The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1904-05-13
WILL Be GREATEST
OF ALL EXHIBITIONS
The ST. Louis Show Will Dwarf
Every One Before 1t Into
InsIgnlficance.
WILL COVER I,24o ACRES
No Previous Exhibition Has Ever Had
Moro Beautiful Site for its
Palaces and State Buildings
Than Present Show.

| nan IIOS0hI SUo"s
ST. Louis, Mo.--The Louisiana Pur-
| chase exposition, which opened April
80. had its inception In 1898. The ex-
| position commentaries the centennial
| OF the purchase from France In 1903
of the vast strip stretching from the
gulf to Canada and from the Missis-
| sippi river to the crest of the Rocky
mountain range, known as Louisiana
purchase"
The entire Mississippi valley origin
ally belonged to France by right of
discovery and exploration. In 1873
Spain acquired the Louisiana territory
after the treaty Of peace at Paris,
when France. which had coded LOuisl-
| ana to Spain under the secret treaty
of 1862, gave up all her other posses
| sions In North America to Great Brit
ain. Spain held the territory for thir-
ty-seven years, returning 1t to France
on the demand Of Napoleon Bonaparte.
through the secret treaty of st. nde-
fonso October l, 1900. Napoleon was
then first consul of France. The Unit
ed States by the revolutionary war had
won sovereignty over the territory be-
tween the Atlantic ocean and the Mis-
sissippi river Spanish officials We're
still in authority at New Orleans, al
though the Louisiana territory had
attitude of the Spaniards towards
Americans navigating the Mississippi
resulted in agitation which led Presi-
dent Thomas jefferson to undertake the
purchase of the city and island of New
Orleans, in order to control the mouth
of the Mississippi. Robert r. Living
ston United States minister to France,
and James Monroe. afterward presi-
dent of the United States, We're accord
ingly commissioned to conduct the ne
gotiations for this transfer Instead of
| the sale of the island of New Orleans
alone, Napoleon proposed the sale of
the entire Louisiana territory for $15.-
| 000, 900. in order to secure funds for
| the equipment of his armies.
The representatives of the United
| States at once accepted the offer and
| the treaty was signed at Paris, April
30, 1903. The formal transfer of the
| territory took place at New Orleans
December 20, 1903. and for upper Lou
isiana at st. Louis on March 10, 1SO4H
The New Territory.
The newly purchased territory en-
| braced 100000 square miles, and is
now divided into the following fourteen
| states and territories: Louisiana, Ar
| kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma. Indian
| territory. Kansas. Colorado, Nebra ska,
Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota. South
| Dakota, Wyoming and Montana.
In the fore part of 1898 an editorial
|
| the effect that the centennials of the
| great events in the history of the Unit
| ed States were not all over and pre-
dieting that the greatest was yet to be
| held, the centennial of the acquisition
of the Louisiana territory. This edi-
| torial was taken up in the press and
commented upon, resulting in con-
vention representing the states and
territories embraced in the Louisiana
purchase territory in st. Louis on jan
uary 10, 1899. The convention was at
| tended by ninety-three delegates ap-
! pointed by the respective governors,
and it was unanimously voted to hold
an exposition In ST. Louis. Hon. David
| r. Francis was chairman, and a com
mittee of fifty citizens of ST Louis CO.
| operated. Plans were devised for rails
ing money to build the exposition
buildings and defray the general ex-
| penses, and 1t was fixed that $l5,000,-
900, the amount paid for the territory.
! should be raised, One-third by private
subscription, one-third to be paid by
the city. and one-third to be asked
from the United States government.
| These plans were duly carried out.
Great Site.
The site was made ready, embracing
| 1,240 acres of ground. practically an
area two miles long and one mile
| wide, requiring six miles of fence to
enclose it. The Worlds Colombian ex-
! pOSlllOll dl SlllCdSO embraced O35
acres, the Paris exposition in 1900 oc-
cupied 1886 acres, the Pan-American at
| Buffalo 300 acres, the Centennial at
Philadelphia 236 acres, and the Trans
| Mississippi at Omaha $50 acres. TIE
| Chicago exposition buildings covered 2
total of 200 acres while over $50 acres
are covered with buildings at the Lou
| isiana Purchase exposition.
The main exhibit palaces at st. Louis
have under roof 12s acres. Those at
Chicago covered so acres, at Buffalo Is
| acres and at Omaha acres.
| No previous exposition has had
more beautiful site. The Chicago ex-
position had Lake Michigan stretching
| into the distance as a background, but
| the st. Louis exposition Is bordered by
verdant hills and charming vistas
formed by shallow valleys, involving
| landscape features embraced by no pre-
| vious exposition, and surrounding the
main picture as vast, natural am
| phitheater.
The Ten Great Palaces.
The main picture comprises ten great
| palaces, arranged in fan shape. Sur
mounting q hill, and 200 feet from the
| top of the building to the level of the
exposition grounds below, stands Festl-
val Tall overlooking the Cascade Car
| dens. These three cascades are the
| largest waterfalls ever constructed
and 10000 gallons of water minute
pour down in the magnificent torrents
at night illuminated by electricity. At
their bases stretches the lagoon which
winds its way through the picture, and
traversed by gondolas. The Cascade
Gardens are semi-circular in form,
sloping gradually from Festival Hall to
the main level of the grounds Each
| side of this crescent shaped hill is
| fianked with a wide stairway, and its
crown surmounted by Festival Hall Is
| covered by the colonnade Of states
The Court of Honor stretches from the
I main entrance to the lagoon, contain
| ing monuments Of typically comment
orative of the Louisiana purchase, chief
| of which is the Louisiana Purchase
monument. 100 feet high with shaft II
feet in diameter, surmounted With the
statue Of Liberty, facing the city of
| ST. Louis and looking out to the world
a guiding star Of sculptural groups
| symbolical of the twelve states and two
| territories formed from the Louisiana
| purchase, which are located at the
other end of the Court Of Honor, in the
colonnade of states surmounting the
crescent shaped hill and thanking Fes-
tive Hall. one of the most ornate ex-
| position structures.
The main portion of the grounds is
occupied by Liberal Arts, Mines and
| Metallurgy. Manufactures. Education,
\ Varied Industries