The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1909-06-01

Its throwing open to the world
marks the most important day in
the commercial history of the
great Northwest and the lands of
the Pacific. If at times during the
several years of its making, diff
culties and discouragements have
been met with, the fuifillment of
the promises of the exposition Of
fer ample recompense. That. these
iinsufriciently appreciated lands
have been placed right before a
competitive gathering of the very
best the world contains, and that
they have justified every claim
to importance, is now realized.
Cosmopolitan Throng.
The opening of the Alaska Yu-
kon-Pacific exposition showed an
intermingling of cosmopolitan life
unusual in exposition history. In
the North and West of the Amer
lean continent nothing legitimate
is considered strange. Men whose
best years have been spent
among the eternal glaciers and
desolate wilds of Alaska and Yu-
kon look with no surprise on the
people whose life has been spent
among shelves of books and elab-
crate offices. 1t is but a differ
ent way of adding to the worlds
advancement. The Orient is today
no more than step from the Oc-
cident, and the men from each of
these lands are close neighbors.
Sleds and toboggans drawn by
wiry Malamute dogs and driven by
fur-clad Alaskan Indians worked
their way through crowds of foot
travellers, rickshaws, sedan chairs
and automobiles. Igorrotes, Es-
lquimos, Negroties and Moros rub
bed elbows with beautiful women
whose gowns were made in Paris,
and millinery creations from the
most aristocratic shops We'd in pc
culiarity of design with basket and
headache wafer effects from the
Philippine islands.
The Heart of the World.
| On the opening day of the expo
lsition one lived in the heart of the
world. 1t showed the richest treas
ures of art from the hands of mas
tiers old centuries ago.. and close
beside were productions of art,
worked in strange and weird de-
vice from the crude hands of peo-
pie untaught or unhampered by
form and rule. Machinery and
mechanical devices representing
the very highest and most perfect
of mans inventions stood side by
side with machines in use for four
thousand years, and equal after-
ton was attracted by both.
/ About the Court of Honor, the
Cascades and the Formal Gardens
the enormous crowds surged and
thronged. The rush and roar of
1 the angry waters as they poured
over the precipitous lodges, the
Ispouting of "Old Faithful geyser
as 1t sent high in air its huge vol
lume of water, and the intermin-
lgling of music from the many
bands, made a picture not to be
forgotten. A great charm was
found in the exposition itself; its
magnificent buildings, the gor-
lgeous exhibits, and the wonderful
floral and natural surroundings
made it spot of indescribable
beauty and attractiveness. But II
was in the glorious pageantry,
the mixing of vivid hues in cos
tune, and the ever moving and
RESTLESS throng of cosmopolitan
humanity surging through the ave-
|nues and byways of the grounds
THAT demanded greatest attention.
Il Unique Among Fairs.
Seattle's most important claim
for it's exposition is that 1t is alto
lgether unique among worlds fairs
j Tt is not of the size of many that
have been held, but 1t shows more
lof the little known lands, people
land things of the earth than any
i deposition has ever shown. II
lclaims for 1t also that II is the
most beautiful exposition ever
shield, but this fact must be credit.
led to nature, for the site is the
!; !eenter of an smphitheater made
t lsplepdid by towering snow-capped
mountain ranges. To make room
: for the 200 or more exposition
: buildings II was necessary to re
move ESQ acres of Douglass I'll
forest which stood upon the necl
] |of land that separates Lake Unior
from Lake Washington. which liz
within the limits OF the city Of
llSeattle.
4 A Success From the Start.
i Unlike other expositions, not Z
dollar Of assistance was asked