SUNDAY. APRIL 29. 1962
MEDFORD MAIL TRIBUNE. MEDFORD. OREGON
The Seattle World's Fair: A Glance into Living in the Future
Seattle, Wash.-Odds, ends and commcnLi from the lite the eye can tee dotting the surrounding hillsides; and a wide attractive. We also were told that one of the sculptures in
of Seattle World's Fair: swath cut across the edge of the hill and high over a stream, the entrance near the Fine Arts building was blown over,
The Alweg Monorail whisks Fairgoeri over a 1.2-mile the site of a 12-lane freeway into the heart of the city,
system from downtown Seattle to the grounds In 98 seconds.
There are those who have ridden it say It's not as smooth WATER WIND-WHIPPED
but if it had, all evidence had been removed.
a ride as it should be. We don't know about that; we didn't
think it was bad at all. It's certainly an improvement over
many of the old railroad tracks which produced a decided
rocking motion traveling at high speed.
Engineers, we heard, are working out what bugs re
main to produce a smooth, gentle ride. Alweg, we are sure,
wants such a condition if for no other reason than to use
it as an example for metropolitan areas considering a rapid
transit system, and Los Angeles county is one of them.
The potential for such a system certainly is there. The
question, however, is whether it would be economical at
this point; whether the people in the areas of concentrated
population would utilize such a system enough to pay for it.
But for any Fairgoer, a ride (and round trips are as com
mon as they are available) on the Monorail will be one of
the highlights.
GROUNDS TRANSPORTATION
Transportation on the grounds is anothtr problem
with on with weak feat, and lags with unusuad musclts.
So to solv this, thara ar various vehicles.
Electric-powarad taxis will taka you around th
grounds, or from one area io another (and thara is con
sidtrabl distance between th far ends of th grounds).
Train-lika gasoline powered uranga buses will take a
Fairgoer on a tour of th grounds so he can gat an
ida of what is whr.
Tuiday, water from th International Fountain in th
ctnttr of th Boulevards of th World was wind-whipped
across svral hundred fat of th grounds. But when
th wind's not blowing, and strong winds ar really
not common to Scattl w understand, th fountain
probably is beautiful) It Is Illuminated with colored
lights at night.
W did not in th fountain In full flowing order:
most of th timt wittr pound from but a fw of th
outlcli.
It is designed io b a breakthrough In the artistic
and decorative use of water.
WORLD'S LARGEST CAKE
In the center of the Food Circus is a 12 '-Hon cake billed
as the world's largest cake. Standing 30 feet high, it fea
tures Paul Bunyon at the top, and decorated in all colors.
WIRE TROUBLE DEVELOPS
Eating 'in the La Bal Con (on the balcony of the Food
Circus building), wire troubl dvlopd over an awn
ing of th restaurant. It shorttd out all overhead lights
in th imminii Armory, which produced a rather in
teresting light effect from th n or than SO food shops
housed in the building.
Th Fair's fir dpartmnt was called, and the irou
bl was rpaird before too long. Th xcitmnt era-
atad by th situation didn t last nearly as long as som
Fairgoars would like to hav it, but far too long for Fair
GREAT PRESS FACILITIES
Th press facilities here ar great. A press head
quart has been set up in a three-itory building.
Typewriter!, paper, information, packets, "canned"
releaiei, hourly attendance figures and any other as
pect of publicity for a World's Fair is available at one's
fingertips with the assistance of a staff who seems to
know just about where everything is.
Th wire service! and Weitern Union hav offices
set up in th building.
It is operated "like a newspaper office," according
to Bill McFarnland, public relations director. It's
crowded with desks, chairs, file cabinet!, coffee and
soft drink machine!, a candy machine, and telephone.
And it has the atmospher of "a newspaper office,"
an atmospher conducive to seeing the Fair from be
hind th keys of a typewriter.
a world of royalty where the exhibit is among the best
on the grounds.
A FINE FAIR
All in all, it's a fine Fair, well planned, arranged and
we hope well attended.
