[Illustration: Crowd surrounding a large stone monument.] Copyright,1904. William H. Rau, Philadelphia. Opening Day at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition. President D. K. Francis delivering the opening address. [Illustration: Large building with closely spaced columns.] The Varied Industries Building. THE LOUISIANA PURCHASE EXPOSITION. The Louisiana Purchase Exposition at St. Louis was opened April 30, 1904, and continued for seven months. It commemorated the acquisition of the Louisiana territory which was consummated April 30, 1803, marking one of the greatest events in American history. Out of this area had been carved thirteen States and two territories wherein over 17,000,000 people were making their homes. The design for the exposition represented the work of ten of the most distinguished architects of the country. The buildings, grouped in perfect taste, mostly of noble style, had 128 acres of floor space, far beyond that at the disposal of any preceding fair. The grounds also were unprecedentedly ample and beautifully diversified, containing about 1,200 acres. The total attendance, 18,741,073, fell short of that at Chicago in 1893 by over 8,000,000. The general plan of the exposition was intended to symbolize the history of the Louisiana territory representing the successive occupants of the soil--the wild animals; the Indians; the discoverers; the explorers; the hunters; the trappers, and the pioneers. The aim was to make it one vast educational object lesson. To that end there were extensive exhibits from thirty States and from the chief cities of work done in the primary and secondary schools and in the universities and colleges of the country. This feature culminated in the International Congress of Arts and Sciences. Over 100 of the leading scholars from England, France, Germany, Holland, Italy, Japan, the United States, and a number of other countries made addresses and took part in the various discussions. All the fields of human knowledge were represented by these specialists. One feature of this exposition was unique: it represented to an unprecedented extent processes in lieu of products or in addition to them. Every day at almost every point something was literally doing, going on. Machinery whizzed, mines were operated, artists were at work, experts showed their craft; Indians, Filipinos, the blind, deaf, and dumb were taught. CHAPTER III PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION OF 1904 [1904] The Republican convention met at Chicago, June 21, and on June 23 nominated Theodore Roosevelt for President. President Roosevelt's nomination was a certainty from the beginning. This action was demanded by the rank and file of Republicans, for his achievements were popular. Among the problems which he had helped to solve were those growing out of the war with Spain; settlement of the anthracite coal strike; creation of the Department of Commerce and Labor; and the investigation and prosecution of dishonesty in the post-office department.