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About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (June 2, 1901)
LEWIS AND CLARK CENTENNIAL AND AMERICAN PACIFIC EXPOSITION A ParK for tKe City Proposition of tKe Sell-wood Sub-Board of Trade to tKe People of Portland and tKe NortK-west City "Vie-w ParK Tract Its Location and Its Advantages for ParK Purposes. 4 It seems to be the custom, In the United States at least, to make the great exposi tions commemorative of some important historical event In our history. The- first of any considerable importance in the United States -was the Centennial Exposi tion at Philadelphia in 187S, celebrating tha anniversary of one of the greatest events in our history. Then came the Columbian Exhibition at Chicago in 1S93 in commemoration of the discovery by Cqlumbus of this continent 403 years be fore. There have been other lesser exhi bitions celebrating less important events in our history. And now we are to have an exposition at Portland, the metropolis of the great Northwest, celebrating the ; one hundredth anniversary of the visit of the Lewis and Clark expedition to this territory, which helped to bring about Its acquisition by the United States. This acquisition wa f ilemnse importance not only to the territory acquired, but to the whole Nation, and the circum stances leading up to It should be cele brated appropriately. The coming of those , brave explorers was one of those circum stancesthe most Important one. perhaps and every citizen of Oregon and Wash ington, at least, should feel an interest in celebrating it as it should be celebrated. This, for many reasons, can best be done in the way of an exposition in which not only every state of our union, but other nations, to some extent, shall participate. Of course, the prime object of all the expositions in our own country has been to -call the attention of the whole civil ized world to the vastness and variety of our natural resources, and the superior ity of our machinery and other articles of manufacture. How well this has been done and how well it has succeeded in bringing about the desired result, the enormous Increase in our export trade In recent years abundantly shows. To show to the World, and especially to the other sections of our own country, the great re sources of the Northwest, and to Induce capitalists to come here and aid in de velop!ng those resources, is the one su preme object of the Lewis and Clark Cen tennial. . The Location. One of the first, and also one of the most essential things to be considered in the inauguration of a great exposition is the location or site, and on the selec tion thereof the success of the undertak ing may largely depend. It Is very de sirable that a good impression be made on all visitors to the fair, for a failure to do this would mean a failure of the object. for which, to a large extent, the fair is to be undertaken. Visitors must go away feeling that they have been well repaid for coming; that they have learned much that they could have learned nowherfc.else. They must obvious ly be given every opportunity for learning of the advantages to be gained from in vestments here in mining and other in dustries, tho abundance and superior qual " . ,t---- z.:frffPww?:Mp- ity of our fruit, and the profits to be derived from farming and stockralslng, If properly conducted. But to the grand eur and beauty of our scenery their at tention need Hat be particularly directed. They will see. and admire it for them selves, and as many of them probably a large majority will for various reasons be unable to take excursions to the va rious points of interest while here, they will get their impressions of Oregon scenery largely from the surroundings of the exposition grounds, and the views which may be obtained therefrom. This being the case, that site, in the vicinity of the city, which possesses the greatest natural beauty is the one that should be selected, providing, of course, that it also possesses the other features that make the Ideal location for an exposition. That City View Park a view of which Is pre sented on this page embodies all those requirements is admitted by every one who is at all familiar with it. That it Is the best site for an exposition to be found anywhere In the vicinity of Port land, those who see It with unprejudiced eyes must admit. Its Natural Beauty. Nature has done so much to make this an ideal location for an exposition that but little remains to be done by the art of man. This tract contains nearly 178 acres, and Is situated on the east bank of the "Wil lamette River, within the limits of the City of Portland, three and one-half miles from the Morrison-street bridge. Adjoin ing this, tract of 178 acres there Is enough available land, equally well situated, to double the area should It be found neces sary to have more room for the fair. This whole tract with the exception of a few small groves, which with little labor can be made ornamental Is cleared and most of it has been under cultivation. The part of this tract where the exposi tion buildings would be located is a level plat, nearly square, and containing about 7C acres, at an elevation of about 85 feet above the river. On the west side of this plateau, the ground slopes, not too abruptly, toward the river. Between the foot of this slope and the river is a strip of low land 60 or 70 yards wide at the south or narrow end, and widening grad ually to thej northwest corner of the plateau, where It expands to about a quarter of a mile In width, the high ground on the north side sloping more abruptly to the lower level. Between this low land and the river is a natural em bankment, extending toward the north for nearly half a mile, and forming a peninsula, when at' certain periods the low land is covered with water. On this em bankment, suitable