The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1904-02-12
Worlds Fair to Be Started Surely on
That Date.
1t Will Stand MagnifieentIy in Class
BY Itself.
Its Magnitude will Greatly Surpass
the Columbian Exposition.
Growing Features of This World
Wide Exhibition Set Forth.
From Wednesdays Daily.

From Wednesdays Daily.
All things appear to work to the end
of making the 1904 Universal Exposition
stand in a class by itself. In magnitude
and scope there has never been anything
like it. No enterprise of the kind was
ever endowed with so great working
capital. The worlds storehouses never
before contained such treasures to draw
from.
The Columbian Exposition at Chicago
ten years ago, until the present enter
prise was launched and its magnitude
was apparent, was supposed to have
fixed a standard for all time to come.
That theory has been thoroughly ex-
ploded by the marvellous accomplish
ments of the Louisiana Purchase EX-
position. The Worlds Fair at st. Louis
covers l,240 acres of ground. All of
Chicago's exposition was contained In
633 acres. Not in mere size does that
present enterprise surpass all others.
The great exhibit palaces differ from any
constructed for former expositions. They
are all revelations in the architects art.
The big, rectangular buildings of the
past have been superseded by a group
of wonderfully beautiful and symmetri-
cal structures, assembled in the form
of lady's open fan. Collectively they
are many times larger than any other
group and for architectural beauty they
immeasurably surpass anything the
world has ever seen. The architects de-
parted from beaten paths, and sought
and found new features which they hap
PLY combined with the best examples
of the architecture of other days.
When the plans and dimensions of the
buildings were first made public the
people were amazed at the daring of the
exposition management. Even were such
mammoth buildings erected, where would
the exhibits necessary to fill them come
from? Now that the buildings are all
finished and the work of installing the
exhibits is under way, the question is
answered Even were the buildings
three times as large they could not con-
tain all that has been offered. Inner
courts have been rooted over and where
exhibitors have asked for thousads of
feet of space they had to content them
+ selves with hundreds of feet.
Such being the case the exhibitors and
the exposition management have been
enabled to exercise discrimination that
could not have been possible ten years
ago. Official figures show that in the
decade following the Columbian Expo
sition the value of the manufactured
products has increased so per cent.
Thus the worlds storehouses contain
treasures that were never before access
ible. In the close discrimination that
has been observed only the best and most
worthy have been accepted, and each ex-
hibit will represent the best in its class.
Life and demonstration have been the
key note in the exhibits division and
wherever practicable processes are shown.
together with the finished product.
The exhibit of the Philippine Islands
which covers forty acres, and has been
created at cost of about 100000, is
an exposition in itself. The foreign ma
lions have never put forth such great
exertions to make interesting exhibits
The keen rivalry that has been manifest
ed between the most powerful nations.
is reflected in the exhibits from the new
ing such preparations as it was never
deemed possible that exclusive nation
would consider. Fifty-one states and
territories and more than that number
of foreign countries are working in uni
son to make the Universal Exposition
complete in every detail.
At this writing nearly four months
before the opening, no doubt exists about
the fair being finished in every particular
The show palaces are all ready and the
exhibitors are installing their exhibits
The roadways are practically all made
The intramural railway, encircling the
grounds, is ready for the rolling stock
and the application of power. The land
scape is so advanced that few weeks
in the early spring may see it perfect
even though all work should cease un-
til that time. The weather at st. Louis
has been so mild all fall and thus fan
in the winter, that but few days have
been so cold that work out of doors was
impracticable.