We believe it's worth a trip to Seattle this summer to
attend it.
officials,
CITY OF WIDE STREETS
The city of Seattle from the Space Needle is a city of STRONG WINDS
wide streets; tall buildings; waterfront piers; freight trains We heard Tuesday evening on reentering the grounds press PERSONALITIES
INVERTED UMBRELLAS
Food concession and souvenir stands throughout the
grounds have inverted umbrellas, gaily colored; but they
do present a problem at times.
Tuesday was a fine example.
When it rains, of course, the water is funneled Into the
center of the stand, spilling on merchandise, whether food
or souvenirs.
And when the wind blows the rain, like it did Tuesday,
half of the stand has to be closed off to prevent rain from
blowing it under the inverted umbrella.
But that's one of the penalties of being futuristic in de
sign to maintain the theme of life in the future at the Space
Age Fair.
along the edge of the sound; apartment houses stretching that the wind was so strong it blew over one of the many
skyward spotted throughout the city; residences as far as trees which have been planted to help make the grounds
Oregon Booth at
Fair Receives
Special Attention
Seattle, Wash. The Ore
gon booth at the Seattle
World's Fair will receive spe
cial attention In a magazine
circulated among the world's
architects.
Representatives from Pro
gressive Architecture, a mag
azine of international scope,
took photographs and infor
mation for a story about the
Oregon booth for the June
issue.
Only one other national ex
hibit at the Fair was included
in Progressive Architecture's
plans, and that was Den
mark's exhibit.
Both the buildings nd ex
hibits in each feature the use
of wood; in Oregon's it is na
tive woods, Including red
wood; in Denmark's it's wood
combined with steel to create
a modernistic structure for
displaying photographs,
charts, and models of Danish
life, business and resources.
Sunset Magazine also took
pictures of the Oregon booth,
but publication date was not
known.
Manning the Oregon exhib
it during the Fair are Miss
Sondra Jochimsen, Mrs. Shar
on Ritlerbush and Miss Joann
Shcpard, all of Salem who
have taken up temporary res
idence in Seattle.
Art Dub's world-record po
lar bear is exhibited against
a dark blue background illu
minated by spot lights in the
Alaska 'state exhibit in the
National Bank of Commerce
dome-shaped building.
Exhibited In the same build
ing is the world's largest
known brown bear, from Ko
diak island.
Amount of Money Spent at
Fair Depends Upon Interests
Seattle, Wash.-Thcre is no
question that it will cost you
to go to the Seattle World's
Fair, but the amount of money
spent depends on tastes, inter
ests, and just what the indi
vidual wants to do.
There are, of course, hous
ing bills, unless one is fortu
nate enough to have friends
with whom he can stay.
Housing can be arranged
through Expo-Lodging Serv
ice, Seattle Worlds Fair, Se
attle 9, Wash.
Cost of housing ranges from
regular hotel and motel rales,
to increased rates, despite
measures taken by the city
of Seattle to prevent boosts
in daily fares.
Increased Rates
Howard Hickman, Medford,
and Les Weiss, Portland, told
us rates at their hotel (and
they were there for an eight-
week Bell Telephone school)
were boosted as much as 19
per cent. As they said when
asked how they liked Seattle:
'We're bitter."
But not all hotels and mo
tels have increased rates, and
there are many of them, fine
looking hotels and motels,
within walking distance of the
Fair grounds.
Food also costs, and appar
ently, from what we heard,
the same situation exists as in
housing. Some eating estab
lishments have increased
prices, some have not. In our
hotel, the Sorrento, the prices
were about the samc-both for
lodging and mcals-as in any
of the better hotels in Med
ford or Portland.
High Priced Dinners
Our cullcaguos commented
about high priced dinners in
the Space Needle after pay
ing a dollar to get up there.
Dinners start about $6.50.
After paying $1 to get up
there, buying a cocktail, din
ner and after-dinner cocktail,
the bill runs up pretty high.
As a colleague said: "A
couple could blow $30 without
any trouble up there!
We didn't get a chance to
eat in the ye of the Needle
dining room, which is oper
ated by Western Hotels.
But consider a minute. Hav
ing the same type dinner, with
its cocktails, in one of Med
ford's or Portland's finer
eating places probably would
cost Just about as much. In
the Space Needle, you have
the added atmosphere of the
beautiful Seattle area passing
by.
