Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1909-06-05
SEATTLE FAIR
OPENS ON TIME
President Taft Presses Button
ThdtStdrts Wheels inMotiOn.
KEY is OF GOLD NUGGETS

<6Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition Is
Under Way, With Buildings and
Grounds Completed and Exhibits In
fPiace, Bearing Out the Motto of
~the Show That viii BE on Time"
Scenic Beauty and Novel Features.
tsThe Pay Streak"
Seattle, Wash, June 1.-The Alaska
TRukon-P Pacific exposition is open. At
III o'clock, Seattle time President Taft
gy~essed the button which set the ma
chtRery in motion. using for the pur-
pose a key formed of Alaska nuggets.
Az the wheels In the various buildings
i. bsgan whlrring and the latest of the
So1ldis fairs was declared officially
opened one feature that excited the
enthusiastic comment OF the great
ecrowds present was that the manage
r1aut had lived up to Its motto of "the
ssAaw that will be on time" Not only
uw6Ee the buildings completed and the
grounds covered with grass and flow
ers. As though they had been planted
Tor years, but every exhibit was In
place 1t is the first time any exposi.
ton has actually opened on the open
ing day, and the departure has proved
most welcome to the visiting thou.
sands.
The ceremonies on the grounds be-
gan two hours before President Taft,
sOn the other side OF the continent.
a1ressed the button that made the
great fair living thing. The scene
iagssented carried out Charles Dana
Gabsons verdict after visiting the
grsnnds that the A.-Y.-P. is "the most
beautiful exposition ever planned !"
Situated between two fresh water
sakes in forest of great trees, the
natural setting to the picture Is ideal
There are the usual buildings seen at
expositions, with the advantage that
'rn1any OF these are to be permanent
and after the fair Is closed on Oct Is
rwifl be turned over to the University
seof Washington, on whose campus the
fa&r is held. The fact that the exposi-
ssion grounds belong to a college Is
ssfhs cause OF third novelty, which is
What this lis dry" show, no intoxi-
eating liquors being sold In the vicin-
ity. Still fourth unique feature is
that this exposition did not ask Uncle
Sam for cent. The 100000 which
was spent on the government build
5nGe was given voluntarily. To most
tfsese are welcome departures and
S7save created favorable comment.
Commentaries No Past Event.
The A-Y..P. is commemorative of
rsso past event. II is hung upon to-
morrow rather than yesterday. a
Is,ropneey I'aGner than a memorial. 1t
EXHIBITS what are unknown and unde-
veloped, the potentialities Of the Pa
-cific northwest, Alaska and countries
bordering on the Pacific. Otherwise
stated. it is an exposition OF what Is
every largely unknown rather than OF
1.-The highest development. Alaska has
remained first in the title and inspira-
'sion of the exposition. This territory,
For which we paid $7,200.00 produces
sgfhree times that amount every year
sTR gold alone. In the last forty years
3 re tRs produced, besides Its gold, $780,
Doe 900 worth of furs. and its fisheries
have handled a product valued at $685.
s00o, 900. The exposition serves to
show Americans that Alaska Is an en-
pire of agricultural and forest wealth
: as well as a treasure box OF minerals,
The far eastern countries bordering
ION the Pacific, including the Philip
mines and Hawaii. have the most elab-
.Vorsts exhibits at Seattle that they
have ever attempted anywhere. Here
ut rs possible to find out what these
countries need as well as what they
produce. Japan perhaps more than
any other eastern nation has grasped
1.-THE commercial Importance OF the ex-
; position, and its official representation
has been carried out on compre-
5 hensive scale.
lNor the amusement street Of the ex'
spesition a novel name and many novel
fest lures have been found. What was
the Midway at Chicago, the Pike at
Sc. 9ouis, the Trail at the Portland ex
position and the Warpath at James
town is called the Pay Streak al
: Seattle