Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-04-30
WONDERS Of 1HE
St. LOUIS FAIR
Something Of Its History, What
It Cost and why 1t Was
Created
EXPENDITURE OF ,so,ooo,ooo
intended to Commemorate Louisi.
ana Purchase, 1t Has Developed Into
the Greatest Exhibition Ever At
tsmpted-covers Most Ground and
Cost Most Money.

Cost Most Money.
st. Louis, Mo-, April 3O.-The Louis.
lana Purchase exposition, comprising q
comprehensive collection and exhibition
Of the worlds peoples, products and in
dustries. modes OF living, diversions,
| itransportati facilities, in fact, corn-
plete universal concentration OF arts,
manufactures and products OF the soil,
mine, forest and sea, had its inception
in 1898, and was completed in April.
1904. The exposition commentaries
the centennial of the purchase from
France. in 1903, by the United States Of
the vast strip OF territory stretching
from the Gulf Of Mexico to the don1in-
ion of Canada, and extending from the
Mississippi river to the crest Of thu
Rocky Mountain range, and since
known as the Louisiana Purchase ter.
rttory."'
The entire Mississippi valley origin
ally belonged to France by right Of dis
covery and exploration. In 1859 Spain
acquired the Louisiana Territory after
he trea.v Of pea. at Paris, when
france, wtich hal cc,isG Louisiana 10
Spain un 'ol the secret treaty If 176..
gave up Ill her other poSsezsr,:,s In
NJ .th Af:cricl - Great Britain. SPAIN
| hsl The territory Fff thfr.y-s.ytn n
ye7rs. returning :: tc France IN the {.
lmand of sanction u. sparts ;hr.i shs
secret treaty Of ST. 1ldefonso, October
| /. 1900. Napoleon was then .i-st con-
sui of France. The United States by
the revolutionary war had won SOW.
eieignlty over the territory betweam
the Atlantic ocean and the Aflssisaipp1
lriyer. Spanish of. .e;als were Sill In az
ithorty at New Orleans aItho19., tises
Louisiana territory had been returned
| to France. The hostile attitude Of tko
Spaniards towards Americans navfgat-
| ing the Mississippi resulted in agita.s
ton which led President Thomas JEFF.
ferson to undertake the purchase Of the
city and Island OF New Orleans, In orr
der to control the mouth OF the Miss.
issippi. Robert r. Livingston, United
States minister to France, and James
Monroe, afterward president Of the
United States were accordingly cons
|missioned to conduct the negotiations
for this transfer, Instead Of the sale
Of the island of New Orleans alone.
Napoleon proposed the sale Of the en-
tire Louisiana territory for $15,00o.0O0
in order to secure funds for the equip-
ment of his armies.
The representatives OF the United
ca - ~
the treaty was signed at Paris, April 80.
1908. The formal transfer of the terri
tory took place at New Orleans Decem-
Der 20. 1903, and for Upper Louisiana,
at ST. Louis on March 10, 1904.
The newly purchased territory EN-.
braced 100000 square miles, and IL
now divided into the following fourteen
states and territories: Louisiana, AR
kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Indian
territory, Kansas, Colorado, Nebraska.
Iowa, Minnesota. North Dakota
South Dakota, Wyoming and Montanas
In the forepart of 1898 an editorial
was published In a st Louis paper 10
the stfect that the centennials Of the
great events in the history OF the Unit.
ed States were not all over and predict
ing that the greatest was yet to be
held. the centennial Of the acquisition
|of the Louisiana Territory This edi.
torial was taken up in the press and
comssmnted upon, resulting in organized
agitation by the Missouri Historical
Society. The clamor for a cOmmemOra-
tive centennial became SO general that
in response to strong public senti-
msnt. Governor Stevens. Of Missouri.
issued a call for convention Of dele-
gates representing the states and ter
ritories embraced In tbs. Louisiana
Purchase Territory to be held in st.
Louis on January 10, 1899. The cone
vention was attended by nfnety-threo
delegates appointed by the respective
governors, and 1t was unanimously
voted to hold an exposition. interna>
tional In ITS scope, in ST. Louis.
Officers were elected, the company
was Incorporated and the sits for the
exposition was chosen in Forest Parke
a vast natural park in the southwestern
border of ST. Louis. Trees were felled,
some hills were leveled, the course. Of
the River De Peres. which ran thru th4
park was in part changed, and this
mammoth enterprise was under way
by the time that on August
90 1901, President Mckinley
issued proclamation addressed
to all nations of the, world and extend
ing them an invitation to participate
in the worlds fair. Acceptances re-
ceived indicated the official participa-
tion of nearly all the civilized govern
ments of the world.
The site was made ready. embracing
1,24O acres Of ground, practically an
area two miles long and one mile Wide.
requiring six miles of fence to enclose
ii, The worlds Columbian exposition
at Chicago embraced 633 acres
The main exhibit palaces at st. Louis
have under roof 12s acres. Those at
Chicago covered eighty-two acres, at
Buffalo fifteen acres and at Omaha nine
acres
1t finally became apparent that the
of the enterprise would pre-
lrontinued ON Fifth RaNe.l