Evening star., 1939-05-21
Past Dramatized
For Visitors al
Golden Gate Fair
Blooms Contribute
To Beauty Of
Treasure island
BY KAY DANIELS.

Treasure Island
BY KAY DANIELS.
SAN FRANCISCO, May 20 (N.A.
N.A).-San Francisco is like 20
other city in the world. Here for
the first time to see the Golden
Gate International Exposition, this
reporter finds herself fascinated by
the beauty of the city itself.
Outside the business areas, white
houses flanked by green trees and
flowers seem to be sliding down the
steep hills as you roll about the
town, but the best view of all is the
one you get from Colt Tower, where
you can look out over the city, the
bay and the ocean, see the Golden
Gate Bridge on one side. the San
Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge on
the other, with Alcatraz off in the
distance, and, looking the other
way-TreaSure Island.
Isle of Blooms.
Treasure Island, you know, was
actually created for the Golden Gate
Fair. The soil, having been pumped
up out of the ocean, was then de-
salted so that plant life might -four
lsh on it and this feature of the
island alone is worth seeing. Crystal
clear lakes, lagoons and great foun-
tain displays are bordered with long
beds of white and purple hyacinths.
White peach blossoms grow in pro-
fusion. Beds of red poppies nod
with the winds and in front of two
of the buildings are the Persian
carpets" Two large plots. which
are best seen from the air, are
planted with vari-colored flowers to
simulate Persian rug.
One thing you should bear in
mind if you are fair minded. The
Golden Gate Exposition and the
World Fair in New York are as diff
ferent as they are far apart. See
them both if you can, and marvel
at the contrast. The theme of the
World Fair is the world of tomor-
row. The Golden Gate Fair seems
to grow out of the past, bringing to
life the Spanish, Mexican, Indian
and other exploits leading up to the
settlement of the West. In this con-
nection, the Indian exhibit is one of
the most interesting in the fair.
Besides the exhibits. you will see the
''Cavalcade of the Golden West" in
colorful pageant. The art treas
ures imported for this fair include
the works of Michelangelo, BotticeIli
and other masters.
Old Feudal Castle Transported.
The japanese Building is a good
example of the Old World atmos-
phere of the international section.
The exhibit inside the building is
not particularly good, but the build
ing is splendid old feudal castle of
the 14th century, brought here piece
by piece and assembled on Treasure
Island. task which presented con-
siderable difficulty Some $50 rocks
from the Sacred Mountains of
Japan" surround the castle. On
the lake you will see japanese, in
straw coats and crude wooden boats,
at cormorant fishing. Hundreds of
fish are planted in the lake and the
cormorant-a bird with a long neck
and beak-is let down by a string
to catch the fish. A brass ring
circles the birds neck to prevent
it from swallowing the fish. When
pulled up the bird drops the fish
into the boat.
In general, the fair buildings are
mixture of modern and California
architecture that blends the SIM
plicity of the old missions with goth
century streamlining. Impressive
are the Elephant Courts, the Court
OF the Moon, the Court of the Seven
Seas, with their pastel walls and
extravagant murals, on which the
lights play at night. And you must
see the colored lights, which are an
outstanding feature of the fair. The
Federal Building, with it's 48 columns
OF unpainted California Redwood,
presents an unusual sight.
Trains Draw Crowds.
The railroad, which has played
such an important part in the build
ing OF the West, attracts both chill
dren and grown-ups to its exhibit.
The main exhibit shows trains run
ming along the Santa Fe Trail,
through the Grand Canyon, with
familiar hotels and stations along
the way built to scale. Surmount-
ing the Grand Canyon" is a repro
duction of the super-chief engine,
one-half the actual size. Close by
Bethlehem Steels reproduction of a
tower of the Golden Gate Bridge is
something to see, as we'll as the
other mechanical and motor exhibits
in the same building.
This is as far as I am able to
take you on Treasure Island, in so
small space, but I must tell you
about the principal clubs at the
fair. The exclusive one, Yerba
Buena, with its founders bar, is
"for members only" Here Frances
Elkins, who is responsible for the
decor, has gathered together a
startling combination of the modern
in gold, silver and natural woods,
with a dash of the Victorian in
drapes and accessories. 1t affords
very pleasant rendezvous. One
of the most popular clubs is the
Press Club, the mecca of the news
paper crowd, where drinks are not
too high and the food is good. Cafe
terias and restaurants of foreign
vintage on the Fair Grounds are
well attended. OF course, there is a
CIavwav or ano,cepoapt ooptor b,,t
our time did not stretch over this
part of the fair. We leave it to you.
(Released by the North American