Rocky Ford enterprise., 1914-12-18
FRIDAY. DEC. Is, 1914
ABOUT SAN DIEGO EXPOSITION
Interesting Extracts from a Private
Letter Written By Our Old
Friend "O. II, T.'s

The Exposition people have been
drawing little revenue for two
months past from charging rs
cent admission fec for two months
past from those who wanted to view
the building and grounds while yet in
an uncompletcd condition. (Several
thousands week have been admitt-
ed) But on Dec. 1st. everything will
be closed to the public and the
whole month OF December will be
devoted to the installing of the ex-
hibits and giving the finishing touch
es to the architecture and grounds.
have proposed going to take
| look for some time and Saturday i
| went. You can hardly imagine what
has been accomplished since August
grounds in his auto. l want to tell
you that for architectural beauty
the San Diego exposition has the
Philadelphia, the Chicago and St.
Louis cxpositions eclipscd. And a
lady on the grounds told me she
heard a San Francisco man say to
companion: They've got us beat
G.. And when you add the natural
sitting Of this group of buildings on
the bank of that grand ravine of Bel
boa park, opening to that grand ex-
pansc of bay and ocean you have a
combination that rivals anything |
have seen on this side'of the water
or the other.
OF course I'm not telling you that
this staff and stucco work of cement
ciiseled work of the cathedrals OF
Louvain and Rheims that the Ger
mans have lately been playing their
scigc guns upon. This is not Eu-
rope. with its ancient majestic piles
in architectur and its sculptures. but
| do think the things that has been
done down here in this extreme
southwestern corner of our wild and
wolly'' new world continent. by a
city of less than hundred thous-
and people. vcrges on the miraculous.
What wonders have been wrought in
the use of cement in say decade.
There seems TO be no limit to its
adaptations. And one of the things
that imprcsses me is the more sub
stantial characters OF these San Diego
exposition buildings over those OF
Chicago and St. Louis. The great
concrete bridge that spans the. ra-
vine as you will remember. now
when completed. makes an imposing
entrance to the grounds and gives
you the first fceting of something
profoundly solid and real about what
otherwise looks so much like fairy
land. The walls of the great ravinc
little while ago covered with sage
brush and cactus are now banked
with Towering shubbery: and away
down on its lowest levels curves and
winds about little artificial lake
a well kept auto road.
You know how this scmi-tropic
tvcgitation lends itself to adornment.
from the broad level and brilliant
poinsettia to the delicate thread-like
ferns and clinging ivys. Imagine
these bright ones clustering about
the foundations in banks of scarlet
and crimson ard then those delicate
traceries OF green spreading them
selves upward over the pure white
walls of the artistic buildings. Long
porticos of solid cement arches form
ed after the old mission design con-
through their arches you catch
charming vistas OF flower-deckcd RAJ
vines that open to the city and the
ocean.
| walked d8wn the 'lsthmus .
which as you know corresponds to
the Midway" at Chicago. the Pike
at St. Louis and the Trail at Port
land. and it will not differ OF course
materially from each of these. but
you can say to our friends that the
exposition proper is going to be
greatly worth while" and SINCE the
railroads have agreed to make their
tickets read good for both San Diego
and Frisco they will only see half
OF the show ii they do not take in
both cities.