Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1873-01-28
A HUNDRED YEARS.
The Centennial Csiebr alton Of Our National
tndep endsnce- How the Programme 10
60 be Carried Out--WhAi the tom.
missioner from " Isc0ustn
Nave 10 ssy-AH can AS
sist In the Ceiehra.
lion.

4
Nave 20 ssy-Am can AS
sl.t In the Ceiehrs.
| ton.
To the people of the State Of Wisconsin:
The Alb of July, 1876, completes
one hundred years since he date Of
the "Deelaration of Independence
which having been declared fNhm the
steps of Old Independence Fl all in
Philadelphia, on the 4th of July,
1875. made that our National day,
and we are now rapidly approaching
the completion of the FIRST century OF
our national life.
The Congress OF the United States
sewing the completion of the cen-
Jury 10 be an event of such signifi-
| cant and august import enacted a
law approved March |, 1871, which
provided, upon the nomination of the
Governors of each of the States and
Territories. for the appointment OF
Two commissioners from each such
state add territory, who upon such
nominatio' shall be appointed and
commissioned by the President of
the United States who, when so ap.
pointed, should constitute Board OF
Commissioners for the purpose Gas
deliberately set forth in such act of
making suitable preparation for
holding "an exhibition of American
and foreign arts, products and manu-
features, under the auspices Of the
United States, in the city of Phila-
delphia,in the year eighteen hundred
and seventy six"
The act of Congress which erected
the b ,ard OF Commissioners distinct.
ly provided that no part of the ex.
pense should be borne by the Treas :
ury of the United States The rea-
son for this prohibition, it is under
stood, was that an appeal would be
made to the patriotism of the coun-
try to provide for the expense of
holding the exhibition.
Accordingly, on the first day Of
June, 1872, Congress enacted another
law creating q Centennial Board Of
Finance" whose business il shall be
take charge of moneys TO be subscri-
bed by the people in the form OF
stock, for the carrying on OF the ma
tionaI exposition.
The gentl, men named in the act
for Wisconsin are Gov G. G. Wash :
burn, Alexander Mitchell, Tim. 0.
Howe, Chas A. Eldridge, J. l. Case.
James II. Howe, D. Hall, Joshua J.
Guppy, John LawIer, J. G HoIIo-
way, August Smith, D. W Maxon.
Charles Burchard, Joseph Villas. An
drew K Elmore, Samuel Hay, Dud-
ley A Spaulding, D. A. Baldwin,
Thad. G. Pound. Walter d. Mclndo
Il il estimated that the expenses
incident for making an exhibition
suitable for the age and the occasion
will cost ten millions Of dollars
Congress appeals to the | eople of
the whole country by these two acts
to provide by popular subscription
for this amount, or an amount suffi-
cient for making the exhibition upon
scale Of Splend0r and mdgnifcence
tc0rty Of the age and Of our country
The amount falling to tbs Sta,e of
Wisconsin on the subdivision of the
ten millions among the population Of
the whole country is two hundred
and seventy three thousand five hun
dred and thirty dollars (273 500
This sum would be exactly S14l
TO each voter in the State.
Books of subscription are now
open in every National and incorpO-
rated State Bank in the State, and
every man woman and child is invit-
cd 70 call at some bank and make
subscription in aid OF the patriotic
undertaking. Each share of stock is
ten dc liars. Each subscriber to that
amount will receive q certificate of
stock at the time of making his sub
scriptIon and paying his money.
The money thus raised will be
used in the erection of suitable build
lngs upon the grounds already pro-
vided by the city of Philadelphia in
one of the most elegant parks in the
world. Two hundred acres have
thus been generously rendered by
that city for the purpose. 1t is ex-
pected the buildings W II cover fifty
acres of foor surface. These build
ings to be constructed mainly Of iron
and glass, to be superbly adapted to
holding and displaying to the best
advantage, not only specimens of
the marvellous productions Of our
own country of every but Of the ,0hOle
tCoild Indeed fellow citiz"ns of
Wisconsin, it is susceptible of being
made absolutely land mark in the
civilization of the world.
Not only shall you come to il
bringing specimens of all your handi-
work. and of all the products of the
soil and of the mine, throughout our
glorious and God-favored land, but
The people of all other lands.shall al
so come and bring specimens of all
their skill and product. The sun shall
have never shone upon such dis
play of mans skill and power as
must be displayed in Philadelphia
from the 10Th of April to the 18th of
| October, IN the year OF our Lord
1876
Now what do you say, people of
Wisconsin, Will yot take a hand in
it or not2 We the undersigned (nom-
mated at no asking of ours) by the
Governor Of the State and commits
stoned by the President of the Unit
ed States, have already met our as
sociates 10 deliberation upon this
weighty subject, at the city of Phil
sdsl phia. We are able TO testify to
you that no more trustwor thy ,relia-
BILE. and able body of gentlemen, can
he selected than they who constitute
the B ,ard of Commissioners to whom
IS committed this high trust. They
are men of truth. justice, honor and
ability, and fully entitled TO the con-
l - a "a