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Show ")7 196 our pledge honor. and the heroic etiprts we put forth to fulfill presumptuous To the older civilizations oi the world it seemed a role. that a new city in a far country should appear in such ed us to ()ur nearer neighbors predicted failure. and this stimulat y for greater ettort and with a result that it is not even necessar nt benctice its Show to as tar so in us to refer to at this time except influence and substantial value to the world. In the onward westward march of civilization Chicago was it was but little more than the outpost on the great highway, and titlingr that here should be assembled the great forces that, moving; l. forward for the advancement of human interests in the worl ish should consider the forces employed and determine or distingu anew the good from the bad, the right from the wrong, and to grander higher, future a to ment advance the for guidons alien its and more perfect. I think I am safe in saying that what we sought and strove to do was more than accomplished. \Ve installed the very hest examples in every department of human endeavor. The land- nity to scape gardener and the architect had the fullest opportu magic. by it as d produce were et‘tects pe Landsca do their best. The \\'ooded Island sprang into being, a thing of beauty; the Court of Honor appeared to rise out of the marsh with all the Island grandeur and loveliness of the dream of St. John on the of l'atmos. The Columbian ()de said of him who conceived and outlined the imposingr and inspiring: setting for our exposition: " iack with the old hlad smile comes one we knew; we bade him rear our house of joy today, but Beauty opened wide her starry way and he passed on." One oi the best evidences of the benign influence of our expo- sition was the fact that during the entire period of its existence. we did not have occasion to police or control the immense con- course of people constantly coming and going, \\'e had guard: but it was said of them that they were more guides than guards. \\'e had expected that the element that usually appears in numbers at such gatherings would be present and would require our attention. and we had accordingly in attendance two detectives from each of the leading cities of the world, but we had no occa- sion to "18.va use of their services. This can only be accounted for on the theory that if people came here to commit depredations they were rlisarined when they witnessed the matchless heautv of the situation They doulitlcss declared to themselves, If we-are going to do anything wrong, this is not the time and place. In a single day we enter tined / moor) people without an accident or reported loss of a singl~ article. This fact was an exhibition of itself) speakingr volumes in favor of the vast multi- tude of intelligent and happy people having a just pride and feeling an ownership in what they had helped to create and maintain. The exposition was really the flower or culmination of the civic pride of the citizens of this great city: \'\ihat wonder. then. that they came to it exulting in its beauty and treasures of iniormm tion and bearingr themselves in such a commendable inanneia There was no aristocracy in its creation or management: it was of and for the people and the joy and prolit was theirs. 'l‘hev prepared the soil, sowed the seed. and the harvest rightfully belonged to them. Those of us, who slimtl hy and ea "ed out their commands were amply repaid hy the great measure of good it accomplished and the satisfaction everywhere manifested hv those who were at once the creators and the innntdiate hem;- tieiarics. The throngs: who wandered through the highways of the fair or over the lagoons in gondola or launch and \\'itiit\~t-d the domes and turrets of the building's when gilded hy the rays ot the risingr or setting sun. came in contact with petvt‘h' irwni all the nations of the earth. exchanged tfi't‘t'ttlltq‘s. went forth n~th a kindlier feelingr for others and : lt'eent r :ippri iation oi llit \: luv of nature, art and architecture as well ;:~ for the t‘irllli<'-l.‘ amenities of life. The international L‘Xllti~lllidl participated in h; tl'i l' of the different nations. where the richest and tart -t pr meet in friendly competition. where the ripest \xisdoni oi the :L is represented by the scholars and thiniz rs «it all the woi ld. i" but result in great. and lasting good in promotingr inn" good will. it" The exposition stands at the trier-ting oi the worldiw ays, where gather the nations of the "Mill. burdened each "tlil‘. ll ‘ :‘n the evidence of its newest and nohlcst Elt‘lllt'\'tllltltl\. epitome of the world's progress. a history and a prophecy. |