The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1880-06-23
THE WORLDS FAIR Al NEW YORK,
The International Exhibition OF 1859
All Necessary legislation Obtained ana
tho Enterprtse Rapidly ProGressinR.

tho EnGGTDx16C fkupIuIt AoSA AehcAASs
The worlds fair committee, which
began its ]abors nearly two years age
and has quietly but persistently worked
ever since to perfect the arrangement;
for an international exposition at New
York in 1888 that shall eclipse every.
thing of the kind the world ever saw.
has now completed its labors, and, in q
sense, gone out of existence. But it sti /!
occupies its position in New York, and
will continue its work in aid of the en-
terprise until the legally appointed com:
missioners are appointed to take control
of the undertaking. The bill passed by
Congress creates q commission composed
of about 100 citizens of New York city
who are named and who represent nearly
all the leading business interests OF the
metropolis. They are to act in conjunc:-
! ton with two commissioners from each
State of the Union, and one from each
Territory and from the District of Col
umbia, the whole body forming single
organization. T..
The commissioners at their first meet
ing will make temporary organization
and open books for subscriptions to the
stock. Sixty days later they will meet
again, and if by that time 81, ,OOO, 900 has
been subscribed-of which ten per cent.
must be paid ina permanent organiza-
tion will be effected. At this second
meeting, which will be held in the latter
part of September, the subscribers to
the stock will elect q board of finance,
composed oftwenty- five members chosen
from among their number. All mem
bers of this board, if not already COM
missioners, will become such by virtue
of their election. The full commission
will then elect president and other Off
GERS. and an executive committee. This
committee will proceed as soon as prac-
ticable to select a site for the exhibition,
adopt plans for buildings and make con-
tracts for their erection.
The act of Congress provides for the
subscription of twelve millions of dol
lars, but if three or four millions are
subscribed the undertaking will be
fairly placed upon its feet. The scale
upon which the exhibition will be Or
ganized will depend, of course, upon
the amount of money subscribed. The
actual promoters of the enterprise de-
sire to make it surpass in size as well as
attractiveness all previous worlds fairs.
The New York Tribune says the ex"
hibition enterprise is now in better
shape than was the Centennial three
years before it opened. II the money is
raised this year, so that the work of
building can begin early next spring,
there will be ample time for completing
all the preparations before the opening
day, which will probably be fixed for
the first of May, 1883. Considerable
interest in the enterpriseis already mani
tested among manufacturers. and
numerous applications for space have
been made in advance of the regular or
ganization of the commission. The
Southwark foundry and machine COM
pany. of Philadelphia, has offered to
furnish the steam power
The first worlds fair ever held was
that in London in 1851 The area COW
cred by buildings wa: twenty acres;
there were $1,000 exhibitors, 6,039, 1876
visitors on the al days that it was
opened, it's cost was $l,4G 900 and its
receipts for admissions were So, $50, 900.
The New York worlds fair of 1853 had
81 acres of buildings, 1000 exhibitors
and cost $500, 900. No figures as to the
number of visitors and the receipts are
obtainable. The Paris exposition of
1855 cost S4, ,OO0, 900 and the gate receipts
were $64O, 500. 1t had aid from the
state. The London fair of 1862 cost
SO, 300. 900, and the gate receipts were
exactly the same. The Paris exposition
of 1867 had 50,226 exhibitors, cost
S4, 500, 1853, received S2,s22, ,932 and was
visited by 10000, 600 people. 1t had q
subvention from the city and state of
SO, ,4OO,OO0 The Philadelphia centen-
nial had $50 acres of ground, of which
4s1 acres were covered by buildings,
had 10000 exhibitors, 8,004 ,274 visitors,
cost Sill > ,l32 5ss and received for admis-
sions S3,e34, $50. It was open 189 days.
Its receipts were rs follows: