Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1915-04-14
THE EDITORS LETTER.
San Francisco, Cal.

here this year. And we'll it may be. !
It is conceded to be the greatest of all
great national or international exposi- |
tions or worlds fairs. The conception,
plan and execution of the whole scheme
is stupendous, complete, and to large |
extent, novel. In celebrating the COM
pletion of contemporaneous event the
San Francisco exposition is alone. All
other such events have been suggested
by anniversaries of some important
occasions or epochs. This exposition
celebrates the completion of the Pana
ma canal by the United States.
Some idea of the extent of the expo
sition may be gained when it is learned
that the grounds occupy 635 acres of
ground and the total expenditure for
education and entertainment of visitors
and adornment of the grounds and
buildings exceeds $50, 100000.
The grounds measure two and one
half miles in length. The central group
of buildings contains the eleven main
exposition palaces housing, respective
J VI
social economy. liberal arts, manufac-
lures, varied industries, mines and
metallurgy. transportation. machinery.
agriculture. food products and horti-
culture. Eight of these great central
buildings are connected with courts
and colonnades, this group thus covering
some 80 acres of ground.
Something of the size of these build
ings may be gained when it is learned
that the floor dimensions of one of this
group are 614x579, another 552x475 and
still third 526x394. The machinery
building is 972 feet long and the fine
arts palace HOO feet in length. There
are miles Of aisle ways between exhibit
after exhibit in each of these buildings
and any attempt to ''write them up
would be folly. A good sized volume
would be required. My efforts will be
confined to this single letter.
The west section of the grounds is
given up to the buildings of foreign
nations, state buildings, live stock
exhibit, athletic field race track, etc.
Polo, auto racing, athletic meets,
baseball, aviation and like events are
almost continually taking place. Since
the death of Beachey, Americas loved
and daring airman here, lit will be
remembered he flew at Barton fair
two years ago. the craze for aviation
has temporarily subsidized.
Many of the foreign nations have
magnificent buildings and displays but
believe Canada, so far as its building
and contents are concerned, may easily
be awarded first honors. The displays
of several European nations are promi-
nent by their absence. Buildings of
some of the warning nations are incom-
plete and no apparent work is being
done upon them. Spaces in some of
the main buildings reserved for war
ring nations are labelled. Exhibition
in transit. So far as general exhib-
its in all departments are concerned, /
should give Japan first place.
The east end of the grounds, called
the "Zone" is given over to amuse.
ments to which admission is charged.
Many of these "shows'' represent
enormous outlays of money and some
are we'll worth attending. Panama
Canal" is perhaps the most prominent
and worthy. The management claim
the cost of the enterprise to be half g
million dollars. In short the whole OF
the canal zone is produced in miniature
relief, locks, wireless station and boats
going through the canal. The amphi
theatre is probably 300 to 400 feet Ions
and no detail is omitted Col. Goethal:
has put his official approval on every
thing An admission here gives one
very comprehensive idea of the canal
Other prominent concessions, "as the,
are called, are: The Battle of Gettys
burg, The Grand Canon of Arizona
Creation, The Dayton Flood. All thes
and many more are costly and homes
attempts to reproduce by canvas ant
miniature actualities the events O.
place from whence comes the name
In the various courts on the ground
are held band concerts and other enter
tainments and during my stay her,
several warships. submarines and othe
naval vessels have been anchored clos
by the north side of the grounds which
are on San Francisco sound, just insid
the Golden Gate, so called, the marrow
entrance way into the harbor. Oppor
tunity offered itself and I went aboart
e Of ~
Oregon, that ship which carried AID
miral Clark "a Vermonter) and hi
men around Cape Horn in record tim,
during the Spanish war. | also go
aboard Monitor another tuno o.