Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1904-04-30
half The Population ot Great City and Thou
sands Of Others Crowd The Grounds
IMPRESSIVE PRAYER BY GUNSAULUSI
Sketch u Leading Features o Greatest Fair in The History n
The World

sT. LOUIS, Worlds Fair Grounds,
April so.- Notwithstanding the fore.
cast OF rain, the morning was fair
and The most was made OF Il. The
official hour for opening was nine 81.
clock and long before that time the
grounds We're filled with haif the pop
ulation Of st. Louis, To these were
added many who came on Il iumber
I q excursion trains. Promptly at the
hour set the officials and directors
lof the exposition. the members of the
national commission and the board
8of lady managers gathered 1t the ad,
ministration building where they
formed IN procession and marched to
the Plaza Of st, Louis In The center
Of tho grounds where the formal TX.
ercises were held The assemblage
was called 70 order without delay
BY President Francis who as cher ex.
ecative Of the exposition delivered IN
address.
After the rendition of the march
Louisiana, BY Sousa's band. Presi-
dent Francis transferred the exposi.
tion buildings to Frederick j. v. skin,
director OF exhibits. Skin &C.
cepted In q speech. After q grand
chorus sang the Hymn OF the West
the poem written BY Edmund Carence
Stedman. Mayor Rolla Wells, of 81,
Louis, was introduced and spoke
briefly He was followed BY lIon
Thomas n. Carter, president of the
national commission, Senator IIenr,
i =. Burnham. Of New Hampshire, and
James A. Tawney T.. III. Hartman,
president Of the New York commits.
sion. followed Tawney. The speak.
er for the foreign exhibitors VAS con-.
missioner General Albino Nunc!o, Il
Mexico. The chorus III America,
was then sung and Hon. William il
Taft, secretary of war, as the
representative of the president Of tht
! United States, delivered The last I'D
dress u the day. The conclusion
iof The speech ~ Taft was tile stigma
Tor the opening IL the Fair. Iii III
White House at Washington Presi
dent Roosevelt was waiting for the
signal which was to- tell him tht
proper moment % touch the but
ton. Scarcely had Secretary Taft 70
lsnmed his seat before the sigma
flushed over the Postal wires |.
Washington and instantly d returning
flash from the President set machln
cry ball In operation AL the same
Instant thousands 0f banners were
flung TO the breeze and other features
Of the great fair were displayed.
Opening Prayer.
The following impressive invoca
tion was delivered by the Rev. +. w
Gnnsaulus. the noted Chicago divine;
Almighty God. Author Of all good
ness, In whose hand are all our times,
who art from all eternity unto all
eternity, we pause upon this glad and
inspiring moment where an hundred
rejoicing years are met. and we offer
Thee our praise and prayer. We
humble ourselves and yet we exuh In
Thee today as we implore Thy spirit
divinely to open the gates Of this our
festival and prosper Ii with holy
guidance, remembering that ours Is
the unchanging God. We celebrate
the Significance OF far.reaching
events; we shall, here, day BY day 70.
hearse the story OF unconnted trans
formations. o Thou eternal Love and
Light, stay lis and guide us--Thou
who art tho same yesterday and for.
ever! We know not the swiftness OF
time or the startling movement Of
events, while We pray for the life and
good OF the President Of these United
States and all others In authority
with him. We perceive not how weak
is man when we implore Thy blessing
upon the officers Of this Centennial
celebration and upon their work. Only
when we are sure that Thou, who will
protect and guide them. didst afore.
time succor and lead our fathers on
their way, do We gratefully recognize