The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1904-05-07
BIG SHOW OPENS
LOUISIANA PURCHASE EXPOSE.
TON NOW A REALITY.
President Pressed the Golden Key
That Set the Great Machinery In
MOtiOn.-Beauty and Grandeur of
the Grounds and Buildings Is
Bewildering.

We're dreamed of have come true. The
years of intelligent planning and I'M
remitting effort have been rewarded
The accomplished thing is immeasura-
bly, superior and more glorious than
the most vivid imagination can pic
ture. The world has never produced
anything that can compare with it.
Breath was added to the picture to-
day, and it became thing of life
The majestic palaces that rose on a
plane, the stately mansions that grew
in forest, natures beauty spots that
became more beautiful under the skill
of the landscape gardeners, the barren
wastes that weire converted into such
spots as must have existed in the Gar
den of Eden, are now crowded with
Joyous throngs
The opening day becomes history
Theodore Roosevelt, chief magistrate
of the nation, while seated at his desk
in the White House at high noon,
pressed the golden key. The magnetic
spark sped more than thousand miles
westward, and in the twinkling of an
eye set the vast machinery Of the Lou.
isiana Purchase exposition in motion
The monster engines had been harness.
ed, and, painting, they stood waiting
for the magic touch that started them
on their journey that will continue
for seven months and show to all the
world the highest attachments of man
kind.
Never was any exposition so nearly
prepared for at the opening as this
one. The picture is complete. The
magnificent exhibit palaces, resplen-
dent in their rich ivory coats, were
ready waiting for the people that now
throng them.
Broad Smooth BOulevares.
Broad smooth boulevards, with a
combined length of miles, invite the
visitor to explore the wonders Of the
exposition. Symmetrical rows of large
silver maple trees line the roadways in
the main picture, and even on a sum-
mer's midday they will give forth a
grateful shade.
T he exposition is so large that as
yet no man can say that he has seen
it all. All Of the former great exposi.
tions crowded into one will scarcely
exceed it in size. 1t is city of mag
nificent distances, being nearly two
miles long and over one mile across,
but 30 perfect are the arrangements
that it is more easily traversed than
some of the former expositions only a
fraction as large.
When the visitor enters the main
gate and sees the great exposition in
full swing the feeling that he was pre-
pared for such glories is dissipated.
The majestic walls of the lofty palaces
rise above him. They tell their story
of architectural triumph in a manner
the pen of man would scarcely at
tempt. He is unable to find words to
express his admiration.
The Cascade Region.
To the south is the Cascade region.
Festival hall is in the distance and
lifts its ivory dome to the sky. On
either side is the Colonnade Of States,
beautiful screen, richly embellished
Wltn uOA OAO bSuAPtuAOy SOA M
the east and west with ornate pavill-
ions of architectural design similar to
the central structurel. Gushing from
monumental fountains in front Of these
triumphs of festive architecture are
three cascades, in the creation Of
which the genius Of man shows to adj
vantage even when compared with Mt
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thousand gallons Of water plunge down
these foaming cascades, the course of
which is marked with an undescriba-
BILE wealth of poetic sculpture. Num-
berless fountains toss countless streams
high in the air, and the sunbeams
flashing through the spray produce
wonderful rainbow effects and all tho
colors of the prism are added to the
scene. So many prospects open be.
fore him that the visitor is bewildered.
A hurried trip through the great ex-
hibit palaces show that the complete
ness that marks the outdoor picture is
equally as dominant within doors. In
each structure there are more exhibits
of beauty and interest than can he
seen in many days. Everything is
life, color and action. After all it is
the people that make an important
part of the show. The work of the ex-
position builders would have been in
vain were it not for the people who
throng the exposition streets. All of
the peoples of the earth united to build
this greatest of expositions, and so it
is that the people who go to make up
the throng have assembled from every
section of the globe. The costumes Of
all nations are seen on any thorough
fare. The language Of any land is
heard on any street.