Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1904-05-25
THE GREAT WORLDS FAIR
THE PEER OF ALL OTHER EXPOSITIONS
The Editor Makes a Brief Visit to the
Louisiana Purchase Exposition at ST.
Louis and Writes Some Notes
While There.


been doing the Worlds Fair at st.
Louis A brief sketch of some of the
most prominent features of the great
exposition as observed in three days.
tour of the grounds may prove inter
esting reading, as we'll as profitable
to those who contemplate visiting the
fair during it's existence.
In company with Postmaster J. J.
Marsh we made the trip from Des
Moines to st. Louis over the Wabash
on Wednesday night. having the good
fortune to ride with Governor Cum
minis and the Shiloh battlefield monu-
ment commission, who were enroute
to Pittsburg Landing to investigate
and settle an extended controversy
over the inscription on the monument
to be erected there.
We alighted at the station at the
fair grounds and went to the Inside
Inn. the immense $500 room hotel in
side the grounds, but owing to it's
crowded condition sought and found
suitable quarters within short dis
tance of the grounds.
We were extended the courtesies of
the exposition in most gratuitous
manner by its officers, who made a
special effort to see that the 5000 ed
itors attending the Worlds Press Con-
gress from all parts of the world re-
ceived royal entertainment. Owing
to this fact we were without doubt
able to see so much in less time than
it would have otherwise taken.
A brief sketch, of this nature,
written at intervals as we found time.
must necessarily consist of disconnect-
ed notes on the various prominent fea-
lures as they appeared to us.
The Worlds Press Congress was the
largest and most distinguished gather
ing of it's kind ever held. Among the
prominent persons who were present
and addressed the newspaper men we're
Secretary of State Edwin B. Hay as
the representative of President Roose-
welt; President Francis of the Worlds
Fair; A. Monprofit. of the lie Figaro,
Paris; Sir Hugh Chilean Reid, of Lon
don; Eugen label, of the National
Zeitung Berlin, besides about fifty
other distinguished foreigners from as
many different nations. and great
many of the prominent American news
paper men. 1t was great gathering,
and most pleasing one tor all who
participated.
The exposition in itself is in size,
grandeur and magnificence far ahead
of anything Of the kind ever attempt
ed. It's beauty and greatness cannot
be expressed in words. It's officials
have profited from the experience of
the great expositions of recent years.
and here have gathered from all parts
of the world it's various peoples, with
their varied habits, customs and &C.
complishments.
Scarcely any portion of the grounds,
buildings or exhibits can be said to
be completed. In every part OF the
grounds disorder prevails, and yet the
visitor at this time soon finds so much
to attract his attention that he forgets
its unfinished condition Everywhere
may be seen partly erected buildings.
train loads of building material and
exhibits yet unloaded with more arriv-
ing every hour. acres of rough un-
sodded ground, crude streets. walks,
etc. And yet the army of 10000 work
men, busy night and day, are making
rapid progress and it may be safely
predicted that within month the ex-
position will be complete. We weuld
advise anyone contemplating seeing
the fair this month to postpone their
visit for few weeks.
The matter of transportation has re-
ceived careful attention. The Wabash
has established system of shuttle
trains capable of handling $4,000
people per nour, running between the
great Union Station and the fair
grounds, and the street car system is
one of the finest in the world, large,
comfortable cars following each other
in rapid succession. Within the in
tramural railway encircles the
grounds, and furnishes convenient
means of transportation to points de-
sired. The various lines are capable
of handling $4,000 people per hour, it
is claimed.
The Worlds Fair has been aptiy
styled the "city of magnificent dis
tances." The large area of the
grounds and the immensely of the
buildings is not realized until one at
tempts to traverse them afoot, when
the great length and breadth of the
massive structures becomes an actual
reality. The main buildings are
grouped in double crescent form about
the Cascades, 1.-The magnificent center
piece of che fair, at the top of which
is the beautiful Festival Hall, and on
either side the Collonade of States