The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-02-05
PORTLAND FAIR ID l BE VERY COMPAC7 I There Will be No Crowding of
 the Exhibits WORK NOW PR0GRESSlN The Scenery in< the Northwest is on- surpassed and Will Repay Any
 one for the Trip-cheap
 Railroad Rates.
WORK NOW PRoGRESSIN
BY w. E. RRINDLEY.

Clark exposition at Portland, Ore'' "A offer an unparalleled opportunity to the people of the east and middle west to see a bart of the country which has not been commonly visited. The railroad cohpa- nies. believing as do the people or Fort land and in fact Of the whole Pacinc northwest. that the exposition will be the means of attracting thousands of settlers to this wonderfully fertile section of the United States, have offered rates lower than those ever secured before TOT aii exposition. person living in the Ms sissinpi valley may go and come for S4e' while for people east of Chicago a one fare rate is offered for the round trip.
 The round trip fare t- $52.5o from St. Louis and s56.5o from Chicago. Rates from other points will be announced later. All will be lower than the regular one way fare, and will be good for ninety days.
 Work Progressing.
 The exposition will be opened rom June 1 to October 10, and afrailselieiiss are being made to handle an immense crowd during that time Work on the fair grounds has progressed so rapidly that there is no question that the eApo- sition will be ready in every detail lohs before the opening day, while the demaia for space by foreign governments anu manufacturers has been so much greater than was anticipated that an adultlohai building containing 9O,000 feet or noor. space will have to be erected tr "ccoih- modate all the desirable exhibitors. Eafiy visitors to the Centennial are thus assured that they will miss nothing they might see bv waiting and that there will really be many things worth seeing that could not be seen elsewhere.
 The exposition will be world S fair m every sense, but particular attention Will be paid to the securing of exhibits repre- sentative of the progress of this western country during the century since Lewis and Clark pierced the virgin forest and made their weary way to the Pacihe ocean.
 Oregon. Washington and Idaho, which comprise most of the original oregon country which the Lewis and Clark ex- petition enabled the United States to add 10 it's domain, present unrivaled attrae- lions to homeseekers thousands of whom take up homesteads every year. The country is as yet but sparselg populated when compared with such states as New York or Pennsylvania, and there is plenty of room for all. Add to this the fact that the climate is delghtful-Oregon knows neither frost-bite nor sunstroke-and you have combination of conditions un- equaled elsewhere in the world.
 Scenery Unsurpassed.
 For natural scenery nowhere on earth can the Pacific northwest be surpassed. Here may be found mountains that rival the Alps, prairie lands smiling with wealth of agricultural plenty rivers that flow between hills whose sides are still covered with the virgil! forest through which Lewis and Clark passed, and cas- cades where clear mountain water. falls for hundreds of feet in glorious prodi- gality of volume.
 The Columbia. "the Amazon of North America" flows through the very heart of the Oregon country, a mighty river, greater in volume than the Mississippi' and more beautiful than the Hudson. From it's source in the mountains the river winds it's way 140O miles to the sea. bulwarked during most of it's course by mountains that lift their snow-topped heads to the sky. Along its entire course are found a neyer-ceasing variety or wonders At the Dalles tho river and the molten lava from some now extinct vol cano have fought for supremacy, and the river has won At the Cascades. nature has damned the stream. Castle Rock. which Lewis and Clark named Beacon Rock" is a never-ending source of won- der and interest as are Rooster Rock, mighty lava pillar. and Cape Horn grand lava cliff of immense proportions. All of these are of interest. but perhaps more fascinating to the eye than any are the series of graceful. crystal clear cas- cades that fall hundreds of feet from the mountain sides, now visible as a silver thread, now disappearing into the noun tain side, now appearing again in greater volume. and finally vanishing in cloud of mist. Latourellc. Horse Tail. Bridal Veil and Multnomah are the best known of these. though there are others hardly less beautiful.
 Historical Interest.
 The country abounds i places of un- usual historical interest. short distance above the meth of the Willamette river Is Fort Vancouver, beautiful army post built on the site of the old Vancouver, which the Hudson's Bay company built. On the lower Columbia Is Mount Coffin, an old Indian burying ground. and Sad dle mountain, prominent landmark. The town of Astoria, founded in 1St1, was the first American settlement on the Pa cific coast. Fort Clatsop, where Lewis and Clark spent the winter of 1s05-6 is near Astoria, and the salt cairn. where the explorers evaporated sea water. Is not far from Seaside These places can all be visited either by river or rail- or a combination of both. at small cost There are many handsome and comfortable ex- cursion steamers which will run regu- larly to points of interest.
 Besides these shorter rj ie trips. there will be many longer ones such as are customarily taken by tourists. A visit to Yellowstone park may bc made for comparatively small additional expense. r-d arrareement will probably be per fected which will make it possible for a traveller to go one way via one of the rorthern routes and the other way by way of California.
 Compactness Without Crowding.
 The exposition in itself, while not so large by any means as the Worlds Fair at St. Louis, will be worth the overland trip People who are exposition weary will yet find many things to interest them at the coast fair. Built with a view to compactness without crowding, there will be no miles of walks to weary the limbs. no long vistas of seemingly countless structures of staff to weary the eye. The fair may be seen within the time and means which the average person has at his disposal
 The fair grounds are located fifteen min utes' ride on the car lines from the busi- rnes center of things. and thn fence en- closes 402 acres of land and water. The etc hv far .so most beauff'il over utll- i-ad fer siich pIrpnsc. aGieir~ :Nn prin-
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