Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1904-06-29


lng-until final burst of rose ant
purple hues from the wings an
nounces that the climax is reached
Inc excursions of the Minnesot:
Edltorlal Association have had some
thing of the same cumulative effect
The rose and purple glasses were slic
In front of the calcium light on thu
occasion of the 1904 excursion. l,
was trip that will live in memory; {
trip to dream of; a trip that gave
every participant enough vivid menta
pictures to start private gallery. I1
point of numbers, of interest, of con
geniality, of fun, instruction anc
profit, it marked the grand climacteri<
OF all similar excursions of the asso
citation. 1t included railroad, river
trolley and automobile riding
enough of each and not too much. Il
gave Minnesota editors a chance te
see the grandest of all big expositions
and meanwhile to enjoy comfort, gooc
meals, thoughtful attendance and al
the minutiae which mankind needs ir
order to have a good time. Even the
weather contributed to the gala. &C.
casion, for day by day the sun. shone
through high, feecy clouds and COO
winds blew, and the Sexton floods oil
the preceding weeks had laid the dust
to rest.
Its destination was the St. Louis
Purchase Exposition, of course. All
the world is going there this summer
IT anywhere. Ought to, too. The
editors will give readers their in6
vidual impressions during the next
few weeks, while this account is a
sort of composite of the whole, to-
gether with a few small nosegays
for the buttonholes of the many kind
~ folk who made it possible for the
editors to take this magnificent out
ing in comfort and happiness at a
minimum of expense.
The Highway to the Exposition.
The orchestra over, the curtain rolls
up at the Windsor hotel in ST. Paul,
the associations headquarters; a
goodly place to foregather, with Mngr.
VIM. Hayes in the near foreground,
and a special o'clock dinner for
ediors only, in the far-off rear. At
$3.50 p. m. the special train provided
by the Minneapolis & St. Louis road
rolled out of the Union depot with the
party safely aboard, 800 strong.
All, that special train! 1t was no
Sundaypicnic, cheap skate of a train,
but one of the Purple Emperor type;
eight solid vestibuled Pullman sleep
ers of late construction, that kind
that makes a poor man realize in how
many respects he is better housed
and cared for than the kings of half
a century ago. AS if the train itself
Agent A. B. Cults of the NJ. & St. L.,
assigned to his chief clerk, c. H.
Fleming, the duty of personally at
tending the expedition and giving it
all possible aid, duty which he exc
cuted with the urbane experiences
born of long training. He joined at
Minneapolis with several others, and
a few more came on at Albert Lea.
So the beautiful train Jared on
through the picturesque farms and
groves of Southern Minnesota, the
high speed and smoothly ballasted
roadbed adding the last touch of en-
joyment. It was a long and pleasant
evening in which to get acquainted or
re-acquainted, and the procession of
editors and ladies through the train
became a regular continuous perform
ance.
Sunday morning found the train at
Moberly, Mo-, where the hotel at the
station helped by another near by,
served a bountiful breakfast in the
true southern style of hospitality. A
tie-up on the road ahead sent the
train around by another line, a
change of plan which was arranged
by the executive committee with it's
usual ready promptness to meet and
solve unexpected problems. The
change made the arrival at St. Louis
late, but the excursionists saw more
country, and had a ride down the
river bank and around the city of St..
Louis before reaching the fair
grounds, so there were no complaints.
The delay, however, emphasized the
advantages which are enjoyed by
those who travel to the exposition
by the Minneapolis & St. Louis. The
terminals of the other roads are at
the Union station in St. Louis, and
the visitor must hunt up street car
routes and transfers, and experience
long delays and some expense before
he finally reaches the Exposition,
whereas the Wabash system, of which
the Minneapolis & St. Louis is part,
lands it's passengers at the gates of
the grounds, with a cluster of hotels
and boarding houses all about the
neighborhood, and the Inside Inn'
close at hand via the ''Intramural."
Without taking into consideration the
unrivalled service of the NJ. & St. L.,
this matter of convenience and money
saving should make it's route the
popular one to the fair all this sum-
mer.
Entering Exposition Grounds.
The excursion party disembarked
at the Exposition grounds at about
and debouched into a wide, brick
paved court, with guards and gates
and carriages in the background, and
CharlessS. Mitchell, superintendent of
the Minnesota Commission, occupying
the entire foreground, his manly
countenance expanded into howl
of greeting, "Hooray! This way, girls!
This way, boys!" This arrangement
of the stage properties was repeated
so often during the week that it is
mentioned as a type. When perplex-
tiles and doubt assailed any group of
editors, which was often, it was usu-
ally Mitchell who was found close at
hand, telling them what to do and
where to go. He came nearer to be-
ing theaideal Charley -on-the-Spot than
any Johnny of the South.
Tickets of admission properly vised,
the editors marched boldly into the
grounds, to the amazement of the
groups @of onlookers who were wait
ing fors5t clash; for the exposition
is closed Sundays tighter than q
drum, and no ordinary -dignitary gets
farther in than the Inside Inn for
love or money. But the gate-keepers