The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1883-1893, 1884-11-08
An INTERESTING CAREER.
THE LIFE OF THE MOST ESFR.
GETIt MAN IN THE SOUTH.
How DiTector-GeEeTal Burke of the
New Orleans Exposition Attained Sue
cess in Many Hay>-It Read, Like n
Romance.

=
New Orleans Exposition Attained Sue
cess in Many Hay>-It Read, Like a
Romance.
NEW ORLEANS. Ia. Nov. Special 49,
The most interesting thing about any
great enterprise : the mind which con
ceived IL and built it up. The man who
has carried the almost infinite burdens OF
the Exposition upon his shoulders, and who
has done most OF the thinking and man
aging for il, is the Director General. Mai.
Edward y. Burke. 1t is he who first
started the movement III New Orleans, it
was be who put his name down the first
one on the list for fifteen thousand dol
lars when he was by no means a wealthy
man. He Is the man now ever present.
familiar with every detail. and working
tirelessly for it III a hundred different dl-
rections.
Ma. Burke spent his early life in Gal
weston, Texas. He was a poor boy and
had 10 work through different mechanical
occupations into the law, which was the
profession he elected. The war found
him after a long and difficult contest. Just
starting upward in his calling He did
good service under Gen. Price III his
southwestern campaign, and became
major IN Il Texas regiment. His early
life had given him intimate knowledge of
the mechanical professions and he was
detailed to organize Bureau of Con
struction and Supplies. He made his first
reputation and exhibited his wonderful
ability in organizing and controlling men
first in this capacity.
He had shops and factories all over the
Southwest, and made nearly everything
an army could want from clothes and
arms to wagons and boats The war
over, he returned to Galveston Il poor
Il 40, l. III
whole South was in a state of great de
preston in 1871 and 1872, and finding
nothing III Galveston TO satisfy his am
bitions, which had greatly expanded dur
ing the war, he came to New Orleans IN
1872, a stranger, but resolved TO make q
career here. Everything was in a h0r
rible condition. Negro and carpet
bag rule had utterly bankrupted every
body. Taxation amounted to contiaca-
ton. Business was entirely stagnant.
and while there was legal work enough,
there Was no money anywhere except for
the legalized thieves.
SO it came about that just ten years
ago the stranger who had just come here,
found himself penniless, as well us friend
less and went out to seek a common la
borers job, that he might have br, I'd.
Most of the bosses declined to have any
thing to do with the slender, pale, soft
handed man, but be at last found stone
cutter who agreed to give him 4 trial. 50
Burke went to work with his mdllet and
plug; but he thought while he worked,
and in three weeks he had made so many
labor-Saving devices and cOntrivanceS
which promoted the work that bis boss
took him into partnership. In eight
months he had made enough to start him
at law again.
Il
SuScitatiOn came soon. jOr Burke Ell
tered public life in the fight against the
political vultures and with brilliant sue
cess. The salvation of Louisiana in '76
was due to his management. But Mai.
Burke's tastes were more in the direction
of industries than of politics. His State
and city saved, he has sought no political
hOnOrS, though he has always continued
the chief counselor of the Democratic
party of Louisiana.
He was called upon to re-establish the
finances of the State, after the revival,
and he served several terms as Treasurer.
He first became a journalist in the war
for government, when he started his
first paper, ''The Democrat He built
up a great Journal, which two years ago
bought out the New Orleans Times and
became the greatest paper in the South.
Ills paper mas always been progressive and
enterprising. 1t stood by Capt. Eads
when all the world ridiculed his jetties.
To-day New Orleans has the second har-
Dor in America. He fought for the thor
ough sanitary laws and strict quarantine,
which have saved New Orleans from a
yellow fever epidemic for five years and
will probably keep it out entirely in the
future. He has established great printing
and Hthographing houses, factories and
mills. And last of all he has created the
Worlds Exposition which will be greater
than any man now dare prophesy
Suppose every city in the South had a
Burke? The answer need not be expressed.
G.