The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1875-05-01
THE CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION.

! The plan for the proposed grand cen,cn.
! NAL celebration, to open at Philadelphia on
the 10Th of next April, IS so far maturcd
that we are able to give brief rough sketch
of H. Congress having refused to approprI
ate $4,000 600 towards making 1t an in,erna
tional affair, that feature so tar rs the nation.
tional responsibility attaches, is abandoned +;
nevertheless the managers have chung TO the
International idea, and thus far most Of the
leading European and few Eastern nations
have signifed their intention to take part in
the show.
The location of the proposed exhibition,
thus made International, will be in Fair
mount Park, on the northwest edge of Phil.
adelphia The Park is the largest in the
country embracing several thousands acres :;
and the commissioners Of the park have Civ
en- 40 acres of the most beautiful part of the
park for the uses of the exhibition. In the
centre of this tract, the state OF Pennsylvania
has appropriated one million and the city of
Philadelphia half million for the erection
of huge granite building, covering about
3 acres of ground, to be kept forever as a ma
tional museum in COMMUNICATION of this
Tooth anniversary. Besides this building,
Philadelphia defrays the expense OF beautl-,
full horticultural hall, TO cover two acres; al
machinery hall, to cover fourteen acres; and
an agricultural hall, to cover ~ acres. Be
sides these buildings, the plan contemplates
81 o. Ia. py.Jy:.., to
acres, tor the exhibition of all other produc.
tons not especially provided for in the other
buildings. TO raise the means for the cree.
ton Of this last building, as we'll as to pay
other:neccssary expenses, the Board of Mana,
gers are authorized by act Of congress to
issue ten millions OF stock ard raise that
amount Of money. They have decided, how
ever, to issue but 5000 600 Of stock, and this
the people Of the whole country are asked to
take. The citizens of Philadelphia and New
Jersey have already subscribed $2,000,000 of
this stock, aud the rest Of il is intended TO be
distributed all over the country
Under the act Of congress the Governor off
Illinois has appointed centennial board for
Illinois, whose duty is to attend to the gener
al interests of the exhibition in this state
take charge of articles intended for display
there, and see that they are duly forwarded,
&c. Our late legislature appropriated
$4,000 TO enable the board to discharge
its duties, in a manner to be creditabeI
to the state and among other Of its du /,
ties will be the solicitation Of suUscrip
tons to these 100000 OF stock. A.
fair proportion of this. stock for Illinois,
would be about 100000, and it would
be crcditablc to the state if the amount,
was subscribed without. putting the State
Board to the humiliation and expense of send
ing out solicitors. The stock is no, intended
or expected TO be donation. On the con-
trary, the expectation is that it will prove a,
paying investment The price of admission
to the exhibition is fixed at 80 cts. Judging
by like exhibitions in England France, &c,
the number of visitors is estimated at not less
than 100000, which would yield Sc, 600, OOO.
Allowing for reasonable expenses for atten-
dance police, &c, which ought not to reach
half n million, the amount paid for stock
ought not only TO be refunded at par, but yield
handsome dividend besides.
John b. Drake, Esq, at the Grand Pacifici
Hotel Chicago, has been placed in charge of
the financial part of the business for this state,
and subscriptions TO the stock can be made
through him. John i. Reynolds, Esq, of
Chicago, President of the State Board, will
answer all Inquiries in reference to products
for exhibition.