Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1908-07-14


June, 1905, when he sat in the lobby
of the Golden Gate hotel at Nome,
that an. idea which came to him
would grow till it reached the pro-
portions of a great worlds fair. i
Chealander was reviewing the trip
he had just made, as commission Ter
of the United States government,
gathering exhibits for the Lewis and
Clark exposition. Although this trip
was a successful one in its way, Chea-
lander knew that his work could
have been done better had he had
more time. He got: his commission
and started out from Skagway as
soon after as possible, March %
1905, to be exact. This gave him two
months in which to cover a large
territory which he did by rail, boat
and dog team. His portion Of the
Alaskan exhibit had been sent to the
Portland fair. 1t was a creditable
one, but Chealander saw that it was
not what could have been secured,
if more time had been devoted to the
task.
That was what he was thinking
about that Sunday morning in the
swell hotel at Nome. Alaska was
not going to have proper representa-
ton at the first western worlds fair;
it had never been exploited in the
right way at any exposition. How
can the Northland advertise itself?
were the thoughts passing in Chea,
lander's mind, when all of sudden
was born that idea, a solutionsto his
problem, theory that has worked
out better than he ever imagined.
The idea was no more or less than
to hold an Alaskan exposition in
Seattle during the summer of 1907.
Chealander then conveyed his idea
by letter to J. E. Chilberg, president
of the Alaska club at Seattle. He
suggested that special Alaskan ex-
position. be held at Seattle in 1907,
and that a permanent Northland dis
play be maintained after the fair was
over. Mr.. Chilberg and the members
of the Alaskan club took kindly to
the scheme. Under the auspices OF
the club Chealander, who is now
permanent Alaskan commissioner for
the fair, was sent on a trip through
Alaska and Yukon to learn whether
the northerners would favor such a
plan. Chealander, while in Yukon
saw Gov. McInnes and at his request
and that of the people, the name OF
the proposed Alaska exposition was
changed to read Alaska-Yukon expo.
sition. Sentiment was so favorable
to the holding of an Alaskan expo
sition, that the Alaska club in the
fall of 1905, had a consultation with
Henry, F. Reed of Portland, director
of exploitation and secretary of the
Lewis and Clark exposition, who out.
lined the plan for an exposition fol
the year 1907 and also one for {
larger one to be held in 1909. After
due consideration by the men behind
the enterprise it was decided to fol
low Reeds larger plan. Accordingf.
the exposition was incorporated anG
officers elected on May z, 1906.
The interest displayed in the ex
position and its increase in magni
tude was the result of another ide.
being given birth by Henry E. Reed
who is now director of exploitation
and the word Pacific was added t,
the name, thus taking into the plal
and scope the countries of that grea
ocean. The primary purpose of tn,
exposition then was, and is now, tn
the exploitation of the resources ant
potentialities OF Alaska and Yukon
and the making known and fosterin
the vast Importance of the trade O
4 the Pacific ocean and the countrie
bordering thereon.
| On June %, 1906, the grounds o
the Washington university were 81
lected as the most advantageous spo
to hold the great fair. Then on Oc
tober 2, day to be remembered b
Seattle for years to come, the expo
| sition was financed by raising $3.50
/ 600 within twelve hours, somethin
that was never done before by an
city at any time for any purpos.
+. The state of Washington, not to b
outdone, appropriated at its 1905-O
II legislature, 81 ,OO0, 900 for exhibits an
Il buildings. From subscription day III
till ground breakig day, Jnue :, 100
( campaign to secure publicity an
, the participation of states, nation.
!. government and foreign government
was energetically carried on, meetin
II with much success Ground breakin
! day was a big event in the histor