow me to preface
my letter by saying that the World IS
Fair grounds and exhibits are not yet
ready for visitors and won't be for six
weeks or more. The weather has
been rainy and wet which has. re-
tarded the progress of the work and
made the streets and roadways leading
to and through the grounds-very
muddy.
Our trip from Grand Rapids over
the G. NJ. & ST. Paul to Chicago and
over the Illinois Central from Chi
cago to ST. Louis was certainly very
pleasant and enjoyable. The country
from Chicago to ST. Louis is very
picturesque, the soil rich and level
and mostly all under cultivation
Vegetation between Grand Rapids
and Chicago was just we'll started
while between Chicago and ST. Louis
it was we'll advanced, oats being
easily foot high south of Spring
field, apple trees, lilac bushes and
many garden flowers are in full bloom
The gardens show peas, lettuce
radishes and other vegetables quite
advanced and some ready for the
table. From the time we left Clinton
Illinois, Monday afternoon o'clock
it commenced raining and has been
raining almost constantly up to the
present time.
We arrived at the Terminal station
at st. Louis Monday evening at 1880
where we met with Mr.. and Mrs
Riudlaub of Platteville, and proceeded
to the Exposition grounds, to the In
side Inn, to learn, to our discomfor,
that we could not secure quarters
the press people having alread )
swamped their capacity of 1000 rooms
With the aid Of guide we proceeded
to the Christian Endeavor hote
outside The grounds.
Tuesday has been spent sigh,
seeing on the exposition grounds
With Mrs. Fontaine we visited the
o. S. Government building, mines
and Metallurgy, Liberal arts, Educat.
ion and Social Economy, Manufacture.
ers, Electricity and Machinery. Varied
Industries, Machinery and Trans.
portation buildings. OF these only
one may be said to be complete. with
it's displays-one of the most at.
rractive on the grounds.
The Press people of the country
who are here attending the Press
Congress and National Press Associ-
alton are disappointed in the condition
the grounds are in, and are unanimous
in the opinion that they should not
have been encouraged to hold their
meeting here until sometime in
June instead of May. While the
management of the Exposition have
been liberal in their courtesy to the
Press the exhibits are not far enough
along to encourage any of our friends
to attend at this time. Northern
people will appreciate visit here in
September or October, more than
any other time of the year.
So far the most entertaining and
pleasing visit we have had was to the
city of Jerusalem, where we secured a
guide who explained the interesting
narrative of that ancient city. The
story of Christ as told in the bible
was somewhat illustrated by a visit
to these grounds and made that story
more interesting than ever before.
One of the most attractive and
cordial places t., Wisconsin man or
woman is the Wisconsin State build
ing. Here we found Grant Thomas,
secretary and Mrs. Emma G.. Walsh,
hostess, who received us right coldi-
ally and made US welcome to the
hOSpit ality OF the Wisconsin State
building. We found it very coy,
comfortable home-a haven of rest,
where the conyeniences it afforded,
all that the heart could wish.
We will have more to say on our
return home which will be by Sunday,
as the condition of the grounds will
not warrant as long a stay as we
expected. Yours truly,