The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1881-08-06
The Atlanta Exposition,

This enterprise has received but little at
tention in New England. So far as 1t has
attracted notice 1t has been regarded as a
purely local affair, confined in its operations
and results almost wholly to the cultivation
and manufacture of the great Southern sta
pie, cotton. But the interest that has been
manifested in it in all the Southern States
and at the North has surprised its project
ors and promoters, and has given 1t a ma
tional Importance and an international in
huence From an originally designed
Southern cotton exhibition it has become
general in its industrial scope, and the min
erals and metals, the valuable woods and
the fruits and flowers of the Sou thern States
are to find place there; though of course
the cultivation and manufacture of cotton
is to be the central idea. Both these indus
tries will be fully represented, and it is the
design OF English manufacturers to exhibit
the most effective cotton machinery of their
invention and bring it in competition with
that OF America, thus settling many disput-
ed questions in relation to cotton manufac-
ture and fixing the date of the beginning of
many reforms and improvements.
The applications for places already exceed
fourteen hundred in number, and are in
creasing so rapidly that the managers are
deVising means for doubling. the present
| area of space, which is now twice what was
| contemplated in the beginning; and we are
assured that the enlarged accommodations
will be completed in time to allow the Ex-
position to be formally opened October 5,
the day origin ally fixed. The incidental ex-
hibits of the various industries will be NO
Insignificant feature of the en- terprise, as
many of the leading manuf acturers and
business firms of the North, who actively
participated in the success of the Centen-
NAL Exhibition at Philadelphia are deeply
interested in the Atlanta Exposition. Prob
ably the most interesting exhibits, however,
will be the general Southern display. 1t is
said that at least 100000 worth of native
gold from the Georgia mines will be shown
and the same State will present fine collec
zion of woods from the vast forests fromwhicb
she ships annually 3OO,OOO,OOO feet of lum-
Der, her customers ranging from Fayal tc
Montreal; and for minerals ever vt hing will
be shown, from diamonds to iron ore An
exhaustive exhibit of tropical fruits, flowers,
sea island cotton, cane and all the pr oducts
OF Florida will be made under the au.
thority of tho State. Tennessee will
contribute her elegant marble, hich
is attracting so much attention, and with
North Carolina, will exhibit the lumber Of
| "a section where the woods Of the North
and South overlap" and is especially rich in
this particular, ''having diameter that, il
stretched along the Atlantic coast, would
reach from Savannah to Canada" aud it is
| said,of these two States that they can raise
within their borders everything needed for
the comfort of man except coffee and spices.
These intimations give one an idea of the
| possibilities of the Exposition, and as all the
accounts from the South agree that the de-
sire for its success is increasing in all the
Southern States, it promises to be the great
social and industrial incident of the year.
We of New England ought to have an in.
creased interest in this movement of the In.
dustrial forces of the South. 1t shows the
world that the people Of that section have
accepted the logic of events with more sin
cerity than the superficial observer has beer
willing to admit, and gives the lie to class
Of agitators who have denied that the South
would ever humiliate herself to adopt the
Northern idea Of progress. It will helE
eliminate all sectional feeling, and aid in
solving the problem Of negro labor and it.
new relations; invite Northern Capital ant
Northern enterprise to the South and tent
to make her the rival Of the West in popu
lation and material prosperity.
OF course The managers of an affair of 81
much magnitude as this Exposition, are an
ticipating host of visitors during the thre'
months that it is to remain open, and ar,
preparing for their comfort. They expec
that the Northern States will send then
thousands of guests, and for this reason til,
arrangements for the entertainment of visi
tors are somewhat different from those a
Philadelphia. The hotel accommodation
will be liberal, we are told; but better thar
this is the fact that the people have agreet
to throw their houses open to the strangers
Many of the most elegant residences in tn,
city are at the disposal of the committee TO
the assignment of guests. 1t is estimate,
that the private houses of the city will &C
commodate $4,000 persons. The novelty o
the exhibition, the promised generous hos
pitality of the Georgians and the cheapnes
OF transportation which attends an enter
prise Of this kind will attract many visitors
from the North. The South is an object o
special interest now, and those who g
thither from the Northern States durin
the coming Autumn will be largely of tn
class who have watched most closely th
progress of the South since the war-mel
and women of clear ideas, who will go t
inspect the present condition Of things
study the customs and opportunities of tn
country, see Southern life and make the &C
quaintance of the people in their homes an
completely dispel the pr ejudice against th
Northerners, which has been so intens
that the memory of it rankles after the sub
stance of it has disappeared. 1t is fror
this closer acquaintance of the people Q
the sections that we expect great good t
come; the exhibit of the capacity of tn
South will educate the Northern visitor to
better understanding of some of the prob
lens to be solved; and there is little doub
that many Southerners will be surprises
and gratified at the beauty, extent and vari
ETY. of their own contribute ons.
1t will not detrac t from the merits of tn
exhibition to know that there is an elemen
of Yankee energy and ex ecutive ability il
it. Some very able Northerners are anon
its projectors, and the Director General
Mr.. Hannibal 1. Kimball of Atlanta, is
Maine man, native of Oxford County am
brother Of James M. Kimball of this city.
THE Cincinnati Gazette (Rep.), whicl
assisted in the election of Mr.. Means,
Democrat, as Mayor of that city, now come