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Show WILSON PRESSES TELEGRAPH KEY IN WHITE HOUSE By International News Service. WABHIN'GTON, Feb. 20. President Wilson stood at a little tnblo f n the rcat East room of thrj White hou.to at o'clock this afternoon and held down tho key of a gold telegraph intnj;n''iit for a few brief peconds. The connection formed by the eh. fling fl-ing of that koy sent an impulse fhtuh-ing fhtuh-ing across tho continent direct into the grounds of t h Panama-Pacific exposition exposi-tion at San Francisco, where it arrived exactly at noon and thus signalled the opening of tho gmat.est czpiHitiun tho world hat ever peon. Tho signal, in f,lf,S sent in duplicate dupli-cate by wirnlcs. The president's L-y was connected al?o with tho great, wire-less wire-less station at Tuckerton, X. I ho strongest sending station in Uio Fnit"d i Stntoe, Tho operator thern rf-cived the I signal arid instantly jammed down the itvor of his instrument. Tho grnt aerials high above sent their sputterings westward over mountain and. plain to the big station on San Francisco bay. This in turn relayed it to a smaller station sta-tion erected for "tho purpose in the exposition ex-position grounds. Notables Present. There was a distinguished gathering present at the ceremony. All members of the cabinet wero there with the exception ex-ception of Secretary of Interior Lane, who is the presidents personal representative repre-sentative at the opening in San Francisco. Fran-cisco. Then there were the members of the California delegation jn Washington, Wash-ington, heaued bv Seuauors Perkins and Works; Governor Hamlin of the federal reserve board, was there and so was Assistant Secretary of the Navy Koosc-velt. Koosc-velt. the only member of the exposition commission who is in Washington. Altogether, Al-together, there were about thirty present. pres-ent. Tho taWo with the telegraph instruments instru-ments was placed at the south end of the big room. Outside it was a perfect day. as warm and sunny as a day in spring aud the sun streamed in through the high windows which overlooked the beautiful White bouse grounds. Just before the time arrived the President Pres-ident remarked : " can't make this very dramatic." "But it is very interesting all the same," said Senator Works. "Yes, it appeals to the imagination," said the president. Button Is Pressed. A few scattering clicks had been coming com-ing over the wire, but now the chief White house telegrapher dropped his hand on his working key and tho wire was silent. In his left hand he held his watch. A moment passed and then he attracted the president's attention. Just a pause and he nodded. His hand moved to the nld key and he pressed it at second intervals. One two three four five. He nodded again. The presidont put his fingers on the key and held it down for four seconds ami then released it. The signal for the opening of the exposition ex-position had been sent. The first man forward to shake bands with the president was Senator Perkins. He was followed by Senator Works. Then followed the congressmen in the California delegation. The key that the president used in the ceremonv was given to former President Pres-ident Tuft in 1009' to open the Aiaska-Yukon Aiaska-Yukon exposition. It was the gift of George . Carmack. the discoverer of gold in Alaska. It is almost entirely of gold. |