The Meeker herald. [volume] (Meeker, Colo.) 1885-current, 1905-06-17
Pays High Tribute
to Portland Fair.
An English Writer Calls the
Lewis and Clark Exposition
Grand Epic In Nation
al Exploration.
BEAUTIFUL SCENIC SETTING.

81 EXplOrot1On.
BEAUTIFUL SCENIC SETTING.
Portland, June 12.-One of the earli-
est visitors to the Lewis and Clark
Exposition was Edmund Mitchell,
the well-known English novelist,
who is spending a month at Portland
studying the fair. In an article re-
garding the exposition Mr.. Mitchell
writes as follows:
"Assuredly no proceeding Worlds
Fair was set amid surroundings that
could compare for natural beauty
with those Of the Lewis and Clark
Centennial Exhibition at Portland.
Chicago had It's lake, Paris its river,
st. Louis its undulating woodlands.
But Portland combines all three fea-
lures of lake and river and woodland,
besides possessing its own distinctive
and SURPRISING charms-an emerald
green sweep of valley; on the one
side lofty snow-capped peaks, fifty
miles away but looking wonderfully
close at hand; on the other side, 80
near as to form part Of the exposition
picture, mountain spurs clothed with
the rich growth of the forest prime
val. So we have here landscape
that is not only Of exquisite lovli-
ness but of sublime grandeur as well.
And nested amid trees and shrubs,
the stately palaces Of white, with
their rich red roofs in the old mission
style, give an added and perfectly
harmonious touch of beauty to the
scene.
''Of the grand historical achieve
ment the exposition commentaries
there is no need here to write. Dur
ing the months that have preceded
the opening of the fair every news
paper in the land has dealt at length
with the expedition of Caps. Meri-
wether Lewis and William Clark,
which was sent out by Jefferson In
1904, reached the Columbia river in
1905, and by right of discovery added
t, the nations territory the first wide
stretch of Its Pacific coast empire.
The Lewis and Clark Exposition is
the greatest epic Of all in all the glo-
rious story of our national explora-
tion, and 1t is well in these modern
days of commercial rush, that the
event on its hundredth anniversary
should be called to all mems minds
by befltting celebration.
1.-THE fair city of Portland, out Of
love and honor for the gallant and In
domitable men, who opened the
northwest to American civilization,
has appropriately taken upon herself
this truly patriotic duty. That she
has discharged the preliminaries
right well, that she has prepared on
one of the very scenes of the travel
ers' explorations a beautiful COM
memoration city within whose walls
citizens of all the states may fore
gather to pledge continued prosperity
to their common heritage, will be
the verdict of everyone who has
come to parcipate in the opening pro-
ceedings of the Lewis and Clark Gen.
tennial Exposition and has made q
first tour Of the grounds and palaces.
May the exposition flourish is the
cordial sentiment Of every visitor,
and that this result may be attained
summer holiday makers all over the
land have only to learn of the good
things that await them should they
turn their steps toward the North
west and Portland.
..While the Portland Exposition
may fairly be described as pocket
edition of either the Chicago or the
st. Louis Expeditions, yet it Is by no
means little venture. Nor indeed
is there any real detriment in the
fact that its acreage is greatly smaller
and in general scheme vastly less am
bilious. Men who spent months at
the bigger expositions came away
with the consciousness that not one
half of the wonders displayed had
been seen, while those with only
weeks at their command had simply
to make the choice between special
izing in few departments or scamp
ering around without serious attempt
to study any single thing. Its be-
wildering magnitude was the most
serious reproach attaching to the st.
Louis Worlds Fair. But at Portland
we have st. Louis 1910 acres reduced
to 1872, with water area Of 20 acres
thrown in just to gladen the eye and
delight the soul without giving the