steamboat landings can be made for the convenience of those who desire to come to the exposition by that route. On this low land It Is pro posed to make artificial lakes which have THE SUNDAY Site 'of tKe Exposition como to be considered one of the essen tial features of expositions in recent years and It is evident that but little exca vating would be required to Insure a suffi cient depth of water at any time. This low land contains about S3 aqres, which would be sufficient for the lakes and other beautifying features. On these slopes, on the west and north, are many large trees remnants of the grand old forest now so rapidly disappearing under the destruc tive hand of man. These trees will add much to the beauty of the place and will cast a delightful shade upon the paths that will lead from the exposition grounds to the lakes. With reference to the lakes It may be said that a channel can easily be cut connecting them with the river so as to make them accessible to launches and other small boats. From any part of the plateau, before mentioned, the lover of Nature can look upon scenes that would delight an artist. On the west, and visible for two or three miles of its course toward the north, flows the beautiful Willamette River, re flecting In Its glassy surface as in a mir ror the luxuriant foliage along its banks and the lofty hills beyond. On the em bankment, or peninsula, near the grounds, are several large oak trees, their Avlde ly spreading branches shading a consid erable surface of the grassy bank. Further down this peninsula, and ex tending to Its termination, is a beautiful oak grove which has been used frequent ly by picnic parties for many years. It Is one of those rare spots where Na ture, In one of her generous moods, has done all the beautifying, leaving nothing for man to do but enjoy It. From this grove may be had a fine view of the broad and placid river, looking Ilko a huge mirror in the deep shadow of the hills beyond. To the north, through tho openings In the foliage and across the beautiful ex panses of water, may bo seen glimpses of the City of Portland, and a little to .the east the splendid white cone of Mount St. Helens towers above the -surrounding landscape. Still farther to the right Mount Adams looms up in the greater distance. To the east we look across beautiful green fields and wooded slopes and see the gi gantic crest of Mount Hood rising in si lent grandeur above the Intervening hills. Those of qur visitors who admire-the gi gantic rocks, the towering mountains, or tho mighty rush of water, can see them in bewildering profusion on any of the routes from the East, and by the time they arrive In Portland they will be long ing for a change to quieter sceneB. Where is the lover of Nature and art who will not turn from a picture of El Capltan Rock or the mighty cliffs of the Columbia to one of a softly rippling stream whose grassy banks are shaded by beautiful trees between which arp seen the green fields and woodlands with hills rising In the blue distance? The former awe us with their Immensity, but the lat ter reminds us of the happy days of childhood and the dear old home we loved so well. We look at the towering rocks till the eyes ache and the brain Is weary, but the quiet pastoral scene rests and re freshes us with its beauty. With these charming scenes Nature has surrounded City View Park, and added a touch of the awe-lnsplring In the distant, snow-clad peaks. Other Advantages of Tills Site. In selecting a site for an exposition there are many things of a practical na ture to be considered. The more import OKEGONIAN, PORTLAND, i4,WHERE ROLLS THE OREGON." City "View ParK Tract, ant of theser are: "Transportation facili ties, water, light and power, sewerage. Trnniortntlori. The matter of the transportation" of freight and passengers Is one which those who select a site for an exposition must consider carefully, for success depends largely thereon. Every possible- facility must be given to the exhibitors for get ting their exhibits to and from" the ex position, and every convenience must be afforded the visitors also. In this par ticular, City View Park, is unequaled by any site In the vicinity of Portland. On the east side of the grounds there are al ready two lines of transportation, the Southern Pacific Railway, from which a spur would be built to the grounds, and the Portland City & Oregon Electric Rail way, whose elegant and commodious pas senger cars run through the grounds. Either of these lines would be able to take care of all the freight and. passen ger business which would come to them. On the west Is the river, affording a pleas ant ride by boat between the fair grounds and the city; and on the west bank of the river is one of the Southern Pacific Com pany's lines of railway. The City & Sub urban Railway Company's electric cars are now running to a point opposite Sell wood and the fair grounds. Passengers from these lines will cross the river to the fair grounds by means of a ferry or a bridge, as shown In the Illustration. The City & Suburban Railway Company also has a line completed half way out from the city on the East Side, which will be extended to this suburb In time for the exposition business. There are also good roads and good bicycle paths on both sides of the river for those who wish to ride or drive for pleasure. If there is any site In tho vicinity of Port land with equal facilities for getting to and from the grounds, we have yet to hear from it. "Water 'Supply. The matter of the water supply is prob ably the most Important of any to "be con sidered In selecting a location for an ex position. There are many other things which we "consider necessary to our com fort or pleasure, but water, and plenty of It, Is absolutely Indispensable to our existence. And for a fair, like the Lewis and Clark Centennial is