Gilpin observer., 1904-05-05
OPENING OF THE SIR
DAY ONE OF cERlMoNles AT
ST. LOUIS.
Army Of Thirty Thousand Men Pu:
Finishing Touches Upon Buildings
and Grounds-Mound City in Fes.
tive Garb-Gunboat Arrives.

and Grounds-Mound City in Fes.
tive Garb-Gunboat Arrives.
ST. Louis. April 30.-Today at noon
the great exposition. upon which st.
Louis has lavished millions of money,
to which her people have devoted
years of their best endeavor and tor
which they have labored with infinite
patience and persistence. was thrown
open to the world. Never has any city
put forth greater effort to keep the
spirit and letter of her pledge than
has St. Louis. At the exposition
grounds 10000 men worked all night
putting the final touches upon the
grounds. building sidewalks, clean
ing buildings, removing scaffolds and
arranging exhibits. In the downtown
streets and in the residence districts
the decorations are profuse and beau
tiful. The exercises today were more
serious than resplendent. There was
comp paratively little of the ghttering
pageant that marked the dedication
exercises n year ago, but the cere-
monies preceding the formal opening
were none the less interesting. At 8
o'clock this morning all the high dig
n;taries OF the exposition met at the
Administration building, and headed
by band marched to the Plaza of
ST. Louis, in the center of the expo
sition grounds. representatives. of
foreign governments met at the Hall
of Congresses at the same hour, and
timed their parade to the Plaza so as
\ - ,r;, Ia
position officials marched in from the
opposite direction. At the same time
representatives of the states and ter.
ritories entered the Plaza from a
third avenue, having previously
formed at the United States building.
After the gathering had been form
ally called to order by President
Francis, Rev. Frank w. Gunsaulus of
Chicago delivered the invocation. At
the conclusion of the prayer, Director
of Works Isaac S. Taylor delivered
the keys of the buildings to President
Francis, who in turn transferred the
buildings to Frederick ]. v. Ski1.
the director of exhibits. The chorus
Hymn of the West" the words by
Edmund Clarence Stedman and mu-
sic by John Knowles Paine, was then
sung, and addresses were made by
the following gentlemen: Mayor
Wells of st. Louis, Hon. Thomas T.
Carter. president of the national COM
mission; Senator Henry f. Burnham
of New Hampshire. in behalf of the
United States senate; Congressman
James A. Tawney OF Minnesota, for
the national house of representatives;
Commissioner General Albino r.
Nuncio of Mexico, in behalf of the for
eign commissioners; E. H. Hartman
of New York, for the exhibitors. The
last speech of the day was by Secre-
tary of War William r. Taft, and at
its conclusion the signal was given
to President Roosevelt in the white
house. the golden key was pressed,
the cascades sent down their floods.
thousands of banners were unfurled
and the great Louisiana Purchase ex-
position was opened to the world.
While no figures were given out as
to the actual number of persons who
paid admission to the Worlds fair
Saturday, 1t was officially stated that
the attendance was less than 100000,
but larger, according to President
Francis. than that at the Worlds Co
lumbian exposition at Chicago or the
Centennial at Philadelphia on open
ing day.
The United States gunboat Nash
vile and the torpedo boat destroyer
Lawrence. which will represent the
navy at the fair, arrived in St. Louis
harbor.