Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1904-12-23
THE LAST DAYS OF THE EXPOSITION.
VlruinIa's p art in lt-Good Words from
Strangers, &c.
Dec. %, 1904.

Dec. LIST, 1904, on the most wonueriu
and brilliant spectacle IN the Worid
| history, | sat down IN Tue grass on
circled office Of the Virginia Building
at st. Louis, the apartment That cor
responded to Thomas Jefferson 9 con
seryatory at Monticello, to tell To-
SPECTATOR readers how the World
Fair died. With q lot Of notes an(
memoranda before me, l was called OF
70 see q "Wrecker'' who was buying
buildings and wanted to put in a bit
on our Monticello and not having hat
time to take up the subject since,
nave pulled out my notes again ant
| will now let you have the dement, o
| them,
The man who saw the great exposl
ton die, can never forget 1T. AT IL p
| I'D. the first of the 100 cannon was nred
and the crowds, which had thr0ngec
buildings and grounds all day long De
gan to gather in the wide plaza st
Louis, around the lagoon IN front OF tne
wonderful cascades, which were IL
Illuminated. with all the great build-
ings around, and the tossing waters
began to run yellow, red and green IN
turn.
Tue guns kept firing and rockets De
gan to cut the air and burst In yellow
and green showers, high above the
bright cross on the dome. OF Jerusa
lem 3 temple. Fire works sprung up
from many heights, the Alpine peaks,
snow capped, took on rosy tlnts anu
seemed to pierce the black heavens,
great roar of explosions, yells, cheers
ana undistinguisnable noises went up
from the Pike, where ten thousand
merrymakers had gathered, great
particolored figures of "Fleur de LIS, :"
Lne French insignia of the Exposition
shone out on the grassy slopes Dy tne
cascades, the big guns boom raster
and faster, the crowds grew dim IN
front of the brilliant spectacle, the
waters ran blood and the electric pieces
around the lagoon began to Whlrl and
whiz and spin and burst, while rockets
shot ont of the bosom OF the lake and
sent up water spOuts, white and vel
low, and lire boats dropping explo'
slves in the water, shot here and there
in the weird light. Then as the big
clock tolled out II, a great electric
piece cleft the darkness on the bill side
and the words. ''Well Done Francis"
shone out in big letters of fire: A great
blaze of light flashed over the scene
and the tens OF thousands looked into
each others faces and then sent
up great shout, the last gun was
tired, the lights went out and the Elk
position died with them.
One of the most interested spectators
Of all this, was a former popular citizen
Of old Augusta, Hon. A. M. Bowman
now representing the county OF Roam.
IKE, in the legislature, who stood at
nv elbow in the music pavilion.
Doubtless he felt well pleased as he
thought of the part his state had TAX
en- in the great show and the better
and wider name that she had won for
her products, all over the land and
across the seas and of the leading part
he had taken for it was he who first
put in hope the idea of Virginia be-
ng in the exposition and prepared the
oil, introduced it and with un1agglng
zeal, pressed IL through two sessions OF
.he legislature in the face of every dis
to a triumphant passage.
As the senior mem Der uf the commits
,IOn, he had spent time, thought and
means to bring his state to the front
and had been rewarded by unstlnted
words of praise from press and people
1t home and distinguished authorities
from abroad for magnificent dis
play of Virginia g resources.
AS he saw the lights go out, Bowman
'eIt that the labors and cares of three
ears, were we'll nigh over and that be
could now in good conscience hear ms
people say, 'Well done gooo ana Ialtn-
jul servant"
1t has been nothing unusual to hear
strangers who have gone over the va.
rious exhibits of States and acquainted
themselves with the facts, to ask how
It was that Virginia with only $o0, OOO
for exhibits, had made a
oetter show than States which had
from $150.000 to 100000? That was
the case, as was illustrated
by the Prime Minister Of Canada who
soon after his return to Quebec sent
President Koinor to the Virginia
building, a letter of cOngratulation on
Inc splendid exhibit Virginia had made
which had gone out to the world, and
the Commissioner of Agriculture OF
Canada, whose exhibit was near by
that of Virginia, wrote to Mr.. k0lner
that he would in his report mention
the magnificent display CT Virginia.
The mineral exhibit of Virginia, too,
attracted the attention of experts, and
messages came from the universities
Of Wisconsin, Kansas, Tennessee, and
the Field Museum of Chicago, and
others, asking for specimens for their
collections. A mineral expert from
Ohio got pictures of the mineral exhlD-
it, with which to illustrate lectures on
mines and metallurgy.
There was nothing anywhere like
the exhibit of splendid oysters from
Underwater Virginia, in the Fish, For
restry and Game Exhibit, the immense
size of which taxed the cred ulity of
visitors every day aud no other State IN
the Horticultural Building could show
a cornucopia from which red apples
poured i'll a moving stream all day.
Hundreds of visitors pronounced the
Virginia Building the most interesting
on the grounds, and it was announced
Just before 1 left that the grand prize
mad been awarded it as the BEST
Historical Reproduction" Then. only
$4,000 was appropriated by the State
for its building, though about IS .000
more was given by private indivldu-
ais. associations, colleges and acade
mics, while one generous citizen gave
81, 800 for Punishment and expenses.
How could so much be done with SO
little was constantly the recurring
question. The answer is, the commits
zion wac composed OF business men
who pursued business methods, and
exercised the strictest economy. They
were not given to show and display
and unlike some commissions which
exhausted their treasury with fetes
and functions, never spent dollar OF
the States in entertainment.
T. C. NJ.
Yesterday m0rnjnp at the IN anSa al