Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1907-08-07

of the world, and the inspection Of
the exhibits delineating the advance
ment Of the world along every line Of
human progress. But thus far it must
be classed failure. for it is scarcely
half complete. On every hand through
the grounds an air of incompleteness
greets the visitor which soon sorely
disappoints him and causes him to
regret that he has come. In the main
exhibit buildings of the exposition the
exhibits are about half installed.
Many are beautiful and attractive,
but passing from one to tile other the
piles Of rubbish. the work of con-
tractors, the preparing Of exhibits,
etc. detracts from the pleasure gained
from what one has seen. The streets,
walks, avenues, etc. are still in the
hands Of workmen. and there is evil
dence Of incompleteness everywhere.
The immense government pier, which
will be beautiful when completed, is
scarcely half finished, and it is the
same throughout the grounds. The
condition seemed to us to be about
the same as the st. Louis worlds fair
was when it first opened. It is too
bad. for the exposition would have
been we'll worth seeing if ir were
complete, and throughout the country
thousands are being turned away who
had intended to visit it. We cannot
see how it can escape being financial
failure. and yet it will doubtless at
tract great crowds through the months
Of September and October.
A description of the grounds and
exhibits would be but q repetition of
the story Of the other great exhibit
tions of the country. 1t is not as large
as the Chicago or St. Louis fairs, but
has many advantages over them. The
naval display, which one can see at
aSy time in the waters of Hampton
Roads during this summer, is in itself
worth the trip to jamestown, for here
may be found craft of almost every
description. hundreds of vessels, bat
tleships, cruisers, merchant vessels,
freighters. yachts. launches. and skiffs
of every description. In this parti-
cular the exposition excels the other
ones. In the exhibits there is simi-
larity to the former opes. augmented
by the natural alivancSSbent made ii
all phases OF human activity.
Across Hampton Roads from the Ex-
position grounds is Old Point Com
fort. known as Fortress Monroe,
originally palisaded fort of the first
settlers, planned in 1914 and fortified
"a few years later. 1t is now the
largest and best equipped fortress in
America and chief artillery station Of
the United States government, and
might properly be called school for
the army and navy. With the excep-
tion of Gibraltar it is probably the
greatest fortress in the world, posses
sing the longest line of fortification.
With its great disappearing guns and
modern machinery Of war it stands.
sentinel.like, in plain view Of the ex-
position grounds, six miles distant.
Here is also noted summer resort,
the Chamberlain Hotel being the most
complete, beautiful and thoroughly
equipped coast hotel in America.
That night we went to Norfolk by
trolley. It is city Of about $4,000
people. nine miles from Hampton
Roads. the second city Of Virginia in
population, and one of the most i'm
portant naval stations in the union.
It was settled in 1881. and ia rich in
colonial and revolutionary history.
old st. Paul's church being a special
object Of interest, having stood
through trials Of war, fire and pesti-
lsnce. II is the trade center Of eastern
Virginia and North Carolina, with
large farming, trucking, lumber and
cotte n-growing industries. Il is the
headquarters for North Carolina pine.
and the greatest peanut market in tie
world. Here we spent the night and
the next morning boarded the steamer
for . trip up Chesapeake Bay and the
Potomac river to Washington.
CONTINUED next week.