Arizona republican., 1915-09-04
 Over Hundred Thousand People Gather at Panama Pacific International Ex- position Grounds to Wit ness Burning of Mortgage CANCEL DEBT OF
 OVER $1,200,OOO Twelve Million People Up to Date Have Entered Exposition Gates and Fair IS Out of Debt Before Half Over
By HAMILTON M. WRIGHT (Editor Panama Pacific International
 Exposition)
(By Direct Wire)

| (By Direct Wire)
 | EXPOSITION GROUNDS. SAN FRANCISCO, Sept 3-"Out of Debt" night, marking a new epoch in ex- positions. was celebrated at the Pana- ma-Pacific International Exposition this evening. Over a hundred thou sand people gathered to view the magnificent funeral pyre and pageant for the burning of the mortgages and 1 to participate in a carnival of re- | joicing
 Cancelled notes aggregating s1,2OO.- 900 held by the San Francisco banks on the opening of the exposition and since paid off were burned. The last note to be paid was for $11O159:O2 for which President Charles c. Moore handed check to James F. Fagen of the San Francisco clearing house. receiving therefrom the cancelled note Twelve million people up to date have entered the gates of the exposi- ton. This means that the exposition IS entirely out of debt, and San Fran cisco has established a precedent
 The exercises began at S:30 o'clock with the burning of the mortgage. It was a colorful pageant that greeted the immense throng that crowded the
 Marina and extended far back into
 the Court of the Universe. On a Dais of Persian rug, lamberiant vine and radiant light, President c. C.
 Moore, William Howard Taft and the directors of the exposition partici-
 pated in the ceremonies which were spectacular and magnificent.
 At the back of the platform were
 
 ent factors in Western Life. They
 were the Indian, the Padre, the Pion-
 ger and the cavalryman. President
 Moore received the mortgage from Fagen and with it in hand amidst | the rousing cheers of the populace
 summed up the history of the expo
 sition, it's trials. its tribulations and its ultimate fortitude in rising above the wave of optimism and expressing a success as yet unheard of in the history of all expositions. that of be- ing out of debt before the exposition Twas half over. In his speech Presi- ident Moore referred to the four char lacters at the back of the platform. twho bowed in turn as the honor was Iaccorded them.
 At the mention of labor four fig lures, representing the teamster, the Icarpenter, the painter and the cleo ltrician, descended the stairs, illus Itrating each his part in the work. They were followed by a heroic fig lure carrying a sledge hammer. Back of him were three gardeners, four
 men representing energy carried logs and placed them upon the funeral pyre. Two young men, symbolic of
 genius, touched the characters rep resenting energy, whereupon archi- lecture and construction entered the drama, followed by a beautiful young
 woman bearing a torch. Her name Twas Imagination and to her was laccorded the duty and honor of set ting the pyre ablaze.
 EX-President William Howard Taft. amid a storm of applause and to the music of "The Star Spangled Banner placed the mortgage upon the funeral pyre. A great burst of pyrotechnics. whistles and sirens not only at the exposition but throughout the city I proclaimed the rejoicing populace that the exposition had come into its own. | After the ceremonies the zone was crowded with merrymakers and the evening until midnight was given over to the carnival spirit.