Daily Los Angeles herald., 1878-06-20
Our Failure q Philadelphia and
.'ariS.
New YORK, June llth, 1873.

NEW 1OkkJ June lin, 1878.
EDITOR HERALD: My attention
was attracted to an article in re.
cent issue of your journal, entitled
"Lamentable lack Of liberality,u
and being one of the Californians
who, upon visiting the Centennial
Exhibition at Philadelphia, blush
ed at the meagre exhibit of the
Golden State, can appreciate the
truthfulness OF your remarks. You
say, mo Californian can remem.
ber without shame the pitiful ex-
hibit made by this State at the
Centennial;" and as my visits to
the exhibition were frequent, and
having upon each occasion encoun.
tered many others from the Pacific
Coast, not one with whom l con-
versed but expressed deep regret
at the exhibit presented by their
coast. 1t is true there was the
"California Building" or more
properly speaking the "Pacific
Coast Centennial Hail." But once
within its portals the view that
met the gaze of the Californian
was such as made him wish he
hailed, for the time being, from
some other section of the country.
One of the first enquiries of intelii-
gent foreign visitors, as also those
who were from distant paris of the
United States, was, "Where is the
California building and the exhibit
of that State. And if we except
that of the Central Pacific Railway
in the Agricultural building, there
was none, not tho least attempt
having been made to set off the
wondrous productions and varied
resources of that favored land,
with all its wealth of mines.
grains, fruits and minerals, such 8
any people might feel a true and
noble pride in. So far as the vis-
itor or the embryo emigrant was
concerned, they were beneath the
bushel; their light was not to H.
lume the way to the distant coast
of the Pacific. Not go with Kansas
and Colorado. The exhibit from
these two States was such as left n
lasting and grateful remembrance
on the mind Of the visitor of the
greatness OF those two States in
the far West. Who will question
but that a judiclous expenditure of
fifty thousand dollars upon that
occasion by the State or by her
wealthy citizens would not have
proved q profitable investment?
and the sum of one hundred thous-
and would have been equally so.
Far better were il that the slight at
tempt at being represented by the
building ofa "Hall" had not been
made. During the months of August
anu September while the states
OF the Union were holding their
special days-viz., Ohio, NeWYork,
Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Con-
necticut, Massachusetts,, etc.-not
to permit California to be one of
the exceptions, the Californians of
this city and vicinity fixed upon
the 9th day of September-Admis-
sion day-as an appropriate occa-
sion for the celebration of Califor.
mia day; and truly did they honor
the Golden State-it was one of the
most brilliant State days at the
Centennial. But the fact that Call
ifornia was sadly remiss in per-
mitting so grand an opportunity to
have escaped her for the exhibit
tion of her earthly wealth to the
world. will be apparent to any res
ldent or your coast who will give
the question moments thought.
And now, when the opportunity
has offered itself at Paris, she is to
be found again Mt a disadvantage.
The wealthy land owners, with
their thousands of unoccupied and
uncuItivated acres, could have
alone provided a fund sufficient to
meet this expenditure, and the re-
suit would undoubtedly have been
large increase to the sparse popu-
lation of so extensive a State as
California.
EX-CALIFoRNIAN.