Will Be Discouraged
However, because of the
cost of dinner, many people
will be discouraged from eat
ing there.
There are many other
places on the grounds which
serve delicious food, Ameri
can, European, Mexican, and
Oriental, at fairly reasonable
prices. Some of them, of
course, are a little high, but
there also are those within
reason.
One place on the grounds
where prices appear to be ex
cessive is on Show Street. In
Gracie Hansen's Paradise In
ternational, a 700-seat theater
restaurant on the Las Vegas
style, prices are high, with
admittance running about
$3, dinner starting about $7.30
and cocktails at $1.25. We
didn't go in the place.
For Entertainers
Prices for nationally-known
entertainers like Theodore
Bikel, folksinger, the Benny
Goodman orchestra, and Ella
Fitzgerald, range from $1.50
to about $5, depending upon
seating arrangements.
Most of the rides on the
Gayway are 35 cents, tossing
games 10 cents, and the Mon
rail ride 75 cents round-trip,
50 cents for adults one way
and 35 cents for children
one-way. Children's round
trip is 50 cents.
Products offered for sale
along the Boulevard of the
Worlds carry a wide range
of prices, and it depends on
how much one wants to spend
for what appear to be quality
products from foreign nations.
Rang of Prices
A hand-carved tcakwood
coffee table, for example, can
run as high as $450 to $500:
and carving sets and salad
servers offered in the Thai
land shop are $3.50, a bargain
of a souvenir for anyone.
The exhibits, of course, are
withput charge; they offer
nothing to sell, only viewing
and information. And the ex
hibits are elaborate displays
which constitute most of the
World's Fair..
If you have to depend upon
taxis for transportation-and
some people probably will
don't change your mind after
telling the driver where you
want to go. As soon as you
tell him (and he's usually a
friendly fellow or woman),
it costs 50 cents. They are
metered.
Comments on Fair
Generally Good in
First Few Days
FAST FILM SERVICE
IN BY 10 OUT AT 4:30
6 or 8 Exposure Roll M
Black and White WW
FAST COLOR SERVICE AVAILABLE
GOOD
UNTIL
MAY 19
Cut Out This Coupon
Thii Coupon, when prticnted to Central Retail Drug
5 with dtvttoptd KODACOLOK negative, entitles you to
5
JUMBO
Color Prints for
99
19c
ei.
reg,
additional ever S
29c .
a Reprints may b madt from my number of J
J Kodacolor Negatives already developed.
! COUPON GOOD UNTIL MAY 19, 1962
Central Drug
Main at Central S&H Grten Stamps SP 2-9431
Seattle, 'ash. - People are
the ones who really make "p
the Seattle World s Fair; the
people who design buildinKS
for exhibits, the exhibits
themselves, and the people
who attend.
If the people are not im
pressed, if they don't care
(or it, there is nothing faster
than spreading the dislike by
word of mouth.
But not so here. Comments
from the people who attend
generally have been good; in
many cases, words cannot ex
press the impressions, feel
ings and magnitude of the
Fair.
There arc. of course, those
who find nothing good in
anything, and even here this
person is found. There arc
some things at the Fair which
many people may not like.
Exampl of Latter
An example of the latter Is
Show Street, designed for
"adult entertainment." After
fivt days, Seattle city offici
als received enough com
plaints abou one show to
close It Wednesday, becau-e
of some "undesirable aspects. "
However, the closure prob
ably is better for the Fair
and the people because by the
grapevine we heard It was
really not worth the money.
For the most part though,
comments on the Fair are
good. One Texan, for exam
ple, was amatrd at the scope
and immensity of the grounds,
the buildings and the Fair in
general. For a Texan, that's
something.
Have Compliments
One of Seattle s tay' drivers
said that about 65 per cent of
hie riders to and from the
Fair have nothing but com
pliments about it. and express
amazement ocr itj offerings.
The real test, however. Is
the facial expressions of visi
tors on the grounds, the move
ment of people, children
shouting with excitement, the
ohs and ahs on viewing ex
hibits and when one sits down
the groans brought about by
tired feet anu jore legs.
