Show MIDWINTER FAIR an account of the opening 0 ceremonies of the great exposition nothing was lacking to make the official opening of the california midwinter international exposition a success in every sense of the word in the first place the sun came up tip gloriously in a sk sky as clear as a bell and all day long it shone down upon happy san francisco happy was she in the thought that it was her lot to be cradled in the lap of a land where such weather is a midwinter possibility and proud was she that she had ad to place before the thousands of people who visited her fair on that day a profir program adof of such excellence and of such unimpeachable attractiveness the opening exercises took place on a grand stand especially erected for this occasion with a seating kating ca lacity of the seats were all taken and tens of thousands of visitors gathered galli ered on the greensward in front of the speakers platform the total number of people who passed through the turnstiles turn stiles was nearly ten thousand of these were in the procession which marched in triumph to the exposition ground there v bere iere ere more bands in this street pageant than were ever before seen in san francisco fran sec half a dozen of these these musical organizations occupying a place on the 0 grand rand stand joined in unison in t the he patriotic features of the musical program when the opening overtures I 1 had ad been played james D phelan the be president of the day made ilia hia address introducing at its close the rt rev bishop N nichols ichols who offered up the invocation the assemblage stood with uncovered heads in the warm midwinter sun aun with the green hills towering above them and not a harsh element clementin in the theair air blew across their brows people from the east took off their top coats on this of january and made of them cushions for their seats seals As the he bishop called upon the almighty to make glad the heart of everyone present in this land of sunshine fruit and flowers each visitor from the snowbound districts undoubtedly iv said amen the scene was one that no do stranger could fail to be impressed with and so it was when the governor of california hon H H markham came to extol the managers of the exposition for the wonderful things they had accomplished within the five short months which have passed since the original conception of the idea on every und hand were material evidences of the beauty and power of this great empire state of the pacific and when director general 31 H de young to whose f fertile brain and untiring energy california owes this exposition when he arose to deliver his address a mighty shout went up and honor was there accorded to whom was due mr tie de young bore his honors modestly best of all his speech was short and when mrs de young was asked to press the button which should set the machinery in motion she did so gracefully and this was all there was to the f formal ceremonies of the opening of the great midwinter fair the act of starting starling of the machinery was signalized signalizes by the shriek of evey whistle in the exposition grounds by the blare and fanfare of the artillery within full sight of the assembled multitudes on the alie same spot when evening fell there was a grand dis display P lay of fireworks but in the interim in tho the recreation ground was desert ed for everybody mado made a grand rush as soon as the opening exercises were over to visit the main buildings of the exposition and to patronize the features it muttered mattered not that flint some of the exhibits were incomplete as yet for thero there was enough to keep all eyes and all thoughts husy busy during what was left of the short afternoon and everything finished ailt 0 unfinished was wag novel ind and unique ta everybody it was in the concessions however that the dolid holiday ay spirit of the crowd was made more prominently manifest the 49 mining camp immediately established itself as one of the most popular institutions in tile the exposition seven thousand people paid their way into this concession on c opening day the firth wheel carried nearly six thousand the scenic railway was loaded down and far into night tho the wild animal arens arena the ostrich farm the indian encampments Encamp ments tha hawaiian Vil village loge the vienna prater heidelberg castle that th aquarium the sea lions the colorado gold mine and the scores of other concessions conces gions did a big business and everybody seemed satisfied with the patronage they received all thi this established beyond P doubt the popularity of the midwinter exposition since the opening day there has been an average daily attendance of people or as many as paid admission to the the great worlds columbian exposition during the first few days after the off official leial opening visitors are loud in the their 1 ir praise of what they have see seen n and are re freely predicting that the exposition will be an immense success the exposition management begin to feel ai a 8 if they could take time for a good nights rest now and again for their undertaking has now been fairly launched and they are re willing to trust its dr drawing awing powers to prove sufficient for its satisfactory con continuance for the entire term of six months the great g lory glory of a california winter is just now at t its height people riding in the open street cars read of the blizzards and snow blockades that harass their eastern friends and once more the word of welcome passes along every line of eastern railroad come to Cali california califern forn i a see the great midwinter fair and get ff warm arm |