the city of domes-第3节
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e。
Clearing The Land
The task of clearing the land was finished in a few months。 In addition to the government reserve； the Exposition had seventy…six city blocks。 They represented two hundred parcels of land； with 175 owners； and contained four hundred dwellings； barns and improvements。 Most of the buildings were torn down。 A few were used elsewhere。 Precautions were taken to re…enforce with piles the foundations of the buildings and of the heavy exhibits。
The director of works became responsible for the purchase of all the lumber to be used in building。 It was bought wholesale； shipped from the sawmills and delivered to the sites。 So there was a big saving here； through the buying in bulk and through reduced cost in handling and hauling。 The first contracts given out were for the construction of the palaces。 An estimate was made of the exact number of feet available for exhibits and charts were prepared to keep a close record on the progress of the work。 Incidentally； other means of watching progress consisted of the amounts paid out each month。 During the earlier months the expenditures went on at the rate of a million a month。 Every three weeks a contract for a building would be given out。 The same contractors figured on each building。 From the start it was understood that the work should be done by union men。 The chief exceptions were the Chinese and the Japanese。 The exhibitors had the privilege of bringing their own men。 In all about five thousand men were employed； working either eight or nine hours a day。 During the progress of the work there were few labor troubles。
One wise feature of the planning lay in the economy of space。 It succeeded in reaching a compactness that made for convenience without leading to overcrowding。 Great as this Exposition was to be； in its range worthy to be included among the expositions of the first class； it should not weary the visitors by making them walk long distances from point to point。 In spite of its magnitude； it should have a kind of intimacy。
Choice of Material
There were certain dangers that the builders of the Exposition had to face。 One of the most serious was that buildings erected for temporary use only might look tawdry。 It was； of course； impracticable to use stone。 The cost would have been prohibitive； and plaster might have made the gorgeous palaces hardly more than cheap mockeries。
Under the circumstances it was felt that some new material must be devised to meet the requirements。 Already Paul E。 Denneville had been successful in working with material made in imitation of Travertine marble； used in many of the ancient buildings of Rome； very beautiful in texture and peculiarly suited to the kind of building that needed color。 He it was who had used the material in the Pennsylvania Station； New York； in the upper part of the walls。 After a good deal of experimenting Denneville had found that for his purpose gypsum rock was most serviceable。 On being ground and colored it could be used as a plaster and made to seem in texture so close to Travertine marble as to be almost indistinguishable。 The results perfectly justified his faith。 As the palaces rose from the ground； making a magnificent walled city； they looked solid and they looked old and they had distinct character。 Moreover； through having the color in the texture； they would not show broken and ragged surfaces。
The Color Scheme
For the color…effects it was felt that just the right man must be found or the result would be disastrous。 The choice fell on Jules Guerin； long accepted as one of the finest colorists among the painters of his time。 He followed the guidance of the natural conditions surrounding the Exposition； the hues of the sky and the bay； of the mountains； varying from deep green to tawny yellow； and of the morning and evening light。 And he worked； too； with an eye on those effects of illumination that should make the scene fairyland by night； utilizing even the tones of the fog。
The Planting
There was no difficulty in finding a man best suited to plan the garden that was to serve as the Exposition's setting。 For many years John McLaren had been known as one of the most distinguished horticulturists in this part of the world。 As superintendent of Golden Gate Park he had given fine service。 Moreover； he was familiar with the conditions and understood the resources and the possibilities。 Of course a California exposition had to maintain California's reputation for natural beauty。 It must be placed in on ideal garden； representing the marvelous endowment of the State in trees and shrubs and plants and flowers and showing what the climate could do even with alien growths。
The first step that McLaren took was to consult the architects。 They explained to him the court plan that they had agreed on and they gave him the dimensions of their buildings。 Against walls sixty feet high he planned to place trees that should reach nearly to the top。 For his purpose he found four kinds of trees most serviceable： the eucalyptus； the cypress； the acacia and the spruce。 In his search for what he wanted he did not confine himself to California。 A good many trees he brought down from Oregon。 Some of his best specimens of Italian cypress he secured in Santa Barbara； in Monterey and in San Jose。 He also drew largely on Golden Gate Park and on the Presidio。 In all he used about thirty thousand trees； more than two…thirds eucalyptus and acacia。
Preparing the Landscape
Two years before the Exposition was to open McLaren built six greenhouses in the Presidia and a huge lath house。 There he assembled his shrubs； his plants； and his bulbs。 In all he must have used nearly a million bulbs。 From Holland he imported seventy thousand rhododendrons。 From Japan he brought two thousand azaleas。 In Brazil he secured some wonderful specimens of the cineraria。 He even sent to Africa for the agrapanthus； that grew close to the Nile。 Among native flowers he collected six thousand pansies； ten thousand veronicas and five thousand junipers； to mention only； a few among the multitude a flowers that he intended to use for decoration。 The grounds he had carefully mapped and he studied the landscape and the shape and color of the buildings section； by section。
The planting of trees consumed many months。 The best effects McLaren found he could get by massing。 He was particularly successful with the magnificent Fine Arts Palace； both in his groupings and in his use of individual trees。 About the lagoon he did some particularly attractive planting； utilizing the water for reflection。 There was a twisted cypress that he placed alone against the colonnade with a skill that showed the insight and the feeling of an； artist。 On； the water side； the Marina； he used the trees to break the bareness of the long esplanade。 And here and there on the grounds； for pure decoration； he reached some of his finest effects with the eucalyptus； for which he evidently had a particular regard。 As no California Exposition would be complete without palm trees； provision was made for the decorative use of palms along of the main walks。
About two weeks before the opening； the first planting of the gardens was completed； the first of the three crops to be displayed during the Exposition。 The flowers included most of the spring flowers grown here in California or capable of thriving in the California spring climate。 In June they were to be re…placed with geraniums； begonias； asters； gilly…flowers； foxglove； hollyhocks； lilies and rhododendrons。 The autumn display； would include cosmos and chrysanthemums and marguerites。
The Hedge
As the work proceeded； W。 B。 Faville； the architect； of Bliss and Faville； made a suggestion for the building of a fence that should look as if it were moss…covered with age。 The result was that developing the suggestion McLaren devised a new kind of hedge likely to be used the world over。 It was made of boxes； six feet long and two feet wide； containing； a two…inch layer of earth； held in place by a wire netting； and planted with South African dew plant； dense； green and hardy and thriving in this climate。 Those boxes； when piled to a height of several feet； made a rustic wall of great beauty； Moreover； they could be continuously irrigated by a one…inch perforated line of pipe。 In certain lights the water trickling through the leaves shimmered like gems。 In summer the plant would produce masses of small purple flowers。
McLaren found his experiment so successful that he decided to build a hedge twenty feet high； extending more than a thousand feet。 He also used the hedge extensively in the landscape design for the Palace of Fine Arts。
The Sculptors
The department of sculpture was placed under the direction of one of the most distinguished sculptors in the country。 Karl Bitter； of New York； whose death from an automobile accident took place a few weeks after the Exposition opened。 He gathered around him an extraordinary array of co…operators； including many of the most brilliant names in the world of art； with A。 Stirling Calder as the acting chief； the man on the ground。 Though he did not contribute any work of his own； he was active in developing
