, 1873-03-03
A New Movement for q Permanent
Fair Ground.
The Several Plans to Do Presented to
the Committee.
Lake Front, Cornell, Dexter Park, and
West Side Schemes.


and Bllowmen and itinoratng managers, from
Dlilor Of tho italian opern to tho proprietor OF
tho original fat woman, know TINT Chicago ia
their bont fold. Occasionally, aftor carrying :ta
loan show from point to point In tho country
districts, tho stato Fair comes to Chicago and
,naacs pro0tB That help carry over the next tfroo
yoare' losses. Tho dccropfl md morlbunl
United States Agricultural Society, some yoars
ago, dropped in hero and gavo show 30 huge tu
it's cash results that tho procoBs Of decay in tho
institution was indefinitely postponed. Wo for
got how many carloads Of bullion tAoy took
East with thom Ut was In tho silver days), but
1t was ltke tho return Of Pfzarro. It may bo said
TINT no. exhibition was over failure In
Chicago. The people come hero easily. They
Bpond their money freely for good shows. Why,
think Of it, not many days ago thoy actually
pnid ovor forty thousand dollars to haif-a-iozon
mon mud women to sing for thomn fow evenings
Match that fact with any out Of tho old Roman
times.
But good as tho fold has beon, Chicago has
noyor horse1f gono eolidly and in earnest into
tho exhibition businoss. Wo have left 1t to out
HiderB, who havo wheeled away tho currency by
hand-barrow loads.
It is not because it has mover been thought OF
hero. On tho contrary, 1t bns becn up again
again and again studied tho example and the
shining sucoess of st. Louis, and Cincinnati, and
louisville In this line. Delegations Of Chicago
ctizcns have several times gathered al1 tho notes
and suggestions the great and marvolously.suo-
cessful St. Louis Exposition scheme affords.
Yet nothing has como Of 1t hitherto perhaps
from failure to secure concort Of action, per-
haps from not putting before tho public woll-
digostod scheme. Tho process heretofore hos
boon to bring few public-spirited gentlemen to-
gothorin u hotol parlor and pass resolutions, and
porhnpH start o stock subscription TINT began
lilko tadpolo with very large head. and ended
worry immediately in a very small tail. The
question would bo instantly asked tho can
sS sre s you go gong Si to %he M pespease ae
WAS: "Wc shall lot tho stockholders decide"
Wo Eivo this Us the key to tho failures thus far.
Stockholdera wish to know whnt thcy arc sub
Bcribing for, and who aro to have charge of the
enterprise. Therefore, it you cannot got stock
holders until you get your scheme, and cannot
The poor bowilderod project runs round and
round In a circle like scared cat and is pres-
entity up troo. Several such have been triod
In Chicago in tho past fifteen years.
squarely before tho people with maps, cuts, pic
lures, diagrams, photographs, with somebody
WHO believes in it to work it, and the thing will
go forward.
Lib ID G1pOAltlOH fCaE III CQlCaEO. ElTaL We
have new city to show, and tho whole world is
coming to 300 it. Our oitizena generally believe
that out of the prosont disposition of our pub
llc, and out Of this willing rush Of sight-seers to
hibition scheme that Win honor tho city and
benefit all our Industrial aud trade interests
There arc diverse views which 80 intend. to pre-
sent in this nketch, leaving thom to be discussed
over, is agreed tho building enterprise should
bc permanent. Again and again Chicago
has put from 315, ,oo6 to s2o,o0o into buldinga
for Fair purposes. to be torn down at the end Of
tho exhibition. All arc tired Of doing this.
Lot US, this time, put up something that will
atand, say our mon Of MEANS. who arc to pay
the money: This wall probably, settle adversely
tho proposition for
TIE Lane FRONT EXHIBITION.
Striking, aa IT would be, to fill tho thirty=hye
acres of tho Lake Front Park with great e1libi-
ton structures in this our great show year, tho
buildings could not be permanent. and the COL
is suggested. among tho feasible schemes, that
@ os 5 t6s & r&sTo r&Ssa is up no sIhbG daab tn pa oy
would consent to It. It would be central, easy
OF access, and has strong advocstes. But those
trial exhibition as distinguished from an
exposition OF nil lntorests,- mechanical, mining,
agricultural An exposition universal for the
e31 entire region tributary to Chicago It is urged
other cities. the show should be Grand
MechRnicB' Fair, suoh as are held in Naw York
and Boston oaoh .year, leaving out tho features
Of live atook, horses, poultry, and other farm
within the city proper, accessible at I'LL hours OF
the day and evening, and remain permanent
enterprise for trade sales and wool exhibitions,
eto., at suitable periods Of the year. Tor this
purpose the Lake Front Park would indeed do,
II tho location could bo made o pormanency but
no one suggests that rs possible. Two or
three sites are In discussion for tho Industrial
Building, ono on the South side, wcst Of
Clark stroot. tue other on tho west side Of tho
river. It would require space of at loast two
squares, the street intervening to be vacated
ALL who remember the great Sanitary Fair will
appreciate tue immonao area an adequate expo
eitlon hall would require Tho experience Of
abundantly profitable II carefully managed.
ThuB much Of ono class OF opinions as to tho
Chicago Exposition. But this is opposed by tho
larger number who believe that a location should
bo chosen outside the closoy~built portion of
tho city accessible from all quarters and giving
aroa enough to include Ill tho varied features Of
an exposition in the broalost and most
thorough, sonao,-n mochanica' and farmors'
show ;all III onc,-the whole broad area
Of tho county uniting with Chicago in tho dis
play. st. Louis has done this, md won honor
and profit therefrom. rhoir enterprise ia Bllc-
forever: Good St. Louis poople do not die hap
py until they are assured that they rill find
shaw's Garden and their beautiful Fair Grounds
reproduced IN the other world and would not
wish to live any longer in th,s II they, wero to
hayo atudlod the St. Louis project thoroughly,
and are delighted with il; and it will be their
effort to reproduce It IN Chicago. Two or three
localitioa aro being studied. It calls for largo
tract. Nothing lcas than eighty nores will an.
bwer.
THE PROJECT At CORNELL
is for 100 acres, and liberal proposition comos
from tho adjoining property y-owncrs to induce
tho aolection thore. Three great railroads form
q junction at tho point, and the facilities for
reaehing tho place by suburban trainB arc excol-
lent. but Ia miles la rather d long lrivo and
it will require very strong exhibit Of otllor at
fractions to overcome this objection, which Is
much al II st. Louis had put her Fair Grounds
at Carondelot. There is
WEST sIDE 8ouEME
to place tho Exposition Grounds In the range OF
tho great parks, where tl,oro ia room enough,
md tho drive from tile Court-1Iouso would bo
about four ml!oH. OF this project 1eBB Ia known,
but "o speak OF It as likely to como up.
THE DEXTER PARK puOIECT.