Wednesday, when the
crowd was good, and the
grounds appeared somewhat
crowded, people bumped oth
er peop'e, they darted here
and there, they moved in
threes to a bench for two,
they bought foreign products
with surprise at the reason
able prices, they chased after
children who wanted to ride
this or that machine, and they
laughed with happiness be
cause they obviously were
having a good time.
And there arc all kinds of
people - bearded Americans,
clean-shaven Europeans, dig
nitaries from foreign nations
and America., business offi
cials, sport-shirted men from
many nations: women in col
ored hose, tight slacks, spiked
heels, oxfords, and children
of all ages darting into any
thing in their way.
When the crowd is large
and the streets and walks
swarming with people, the
Fair is at its best.
Som of th personalities frequenting th press head
quarters building: Alistair Cook, international col
umnist; Mary Brown of Industrial Design magazine; and
Olga Gueft, editor of Interiors magaiinc.
Telephone calls war mad regularly io New York,
Los Angeles, and other far-reaching points around th
country.
Other items of not In press headquarters: someone
sought th German television camera craw; tomeone
Is was looking for th recent issue of Tim magasin;
National Geographic magasin had several photogra
phers and writers on th grounds.
AMPLE PARKING SPACE
There appears to be ample parking space adjacent to
the grounds. At least there was last week; how it will be
later in the summer when more people are expeced may
be a different story.
An attractive multi-story parking lot is located across
the street (Mercer st.) from the Fine Arts building and the
arena. Other lots are spotted around the grounds, near
each of the gates.
Traffic last week wasn't too bad, at least from a taxi
riding standpoint; but here again, it may become more of
a problem later this summer.
A MAJOR DISAPPOINTMENT
Rides and other carnival-type games on th Gayway
hav little originality which goes along with th Fair's
theme of Century 21.
True, th rides hav fancy names like Space Whirl,
Bubble Bounce, Meteor and Calypso, but their design
isn't as far in the future as many of th rides in Disney
land. Th carnival area, which apparently Is a necessity
at any Fair regardless of sis and scop, is th ssm kind
of carnival one would sea at any slat or regional fair
any lima anywhere in th country.
ANOTHER DISAPPOINTMENT
Nowhere among the foreign or domestic shops are there
quality souvenirs-toys or othcrwise-for children. True, one
can purchase the average run of souvenirs at the colorful
stands throughout the grounds, but you can buy the same
ones in the downtown drug stores.
There are products from foreign countries which serve
as beautiful-and some of them inexpensive-souvenirs for
adults, but not for children.
INTO WORLD OF FUTURE
Our colleagues expressed disappointment in th Stat
of Washington's financed "World of Tomorrow" exhibit
in which th Fairgoer is taken into the world of th
future by a "bubbleator." They indicated there was
too much us of transparencies and not enough models
or demonstrations.
Wa didn't wait in line to see th exhibit, housed in
an aluminum cubed affair, illuminated by various
colored lights. Th structure Itself, inside th Il-acr
coliseum, is attractive In a monstrous sort of a way,
with its aluminum cubes jutting out in all directions
above th Fairgoer's head.
THE GATHERING CROWDS
Crowds gather at the major attractions-thc Space Needle,
the Washington stale coliseum, the U.S. Science pavilion,
and the Food Circus; lines form at the Needle, in the coli
seum and the Science pavilion, but they move pretty fast
for the latter exhibit.
The other lines move slower, especially for going into
the Space Needle restaurant, where waits may range up to
three or more hours.
A LINER ARRIVES
W watched trom our sixth-floor room in th Sor
rento Wednesday morning the arrival of th liner Mat
sonia for a one-night stay in Seattle before sailing for
Hawaii.
Its whiteness was bright in th gryness of a cloudy,
rainy morning, circled by a fir boat pumping water
through its hoses, creating whit streams like th legs
of a spider. Overhead a helicopter circled as three
tugs approached to ease the Matsonia into Pier 26.
One of the slick, streamlined ferries on the sound
made an out-of-the-way circl so passengers could view
the liner.
