The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-06-13
FINE FAIR FOR
PEDESTRIANS
OTHERS GET TIRED WALKING
AND CLIMBING.
Minneapolis Newspaper Man, Amid
Flowing Precipitation, Tells of His
Alpine Feats at the ST. Louis Ex-
position.

FLOWING PerSpiration, Tells Of His
Alpine Feats at the ST. Louis Ex-
position.
Special to The Journal.
st. Louis. Mo-, June 13.-If you
want to see the Louisiana Purchase
Exposition in full swing, with exhibits
perhaps nearly all in place, the
grounds in proper shape, and the pro-
grams of special features carried out
with some regularity, time your visit
not before Aug. 1. Prepare then to
stay month or so If you want to see
the major portion of the show 1t
walker, economic your time, and
make sightseeing matter of business
as II you were being paid for 1t in
stead Of paying for it yourself.
This is not because there is 50 much |
to see that is worth the while, but
because the layout Of the grounds the
location of buildings, and the facilities
for transportation are such that the
greater portion of your time will be
occupied in getting there whenever
you start for an objective point.
In the first place you must depend |
on the street cars to reach the
grounds, as there is only one railroad |
reaching the fair and its trains start |
from the union station, which is an in
convenient location. You have a walk
sufficiently long to get up good per-
SEPARATION before you can reach the !
entrance to the fair from the cars, and
another good-sized stretch before you
reach the intramural railroad, which
is supposed to carry you about the
grounds. Then you find that it does
not do this, but goes around the
grounds.
Plenty of Drilling"
AS in the twin cities, there are no
cross-town lines. If you want to
OF IN, r, hull ;,S
will find your trip takes nearly as
much time as to go to st. Paul by the
1nterurban line.
Mind you, the grounds include 1,240
acres and it has required about eight
miles Of fence to inclose it, and this
intramural railroad hugs the fence all
the way round. To get across the
grounds requires a "drill' Of at least
two miles, and then you make an
other discovery, that is pleasing to
the eye, but hard on the legs-you've
got to climb hills.
1t is a great landscape scheme with
a crescent-shaped hill in the center
surmounted by a festival hall with
three cascades which use 10000 gal
Ions of water a minute-when they
are In operation-with a mammoth
court Of honor dotted with noble
monuments and bordered by an ex-
pansive lagoon, and ten great exhibit
palaces spread out in fan shape
After you reach Festival hall at the
summit, it is a sight that produces a
feeling of exultation akin to that of an
Alpine climber who has struggled up
lofty peak for the sake Of getting a
view. Only you are likely to be so
tired that you'll want to rest awhile,
and that eats up time if you want to
see the sights of the worlds fair.
The grounds of the Chicago fair
were about half the size Of these, and
those of the Pan-American at Buffalo
about one fourth. Furthermore,
those expositions were compactly ar
ranged and points Of interest could be
reached in direct lines instead of by
circles. The main exhibit buildings
have under roof 1913 acres, as against
.eighty-two at Chicago and Buffalo s
fifteen. These compa risons give an
idea of the proposition that conSronts
you, when you undertake to -"see' the
fair. Don't try to see it all if you
are on vacation from which you de-
sire to derive some degree of rest and
recuperation. You are likely to go to
bed on the third day and then you
may miss some really important do
,ings.
Causes Of the Incompleteness.
AS to the incompleteness Of the fair
perhaps it is because of the size o.
the undertaking, but it seems to me
that there is lack Of system witt
a view to expediting. Either the work
began too late or 10000 men was no
the task, or there has been lack O.
executive ability in the administra
ton department.. Probably all three
Of these elements have conspired t,
effect the result that the big $50, 900,
600 show is from thirty to sixty day
behind in many departments. Their
seems to be too much indecision, to
much circumlocution, too much re
tape-everybody complains of this
1t is very likely the st. Louis way O
doing things.
Neglected to Advertise.
The worst feature, the one that ar
pals the management and is worry
ing the people of st. Louis, Is the
the advertising of the show seems
have been forgotten. Public interes
has not been stimulated, the feature
of the exposition have not been e1
plotted, enthusiasm has not bee
awakened. Down town you woul
never guess from appearances thu
anything unusual was going on. Their
are fewer visitors to the city tina
there were in March; the railroad
are not bringing in excursionists, tt
hotels are not crowded.
The attendance at the fair excel
on Saturdays, has not much exceed
ed the average Of that of the MINI,
sofa state fair. Along the streets yc
will see at frequent intervals If,
rent signs that mark the departul
of various cafes, lodging-houses ar
catchpenny enterprises Of those WI
have already tired Of waiting for tt
crowds to come to the fair. M.
Graves, the proprietor of the Golde
West hotel at Minneapolis, has fittt
up a building at Twelfth and Oil
streets, which can accommodate So
guests, and now wonders if he w
not dreaming. Many hotels look lii
Coney Island lighthouses in whit
time. The fine new Jefferson hotel
almost gloomy even at the dim
hour.
Everybody Is saying "the peor
will rush here beginning in August
But are they going to rush? That
a speculation that produces paint
anxiety on the part of concessio
aires. ST. Louis is likely to find o
~ oil ira ic.