Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1885-12-20
AMERICAN EXHIBITION.
Letter From Mr.. John elmer Speed,
American Secretary Of the
Exhibition,
IN which lie Ccrrerts Certain Erroneous
Impressions IN Connection with
the Exposition.

/ American exhibition to he held In London
next year, an editorial extract from your
paper, In which, after quoting two state
ments from trade papers adlmadyerting
upon the American exhibition, you say
"the Post would not purposcly seek TO
obstruct any good work for Texas, but at
/ the same time would dislike very much
/ 10 see the people humhuggod."
! cordially indorse this sentiment, and
/ In order that you may see that the Amer
can exhibition ut least is not In any way
endeayoring to bumbug the people of
Texas, beg to lay before you Il few facts
/ In regard TO the American exposition.
I From the inception of the enterprise
I until last summer there was never any
but cordial support given to our under
taking. Then it was discovered that one
OF the officers Of the association had not
always been entirely above reproach, and
one newspaper, a small Matchmaking con-
Germ Ia Paris Franco, made an attack
upon the exposition on account of the not
very good record OF the officer alluded to-
This attack was copied In the New York
World, The World having satisfied it,
self that this attack was uniustiled, Is
consplcuously friendly to the exhibition.
From the New York World, ! dare say,
the trade papers alluded to got the iu'or
nation which led to the direct attacks
reprinted by YOU. AS soon as the eXecu-
tive council of the American exhibition
learned of the charges against the officer
of the exhibition alluded to, his res gna-
ton was demanded and given, and since
the 10th of last August he has had no
connection with the management of the
exhibition, and no interest In its affairs
The only other reason for attacking the
exhibition has been that IL was Il private
enterprise, and not entirely public one.
All the great exhibitions heretofore have
been under the fostering care of one gov
ernmcnt or another. This, however, was
new department In exhibitions, and the
theory which applied TO previous ones,
did not apply to this, The English gov
efnmcnt, as government, could not take
the Initiative in the matter, and invite the
United States To come and exhibit the evil |
denCc OF Its wealth and progress In ciyill- !
cation, for however much the exhibition |
may be interesting to the individual En- |
glishman, 1t did not concern the British |
government as government. Nor would I,
II have been becoming, for obvious rea-
sons for the United States government To |
take the Initiative, and to have asked per- |
mission to hold an Official exhibition in |
London.
IL therefore deyolyed upOn private indi- /
viduals, either in nm Individual or a cor
purate capacity, to take the Initiative In .
this matter, On January 1, 1888, after
having completed eight months OF prrliml- |
nary work, they made careful estimates
(ouscd upon dcAnite propositions to mlhIl |
contmcts) as TO the loan of lanes and
buildings, aud formed Joint stock Assoc
cation under the English "lmitcd liahu-
tty acts" This association was duly reg
istcrCd, and the amount Of working capi.
tai determined by the maximum liability
which these propositions aud estimates
warranted us In believing the association
could contract under the most un(avora-
bio circumstances. All the working capt.
tai has been subscribed aud paid In.
Alter the obleG iouablo officer above re-
terred to had been gotten rid of, Mr.. John
II, whitley, the directorgenenl OF the
exhibition, came to America for the pur-
pose OF counteracting the bad effect of
that officers connection with the exhibit
ton in the two localities where he was
known, that Is, in Boston and In Phila-
dclphia, So that there should be no
longer any doubt In Philadelphia as to the
character and success OF the exhibition,
the services of Mr.. Buruet Landreth were
secured AS Vicc-president of the exhibition .
for the Middle states. Mr.. Landreth was
the chief OF the bureau OF agriculture at
the centennial exposition and no man In |
Philadelphia is better or more fayorably |
known In exhibition matters. He il a man |
OF wealth and oihigh position, and enjoys .
the high opinion of all those in Philadel- |
phla whose opinions are worth having.
In Boston we were equally fortunate,
for there we secured as vlce-presldent, |
Col. Henry S. Russell, OF whom the Hon |
Alex L, Rice, twice governor OF Massa
wrote; 81 congratulate YOU |
upon having secured the services of Col. |
lleniy ), Russell, MS representative and |
promoter In this state of the forthcoming
American exhibition in London, His eX. |
ccllent social standing and rare executive /
ability cannot fail to inspire confidence In
the minds of our manufacturers and pro-
all kinds OF goods and mcrchan- |
disc, and | am confident that you viii |
liud his relations to your great enterprise .
fulfilled In the most efficient and honora-
BILE manner"
This letter OF cnngratulation was sup
plamented by othcrs-one coming from |
James Russell Lowell, late minister to |
England; another from Rev, james Free .
man Clark another from Henry b. Pierce, |
secretary OF state TO the commonwealth of /
Massachusetts.
AS Gen. Norton, the officer OF the ASSOC
citation who was compelled to resign, was .
very unfaVombly known IN Roston, Col |
Russell, before accepting the ylce.presi- .
denCy, made most careful examination .
Into its affairs, and into the character OF .
It's officers Through his bankers IN Bos- /
ton Col. Russell made inquiries In Lon .
don as TO the standing of the exhibition F..
there, aud the personal standing uf Jno. |
Robinson Whitley, the director general. !
Fred Murray, of the firm Of Murray /
llutchlns 4 Stirling, solicitors TO the .
bank OF England, caolod TO Col Russell; /
"Brlleye Whitley successful man OF .
business, of considerable ability, and .
the idea OF exhibition very iayor0bly re-
celyed,n
Albert Van Wagner, the American bar. |
rlstor who succeeded 10 the practicing I
and offices OF the late MIR, Judah f. Ben, /
jamiu, cahled;
~ have n very high idea, indeed, OF MIR, |
whitley and his ability, His work here
in promoting tho exhibition is quite Won
dcrul, almost NapoloOnicn
MIR. John Prissman, the manager OF the |
European business of Bradstreets Mer. /
camille agency, ca6led:
'Whiuoy's Integrity aud ability nm
doubted lie has had marked success /
ia business, American exposition pro- |
jeot universally Endorsed IN this ooun. 4
Try
Sir Charles H. Mills Bart and NJ y