The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-03-08
oar Material Interest In the Cen.
tonuial.

J tennial.
The more it is thought Of the more obvious
is the necessity of making the Centennial a
great national success, aud the more utterly
disgraceful would be its failure. Governor
Bigler's illness has passed away and the cold
snap to which, naturally enough, he attributed
the tardy movement Of New York in his
favor has, we hope, come to an end. With
the thaw he expects to see accorded that
generous and munifcent sympathy which this
metropolis, when properly appealed to- rarely
withholds. In the meantime it is the provi-
dent duty of the press of all parties and of all
shades of thought-more especially the indie
pendent presto stimulate what is sluggish
in popular sentiment and to shape sympathy
into its most effective form. To that duty-a
duty we feel of high patriotism-the HERALD
devotes itself, and what we undertake we
generally accomplish.
The great error which now operates adj
versely lies in this-that New York does not
adequately estimate the especial benefit which
the Centennial notwithstanding it
to be anything short of absolute failure-will
be to us. In this connection striking fact
has come to our knowledge. 1t is this-the
main exhibition building at Philadelphia,
now advancing to completion, will cover, it is
understood, an area of. as near as may be,
twenty acres. Already applications have been
made by exhibitors from the city and State of
New York for space which, if allowed, would
require an area of hundred acres Very
little arithmetic is needed to deduce from
this that the New York department of fabrics.
of wares and of products will be crowded,
and probably in material exceed that of any
other State. This being so, who shall say
New York has no substantial practical in
terest in it? Exhibitors, in some instances
are, and in some are not, capitalists. They
Of course, are more or less selfish in their
contributions of handiwork But with them
capital is invested in the wares they send.
They transport them to Philadelphia and
bring them back again, if not disposed
of, at their own expense The cost
of caring for them there must be
theirs. Hence is it that they, our New York
fellow citizens, need outside help in the
! direction we have indicated. The capitalists,
the rich men of this city, ought, and we doubt
not will, see this, and not allow the exhibition
of our own local resources and industries to
fail for want Of cooperation, which, as we
have said over and over again, to be effective
must be timely.
But again. aud still limiting ourselves to
narrow, material view Of the matter, we
note that the question OF transit and accom-
mediation is beginning to be agitated in ear
nest Transit thither and accommoda ton
there are incidents closely interviewer. In
referring to them we put out Of view all con-
| sideration of an influx of visitors from the
other side Of the Atlantic, in which we of New
York, of course, have on interest. 1t may be
great, OF it may not amount to much, but
whatever it is it enures to our benefit Sum-
mer Atlantic travel among well-to-do people
is generally, always, indeed, in one direction
outward Next season, again assuming, as
we confidently do, success for the Centen-
NAL, this may be reversed. On this side
it will, or at least it may be, the fashion to
stay at home. This will be clear gain; and,
vice Versa, it may be the fashion on the other
side to 60 abroad. One thing will be sure to
come to pass, and to this, SO far as concerns
foreign visitors we attach more importance
than mere numbers-the class Of visitors from
abroad to be thus attracted will be of the
highest rank, socially aud intellectually-dis-
tinguished and eminent men and women
whom it will be pure pleasure to welcome
and no one doubts for moment where on this
side in summer such visitors will chiefly So
| fo~o Wiz
They will not remain long in Philadelphia,
though they may visit it repeatedly, and the
headquarters after oil, must be here in New
York, radiating hence northward and east
ward and westward. 1t would not at all sur
prise US if next summer should find our
streets and stores and theatres and hotels
crowded as in the gayest autumn or winter
season, and, as we have sold, that it will be
the fashion to remain at home and not only
receive" as the technical phrase is, but
welcome the intelligent, well educated
strangers from abroad. Such will
hardly make their visit a brief one, and
there is not watering place in New York, or
Canada, or New England, or New Jersey-not
a nook in the White Mountains, not corner
in the Adirondacks, that in the unwonted
presence of liberal and cultivated strangers
from abroad will not have reason to be CRATE
full for the Centennial which has attracted
them. The great steamship companies have
then, direct interest in this success.
We have said more of this influx from
abroad than we intended, and now recur to
the matter of local material interest on the
assumption that the crowd for Philadelphia
will be purely or chiefly native one. 1t the
interes. in the celebration be reasonably
prevalent then will the intelligent curiosity
of proverbially sightseeing people precipi-
tate a multitude on Philadelphia. To remain
there? No. To visit there repeatedly !?
Yes. But here-here in metropolitan New