Daily Kennebec journal., 1904-08-20
MAINE AT ST. LOUIS.
Why Our People Should Not Fail to
Visit the Great Exposition.

| cratic national convention is reported tc
have been bewildered by the highness OF
| the Exposition, and almost to have got
| ten lost within a stones throw Of the
Maine building. Other people have com
planned of the great size of the greatest
| of Worlds Fairs, and in truth ii is twice
as large as its largest predecessor. But
| the complaint reminds one of The admis-
| siOns made by the keeper of n certain
summer resort. He said he would be per
fectly frank with prospective guests
| his place had two serious dra wbackS; the
nightingaleS kept some Of his guests
| awake, and the boating was bad. because
the fish were so numerous that one could
not use his oars. The Worlds Fair OF
| 1904 is too large to see in a short time.
The menu in first-clasS hotel is too ex-
tcnsive 10 be thoroughly tested in a
single day. But one does not have to do
| and see everything at the Worlds Fair,
any more than student at university
has to take every course in the curricu-
lum.
As a matter of fact, the Exposition is
not spread over more ground than is nee
e'sary to give the proper setting to the
hundreds of buildings and the mary gar
dens and waterways and statues that
make it what it is Moreover. the vISi-
tor need not walk everywhere. There are
sever miles of the lntramural Railway,
and there are wheeled chairs that can be
had at reasonable rates, and automobiles
and gondoas and launches. The Fair is
reached by many lines of street cars.
| some of which touch several different en-
frances. go that the wise Sight-scerer can
enter or leave at convenient point. one
of the pleasant portions of the grounds
is the southeastern section the Terrace OF
States. Here most Of the state buildings
are conveniently grouped. Come in al this
corner, turn off Commonwealth avenue
down Colonial avenue. cut across the
wooded section just west of the Pennsyl-
vania building, and you come upon the
unique building that Maine visitors call
home.
The State of Maine is represented by
building that is not only unique but at
tractive, a great cool log house repre-
sentative of our greatest industry. Day
after day the eXclamations of delight OF
visitors reach my ears. as these guests
drop in and enjoy the comfort OF our
big huntinS-lodSe. In many parts of the
United States Il log house is known only
through picture and story. and romance
clings to the very name To enter and
enjoy a log cabin Is coveted expert
ence; and the visitor finds tina; most OF his
dreams and longings have been antici-
pated for his realization at the word
Fair.
The Maine building is cool. and shaded
by a grove that reminds you of your ma
tive woods. These are real forest trees,
some of the thousands that were left
standing after other thousands were cut
down to make room for the Exposition
buildings. The whole Terrace of States
is set in Il grove of trees. But | want to
remark here that no previous exposition
has been so well shaded as this. In the
main avenues there are hundreds of trees
of a diameter of L to IA inches, trans
planted with the most marvellous SIKH,
and in full leaf-the most successful
piece of transplantng that the world has
ever seen.
our Maine building is a Maine product
In the early spring an old-fashioned log
raising took place at Ashland, in the very
heart of the lumber district. Then the
house was taken apart, and % carloads
of oh To lnF
men from our own Maine woods recon
structed it. The interior decorations are
also characteristic OF our Sat. The lie
like mounted animals and antlertd heads
plao ed in the central room and the halls
10y the :. L. Crosby Company and MIR. j.
Waldo Nash are duly appreciated by the
visitor. while the Illuminated pictures sent
by the railroads tell the story OF Mainc's
picturesque resorts. And on the broad
verandas of our building the visitor can
taste once more the water from our own
Poland Spring.
Ii is difflcult for one who has been here
at the Fair to understand how any one
can voluntarily stay away-nay. more. IL
is hard to understand now anyone could
forego a trip to St Louis, this year, if any
conceivable sacrifice could enable him to
come, unless some of the evil stories that
have been circulated have sivtn him to-
tally wrong impression. one OF these re-
ports is that the Exposition is not COM
plete. 1 know that it is complete, and
plete on opening day than any other
great fair was at its inauguration
Charges are being MADE daily, and will
continue to be made, for the Fair is Moth
ing less than a great and surprisingly
beautiful city. Another report that has
gained some circulation is that rates de-
manded for meals and lodgings are exor-
bitant. One can spend any sum he
chooses in St. Louis. as he can elsewhere
but there are lodgings for thousands of
visitors at cost of 20 cents to 81 so n day,
and these prices often include breakfast.
The city is prepared to care for half a
million guests, and competition alone, If
nothing else, makes 1t possible to live
comfortably and cheaply. Thousands of
visitors carry basket lunches, and eat
them on the grounds, for there are almost
no restrictions to interfere with such a
practice. But good lunches can be had
within the grounds at prices ranging from
10 to % cents, and full meals at twice that
figure. When you hear a man say that a
meal cannot be bought at the Fair for less
than 500. ask him to call at the office of
the Maine Building for information that
i will save him 81 30.
The most unjust report that has ever
been circulated regarding St. Louis is
that 1t is hotter than other cities in sum-
mer. l have just been looking up the Of
fetal weather reports for the month OF
July, and find that the mean tempera-
ture for that month in St. Louis was Io.5. |
hiIadelphia's mean temperature for the |
, month was 1914 and that of New York |
was 7S2. The highest temperature re- |
corded in st. Louis was SO degrees, while
Chicago had a maximum of "a. Humid |
ity is an important thing in the consider |
alton of weather conditions, and the |
records show that for years st. Louis has
excelled Boston. New York and Philadel- |
phia in this respect. The fact is. when 1t |
is warm in st. Louis 1t. is usually hot
somewhere else. Any and all times are |
good and proper for visiting the Fair. |
The month of August has started with |
Temperatures in the SOS. and the people |
of st. Louis sleeping under blankets-as |
they usually do One advantage in COM |
ing now is that the crowds are smaller |
than they will be in the fall months.
But IL you cannot come now, come in |
October Do not fail to see the greatest |
of all expositions. The sixth day of |
October has been set aside as Maine day, |
and the Maine commission is working to |
bring the people of the State together in |
vast numbers on that date Chancellor |
Chaplin of Washington University St |
Louis. and Mr.. c. +. Cobb of this city, are |
endeavoring to make the day a note
worthy one among state days. Personal |
ly l hope for the fullest possible at
tendance of the people of Maine and for
great reunion of those who no longer live
within her borders burt still retain their
loyalty to her.
i feel that IL the greatness in every