A LONG-TIME LEASE
And if you can't make It during th Fair, when you
ar in Scattl, take a rid up in th Space Needle anyway.
It'll be worth th trip.
Western Hotels, which operate th restaurant in th
Needle, hav a 20-year leaie on it, so it's not likely to go
out of business when th Fair ends.
PARADES. CONCERTS COMMON
Parades are common on the Fair grounds, and concerts
by various uniformed bands are conducted regularly in the
Stale Flag Pla;a.
ROYAL COLORS NOTABLE
A note to Fair goers:
Observe the royal colors, and th plush carpet in th
entrance to Great Britain's exihibit. It takas you into
The stories and pictures,
with th exception of th
aerial view and night view
of the U.S. Science Pavil
ion, ar by Earl H. Adams,
city editor of th Mail Trib
une who was at Seattle
World's Fair three days last
week.
; lli fpl tiiiii
llswro iinriBiiis
At night, th Fair grounds change in a mass of colors.
Fair Is World in A Nutshell
When Compared to Other Fairs
Seattle, Wash. The Se
attle World's Fair is the
world in a 75-acre nutshell,
a relatively small nutshell,
compared to the acreage of
past world's fairs.
It is the world of the past,
present and future crowded
into beautifully landscaped
grounds; it is the people of
the world mingling with each
other with a language com
mon to anyone attending a
Fair of this scope.
It is a world of industry,
commerce, entertainment, art
and whatever else one wants
crowded into a sprawling area
close to the heart of Seattle.
And it is a world we rec
ommend visiting, studying,
looking, enjoying, and return
ing to be sure not to miss
anything, if that's possible.
Thursday's Attendance
As of Thursday morning,
191,423 paid admissions en
tered the grounds; in the
first five days of the Fair,
13H.000 rode the Alweg Mon
orail. The crowds have been con
siderably lower than Fair of
ficials expected during the
first few days, and there are
several factors which have
caused it. For one thing. Fair
officials themselves told Se
attle area residents to leave
the car at home and ride the
bus to the Fair because of the
anticipated crowds; they left
the cars at home all right,
but the residents stayed with
them.
Another factor in lower at
tendance is the weather. It
really hasn't been conductive
to good attendance. Monday,
it was beautiful; Tuesday, it
was showery and windy; Wed
nesday, it was partly cloudy
and attendance was up a lit-
London-il'PP The space cap
sule that carried U.S. astro
naut John 11. Glenn Jr. around
the earth will be exhibited
here for (our days beginning
May 13, according to the U.S.
Embassy.
ELECT
RALPH A. JAMES
Democratic Candidal for
COUNTY JUDGE
EXPERIENCED RESPONSIBLE
Pd Pol Adv hv l
Juflgt. Jen M.llj, C"
'1 lr CiV.fv
"2 Ait S'.
SKY JOBS
tie; this morning (Thursday).
it is raining, and it looks like
it might last most of the day.
Last week end, we were
told, the weather was rainy,
resulting in a lower opening
attendance than expected.
But crowds are expected to
pick up, and there is every
reason to believe they will.
Schools will be out soon, and
the vacation season will actu
ally get started. This is bound
to have an increasing effect
on attendance.
How this attendance at the
World's Fair will affect Ore
gon is hard to say at this time,
but it will have some effect.
From Many States
Robert Drager, of the Ore
gon department of planning
and development, said about
1 out of 10 Fair visitors passes
through the rest area. This
means, on the basis of present
20,000 people may have view
ed the work of Bob Bosworth
and Armin Richter.
Some of them, of course,
are Oregonians like Mr.
and Mrs. Jack Sides of Med
ford but for the most part
they are from other states,
some of them as far cast as
the Ney England states.
Literature from throughout
the state is available for the
taking, and many visitors
have indicated they plan to
visit Oregon, some of them
this year, some of them in the
future.
On warm summer days this
year, the Oregon booth will
be popular; and Bosworth, wa
believe, used much foresight
in designing a booth which
not only advertises Oregon's
most popular resource, but
also actually gives the visitor
a taste of fresh mountain air
paid admissions, that almost by a fresh water stream.
mm
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