The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-04-22
ARMY OF WORKMEN
TOLL ALL SUNDAY .
Great Progress Made Yes.
terday Toward Getting
! Exposition Ready.
FRIDAYS VISITOR
TO BE SURPRISED
Externally Show Will Appear
Complete and Whole Will
Present Gorgeous Spec
tacle-dandling OF
Crowds Serious
Problem.

Especial From STAFF corrcsponden..l
j A Nj Il S T OWN EXPOSITION
GROUNDS. VA, April 21-"The better
the day the better the deed" la the
motto in force at the Exposition
Grounds to-day. for within the vine-
covered enclosure an army of work.
men, several thousand in number, il
engaged in rushing the work required
to be completed by midday OF Friday,
when President Roosevelt lands from
the Maytlower. 1t Is interesting to con- 4
slider that the Chief Executive will
make the pilgrimage to the birthplace
of this country on board a ship named
in honor of the vessel which first
brought to New England shores the
band of Puritans who were for SO
many years more closely allied to vir-
ginia than any other colony of Amer
lea. 1t would seem as If Massachu-
setts, the State bound closer by as
sociation to the Old Dominion than
any other, greeted her elder sister. and
although the incident be merely
chance, the hand of fate was espe-
cially happy in sending the name-
sake of the Maytiower to the waters
first sailed by the Godspeed. the SUI
san Constant and the Discovery of the
English adventurers 300 years ago.
In front of the administration build-s
ing, where yesterday was seen great
barren waste, is fast being change0
into picturesque lagoon with lakes
surrounded by growing shrubs and
divided by artistic fountains; back ways
are creeping steadily around the count
less buildings; unsightly huts and work
houses are disappearing; model roads
are taking the place of dusty trails:
tented military encampments ara
srringing up: mounted soldiers are
patroling the grounds, and order stts
crowding chaos to the walk
Ships Await Thunder of
Guns on Opening Day
In Hampton Roads, Just off the EN-s
position Grounds, thirty-five war
ships. their white paint glistening in
the sunlight, stretch out fanlike for
three miles. silently awaiting the roar
of 800 guns which will announce the
aOOth birthday of English occupancy.
General Grant and his staff are here,
ard the military contingent will have
arrived by Thursday. or the United
States officers on duty at the grounds,
no less than eight are natives of Vir-
ginia and North Carolina-Major Ma
leony, chief of staff to General Grant:
Captain Carpenter. in command OF the
Powhatan Guards Captain Curry. his
aid; Lieutenant Bagby, of Richmond, in
charge of ceremonies: Lieutenant Jor-
dan, aide to General Grant; Lieutenant
Victor Blue, naval aide, and DR. Blues
naval sanitary officer
These officers will play no small part
IN the success of the exposition, and u
is stated they We're selected not on
account of their birth. but by reason
OF their special fitness for service.
This evening Mrs. Swanson, vile OF
the Governor of Virginia, will reach
Norfolk. and to o-morrow the flagship
of the Virginia oyster navy Will meet
and convey her to the exposition. Mrs.
swanson. accompanied by Adjutant-
General Anderson and Colonel 10 Lane
Stern, will so at once to the Virginia
building. the handsomest State struc-
ture of the grounds, where she Will +
find everything ready for the reception
to be given the Governors OF the va
rious States and other distinguished
guests Thursday evening" The arair
will be one of the most brilliant social
functions OF the exposition, for all the
army and navy officers stationed here
will be present. as well as General
Vaughan and his staff and the officers
on the staff of some twenty Governors.
To-day General and Mrs. Grant enter &
tanned the army officers connected with &
the exposition at dinner at she Cham
berlin Hotel, at Old Point. where he Il
is stationed until tomorrow, when he
will move his headquarters to the milt-
tary camp within the grounds.
Exposition on First Day
a Gorgeous Spectacle
Tho exposition will be opened on
time. 1t will not be complete, but the
outward appearances will be those OF
completeness. and the yisi- 4
tor who will content himself with a
view will go away with an
impression that he witnessed sor-%
geous spectacle marking the opening
of IL celebration OF the greatest event w.
in our history, and with little recollec-
ton of the unprepared state OF tho
grounds and exhibits.
So rapidly is the work progressing
that it Is impossible to predict the S
stage 1t will have reached when tho
President touches the gold button Fri
day and starts the machinery In mo-
ton 1t is claimed that eight thousand
men are working every day inside this
grounds, rushing the buildings TO COM
pletion, installing exhibits. laying.
spreading gravel leveling
walks. and doing the thousand other
things necessary to make the eXposi-
ton look as though 1t We're ready for
the visitor Progress is as rapid as
The most Impatient could expect
The great problem which confronts
the management OF the exposition and ~
the transportation lines thereto is the
OF the crowds, This problem
is not yet solved. 1t Is extremely
doubtful whether a solution VIII bo
reached prior To the opening, Ii u
thousand people or even sixty t
thousand. the lowest estimate, should
be In attendance on next Friday, thera
is bound 10 be great congestion OF
travel A month later, hundred and
fifty thousand could he handled more
readily than half that number this