The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1884-03-27
GENERAL w. H. sEBRING.
What News Reporter Got Out of
our Exposition Commissioner in
Brief Interview Yesterday.


A NEWS reporter ran across stalwart
General Sebring, yesterday, the states
commissioner to the New Orleans Expo
sition, and drew him down to the sane
tum, where he was Systematically relieved
of these interesting items:
"Well, General, what are you doing in
Palatka?''
II am here in the interest of the
Worlds Cotton Centennial-the New
Orleans Exposition, as it is commonly
called.
''What are you doing General? What's
your plan? You want something done,
so let THE NEWS have it frank"
II want to organize board of county
commissioners here in Putnam to collect
the materials of our exhibit-fruits, tim
Der specimens, agricultural and horticul-
tural products for the big show"
us that your plan for the whole state?"
The whole state"
How many counties haue you organ
ized?''
Il am working the Pcninsular now.
Chipley is organizing the western coun-
ties. l have got all the counties inter
ested south of the Suwannee with the
exception of three-Putnam, Manatee
and Suwannee."
And your plan?''
Il appoint board in each county, the
number being fixed according to popula
tiOn-from five to twenty, and they in
turn choose a chairman, and through this
chairman l hope to get full list of the
country's products of every kind-fruits,
vegetation and everything that Will show
up our resources"
''WelI?'
"Well, want to get collections from
all our counties and have them shipped
to me at New Orleans, and that's the
whole of it"
Gree freights, General?'
Free of course No charge by the
railroads or steamboats, for anything
shipped for exhibition"
Are these county commissioners COM
missioned?''
mo; only the chairman, who is COM
missiOned by the governor of the state.
You see my plan is to have the best citi-
zeus on this board, and if, when [ get
down to New Orleans, find lack some
thing to complete an exhibit, why have
some one to look to at home to get it. or
if | am overstocked with any one pro-
duct, have only to wire to the commits
sion or its head who has sent in the pro-
duct and stop shipment.
THAT looks simple"
at is simple. We are organizing in
addition, in most counties, boards COM
posed of ladies who may wish to send us
articles in the shape of wines, iellies.
preserves and other ecteras. From this
source [ expect much, for the ladies never
fail at anything they go at in earnest"
Have you been at New Orleans re-
cently?'
''Just left there on the 18th inst Sc
cured our space-5O, 900 square feet out
of 10000 in the horticultural building
alone"
"They are making big preparations" :
Immense, grand. There never has been
anything to eclipse it."
''Where is it located?
about five miles up stream from the
custom house on Magazine and st.
Charles streets.
what is the extent of the grounds?"
1.-TWO hundred and forty acres"
do they expect much of Florida?"
''They do and we mustn't disappoint
them, and l forgot to state, too, that [
have secured two and half acres of
ground for horticultural garden"
ANY more space?"
YES, %, 900 square feet if we want it
in the agricultural hall, for corn, cotton
and other agricultural products. That's
enough is it nOt?'
''Ample"
what about getting there, General,
what about the fare for visitors"
''Well, have attended to all that I
have seen all the railroad men and our
Florida people are going to have as low
rates as the lowest. You can count on
that"
''Are the Florida people in favor of this
scheme"
"Unanimously-in all the counties,
wherever 1 have been-the country peo-
pie especially"
Have you met encouragement in Put
namT'
Plenty of it-such men as Dewitt.
Dancy, Beach, DeWolf, Hicks, Bowen,
McMeekin Bishop and others, l am as
sured will favor it, while your Palatka
people, without mentioning names, are
always in favor of progress"
''WeI, old Putnam will do her share.
General, we hope"
Il believe so. Its one of the banner
counties and expect much of your peo-
pie, and say to the public if you please
that all VOITnCr trnaS T,loD+S Sbr,,b- o,,J