expected to be, wo must not only have water, but It must be In almost unlimited abundance. In this particular City View Park offers all that could be desired. A large main, convey ing "Bull Run" water from tho Mount Tabor reservoir to Sellwood runs through the grounds. This would afford an am ple supply for drinking purposes. And for sprinkling and other purposes, an unlim ited supply may easily be drawn from the river with A-ery little additional expense, as the power supply for the fair must be sufficient for operating all machinery, including that for raising water. Light and Power. In these days of remarkable advance ment In science and mechanics, when wonders have ceased to astonish us, that silent, mysterious and powerful agent called electricity comes so constantly into our daily existence that we can hardly conceive of any great enterprise that does not depend upon It to a greater or less degree. At all great expositions now It Is one of the chief features of beauty and, utility. It furnishes all the light and In some cases as tho Pan-American Expo sitionnearly all the power. In this re spect tho City View Park slto has su JUNE' 2, 1901. Adjoining Sell wood. perior advantages. The wires of the Port land General Electric Company -from Ore gon City to Portland run through the grounds, and from them a current of suffi cient power for lighting and other pur poses may be obtained. What Niagara Is to the Pan-American Exposition, Willam ette Falls should be to the Lewis and Clark Centennial, source of energy inex haustible and well nigh unlimited. An other electric plant of considerable mag nitude will be In operation before the fair of 1005. It is being constructed by the City & Suburban Railway Company some miles east of the city. It will be operated by water power and will furnish sufficient electrical energy not only for running the cars on the various lines of the company In and around the city, but for lighting and other purposes. Sen-erase. In the very Important matter of sew erage or drainage, the situation of the fair grounds at City View Park is un excelled. Here the ground slopes grad ually toward a small stream on the east and more abruptly to the river on tho west, reducing to the minimum the labor necessary in making a complete system of drainage, which is obviously one of the necessities of a great fair. Our two great expositions the "Centen nial," In 1S7C. and the "Columbian," In 1S93 were located In parks, places which Nature and art had combined to render beautiful. Such a location Is desirable, for the visitors to an exposition are like ly to judge of tho thrift and enterprise of the city largely from the attractive ness of the exposition grounds It has provided. Portland now has no park that Is at all suitable as a site for a great fair. Portland's present park Is an at tractive place, but It has been made so almost solely by the work" of man. Port land Is growing. It has already outgrown Its park, and every citizen who Is at all Interested In parks and who is not? has for some time recognized the necessity of another. And the coming park to meet tho tODular demand must b located I on the river bank, near the city, and , where unadorned beauty from the hand of tho Creator awaits only a touch from the art of man to render it an earthly paradise. Knowing that the desire for an other park is strong In the hearts of Port land people, the Sellwood -Sub-Board of Trade has taken up the matter of supply ing tho need, and It asks and should ob tain the hearty co-operation of the entire city and vicinity. It is proposed to buy the tract of land here described and il lustrated, put It In suitable condition for the purposes of the exposition, and at Us close In the Autumn of 1003 to pre sent it with all Its Improvements to the City of Portland, to bo used forever as a public park. It Is expected that a building to be used for an art gallery dur ing the fair shall be constructed of such material as to make it suitable for a permanent museum and art gallery, to be given to the city as part of the parlc An art gallery Is one of the chief features of all great expositions, and It should be one of the features of a public park. A committee frpm the Sellwood Sub-Board of Trade having In charge the purchase of the City View Park tract, for the pur poses before mentioned, called on Hon. H. W. Corbett, president of the First National Bank of Portland, Or., and at their request Mr. Corbett kindly con sented that this bank might be used as a depository for tho funds which shall be contributed for that purpose. Contribu tions will also be received there and re ceipts given, and In case any circum stance should arise making necessary the abandonment of the enterprise, tho money be returned to the contributors on pre sentation of receipt at the bank. This Is certainly an enterprise in which every citizen of Portland and vicinity should be Interested, and it Is hoped that the peo ple will contribute liberally therefor. Concerning the desirability of City View Park as a site for the fair of 1003 much more might be taid, but lack of space for bids tha mention of all Its advantages. In addition to the drives and bicycle paths already mentioned, there is, on the west bank of the river, a fine macadam ized boulevard leading from the city to a point a short distance above Sellwood. Crossing the bridge to the fair grounds and thofice east to Willsburg, this drive way will connect with a similar one which It Is proposed to build through the Wills tract and the Ladd farm and thence back to the city. This boulevard, following the river, with its charming scenery, for three miles, and returning on the East Side through green fields, is a drive that for attractiveness can hardly be excelled in the Northwest. Another point of Interest which no vis itor to the fair should omit from