The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-06-01
THE GREAT FAIR OPENS

21 guns, the japanese and American
fleets in the harbor, several miles
away, crashed out their tribute.
| Luncheon was served to invited
| guests at the speaking platfrom and in
! the New York building. During the
| afternoon there were receptions at all
the state buildings. The day was
warm and partly cloudy. The fair as
thrown open today was finished and
carpenters and painters were nowhere
| to be seen.
| The few delayed exhibits will be in
stalled at night. The only serious de-
| felt is in the Hawaiian and Philippine
| displays, but the transport Dix is
| speeding hither with them and should
arrive next Thursday.
Great Day for Seattle.
Seattle, June 1.-Seattle never looked
more beautiful than it does today in
holiday attire. Bunting, flags and the
emblem of the Alaska-Y Yukon-Pacific
street corner and every building. Thou
sands of people are here from all parts
of the world and the city today pre-
sents a most cosmopolitan and joyful
scene.
Now that the fair is completed and
exhibits placed. those who have been
watching its development are most sat
sfied with the result. 1t is bound to
be a great success financially, as it is
educationally. The management has
and the fact that it is entirely COM
pleted gives evidence of this.
All the essential buildings have been
finished for more than a month. Many
of them since the first of the year.
The 1900 exposition is destined to be
one of the greatest educators of recent
years., 1t will show up the resources
of the far west and Alaska in a way
that will cause the east and middle
west to "sit up" AS an industrial ex-
!, &c he ocf 4l,o
same may be said of the agricultural
and horticultural sides. All that other
expositions have had to show of these
things the Alaska a-Yukon-Pacific has to
show.
Distinctly Oriental.
The exposition atmosphere" is dis
tinctly oriental. The flags of the Dra-
gon and the Rising Sun make it so,
for Japan and China have taken ad-
vantage to the full of the opportunity
to express their friendship for Uncle
Sam and their appreciation of the Pa
cif1c'S trade possibilities. Japan has one
huge building in a beautiful wooded
village down by the shore of Lake I'm
ion where the whole romantic life OF
the race is lived.
China has a street of Pekin, showing
it's banks, business houses, theaters,
cafes and whatnot Siberia has sent a
head hunters from Benguet and other
little brown brothers from the Philip
pines, who have never before been Civ
en- their chance to see their more or
less benevolent Uncle Samuel.
A Permanent Asset.
International expositions have al
ways involved a tremendous waste of
money, labor and genius and the mag
nificent exhibit palaces the wonder and
delight of thousands of visitors, have
been for the most part constructed of
f1imsy materials and were of no per-
manent value.
Seattle has been the first exposition
city in the United States to realize this
and by giving a little time and thought
to the enterprise a plan was worked
out whereby most of the buildings on
the grounds of the Alaska Y Yukon-Pa-
cific exposition will remain a perma-
nent asset to the community.
The 1909 exhibition is held On the
campus of the State university and the
grounds, the water, lighting and sewer
systems, the park embellishments and
large number of the buildings will
revert to the use of the university at
the close of the exposition. This will