Knoxville Whig and chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1875-1882, 1875-04-14
TO THE PEOPLE OF TENNESSEE
Address of the Tennessee Centennial
commissioners.

Address of the Tennessee Centennial
commissioners.
The completion of the first century
Of our National existence is to be eel L..
brated by holding an international
Exhibition of arts, manufacturer aud
products of the soil and mine. The
act of Congress which provided for
this exhibition designated. AS it's fit
test location, the city of Philadelphia,
in which the Declaration of INDIE
pendence was originally proclaimed.
The exhibition, accordingly, will be
opened on the 10Th day of May, 1876,
and continue until the 10th of Novem-
Der following.
The President. as provided by the
act, has appointed, on the n0mina-
tons of the Governors of the States
and Territories, two Commissioners
from each, who constitute the United
States Centennial Commission, and
are charged with the preparation and
superintendent of the exhibition
Congress, by a further act, created
the Centennial Board of Finance,
which is empowered to raise the funds
required for the erection of buildings
and other purposes. The undersigned,
your fellow>citiZens, have been author
lied by the Board of Finance to act as
auxiliaries of that Board and promote
its work in Tennessee.
The five principal buildings for the
exhibition are now in course of cree
ton upon tract of $50 acres of land
set apart for the purpose by the author
tiles of Philadelphia, in Paramount
Park. These buildings have total
floor space of about so acres, and their
preparation has sufficiently advanced
TO assure their completion by March l !,
1876. They are:
l. The Industrial Hall, or Main
Building, l,S76 feet in length, by AGA
feet in width, constructed mostly of
glass and iron.
2. The Art Gallery, or Memorial
Hall, 365 feet by 2lO, fire-proof struc-
ture of granite, glass and iron.
3. The Conservatory, an acre and a
half in size.
4. The Agricultural Hall of six acres.
8. The Machinery Hall of fourteen
acres.
The classification of objects in these
buildings provides for an arrangement
at once geographical and systematic.
While the products Of each nation, and
as far as possible of each State, will be
kept together, they will also be group
ed in accordance with the ten depart
ments of the general classification,
namely:
l. Raw materials-mineral vegeta-
bic and animal
=. Materials and manufactures used
for food, or i'm the arts, the result of ex-
tractive or combining processes.
3. Textile and felted fabrics appar-
el,costumes and ornaments for the per-
son.
4. Furniture and manufactures of
general use in construction and in
dwellings.
5. Tools, implements, machines and
processes.
6. Motors and transportation.
7. Apparatus aud methods for the
increase and diffusion Of knowledge.
s. Engineering, public works, arch
itecture, etc.
8. Plastic and graphic arts.
10. Objects illustrating efforts Gor the
improvement Of the physical, intellec.
tual and moral condition of man
The divisions between these depart
ments run lengthwise of the building.
Crossing them at right angles are the
divisions between nations. Thus, one
who wishes to study some particular
product or manufacture, walks the
length of the building, observing the
display made in that department by
every exhibiting nation but if he de-
sires to examine the general progress
of especial country or State, he cross
es the building from side to side, and
sees Its exhibit in each department
successfully.
The nations which thus far have
accepted the Presidents invitation to
participate in the exhibition are
twenty-seven in number, as follows:
Great Britain, including England,
Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Canada, Aus
tralia, etc.; Netherlands, Sweden and
Norway Belgium, Switzerland Ger
many, Liberia, Ecuador, Hayti, Ar
gentine Confederation, Chill, Mexico,
Sandwich Islands, Brazil, Spain, ia,
pan, Guatemala, Peru, Venezuela, San
Salvador, France, United States of
Columbia, Hnndura- Italy, Portugal.
The Board Of Finance has adopted
two methods of procuring funds l.
By the sale of share- of stock, at $40
per share. .. by the sale of medals
coined at the United States Mint, and
ranging in price from 81 to So, in ac-
cordance with their size and material.
The funds already in the hands of the
Board are adequate to the immediate
hCSuS VI lhC tulSl pllSS. IOuI IL slOuIu
not be concealed that, with inconsid-
cradle exceptions, they have been de-
rived from the liberality of Philadel-
phla and Pennsylvania. 1t is manis
testify improper that a celebration
which is made in the name of the ma.
ton, and is to bring honor and profit
to the country at large, should be cor
ried out at the expense of single city
and State; and your committee appeal
to the patriotism and liberality of
Tennesseeans in the confidence that
their response will be prompt and gen
erous.
1t is impossible to overestimate the
importance of thoroughly displaying
in the exhibition the resources, devel-
oped and undeveloped, of our State.
An adequate representation of her ag-
ricultural and mineral capabilities can
not fail to insure an influx of capital
and population. The products which
it Is in our power to collect, may con-
fidently be put in competition with
those of our sister States. But the
time for preparation, for comparison,