his Itinerary Is the beautiful falls of the Willamette at Oregon City. Here are also located an Immense electric plant and paper mills which are well worth visiting. This attractive point may be reached from the proposed fair grounds by three routes, the river, the electric cars and the Southern Pacific Railway. On the two last-named routes the trip may be made In 30 minutes. The Lewis and Clark Centennial Expo sition should be of immense value to the Northwest, and 4t will be if rightly man aged. The people of the Pacific Coast, and especially those of Oregon, Washing ton and Idaho, are Interested directly In this fair, and they should put forth every effort to make It a grand success. In order to succeed we must bo sure we are right at tho beginning. Let the first step of the road to success bo taken now by selecting tho best site for our great ex position. Let no considerations except those of natural beauty and adaptability enter Into tho choice. If this Is done we shall have taken a long step toward that end for which the fair Is undertak en, and the centennial anniversary of the visit of Lewis and Clark to this Coast will be celebrated amid tho scenic beauties that surround City View Park. CHARLES K. BURNSIDE. TO ADVERTISE THE FAIR. Mrs. "Weathcrretl Pulats Ont an Op portunity. " BUFFALO, N. Y.,May 21. (To the Ed itor.) The 1S05 exposition is already buz zing along the Atlantic slope, and every day people are asking of the Oregon dele gation something In reference to the mat ter. Manufacturers represented here In Buf falo are questioning us as to the advisa bility of their displaying their wares In Oregon. The sentiment has so far ad vanced, and the knowledge of our inten tions of holding an Important exposition, that to let our enthusiasm in the mat tor subside would be suicide of the state's future interests. While there Is no doubt as to Oregon's good intentions, and the enthusiasm of the citizens of the North west, yet you are losing ground. Here at the Pan-American Exposition is the means through which to establish the sen timent and send It on to Its many mis sions. You can not realize what It would mean to do some practical advertising at the present time throughout the East. Local enthusiasm is one thing, but prac tical enthusiasm Is what wo want. Hera wo need banners, buttons and badges. In Orogon you should supply every business house, office and private residence with stationary, calling attention to the 1003 exposition to be hold on the Ccast. Tho citizens of Oregon are sometimes very lib eral. They give generously to a Fourth of July celebration for they can hear the bands and see money go up In skyrockets and red fire. Yet they can not see a dry dock,, smelter or a factory until tho real thing appears. When the first plans for an exposition at Portland presented it self, personally I could not favor It. think ing that a small affair was decidedly Ira practicable, and that a large one was im possible. After having given tho subject much thought and consideration, I am oC the opinion that It Is both practicable and possible for the Northwest to draw tho attention of tho East to our resources and. opportunities, through the Lewis and Clark Exposition, and that It can be made, a great affair. Expositions are not considered "fads," as a few short-s!ghted-ad narrow peoplo have seemed fit to call them, but, by tho wise and thoughtful public, they aro recognized as one of the best mediums o education of the day. Hero one Is given the opportunity to study every portion of; the country; here Is a department to ln t.,ro:t nml instruct evcrv calling of man. The East and Middle Westhe SflHtb. and. ; North already have their eyfisAxuraed on, Portlanu tor -iyw. .every u.j wmca " inquiry" for llteraturo -pertaining- to tho i' matter. Reporters are -Interviewing U3 and wa are endeavoring to give them a correct magnitude of our future exposition. Can not the good citizens of Portland get to-, gether enough money with which to havtf printed banners, badges and buttons? Wo are already, at this side of the continent to give vbu a helping hand in spreading the news. The Oregon State Press As sociation, which leaves Portland for Buf falo June 3, should bo loaded with Lewis' and Clark advertising matter. When tho editors of the United States thoroughly understand that Oregon's exposition is an assured fact, we will have their assistance In every way possible. Take the money that would have flliea President McKlnley and party with car riage rides, champagne and salads, and advertise that which will mean millions of dollars to the Northwest. It Is a difficult matter for some who re main in one locality to grasp Ideas pre sented by those who come in contact with conditions on the outside of the circle. But thoughtful people should understand and act accordingly. Much time was lost In selecting a name. More time will be lost In selecting a site, while valuable opportunities are wasting which, would create a universal sentiment in favor of the 1003 exposition that would put It on a firm foundation during this year. The Pan-American Exposition has been made successful through its previous advertis ing. Let Portland profit therefrom and we can accomplish in six months at Buf falo that which would require two years without this practical medium. There 13 nothing to hinder a grand success of our project if local enthusiasm is backed by a few dollars for immediate advertising. EDYTH TOZIER WEATHERRED. A Dangerous Lender. Richmond Times. What would have become of us had wo adopted Mr. Bryan's silver policy? And what would have become of the poor Filipinos had we followed Mr. Bryan's advice, and left Agulnaldo with a freo hand and an open field? We are very proud of Editor Bryan, and we admire his honesty and hUJ courage, but we have never been willing to accept hlrn as a leader.
