St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1886-08-07
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From Our Regular Correspondent.
WASHINGTON, July 26, 1886.

tors and Members favor it, and encour-
aging assurances of CO. operation have
been received from every part OF the
Union. It is proposed to make this
national celebration prelude to the
commemoration of the grandest event
in the annals of time-the discovery OF
the New World by Christopher Colum-
bus, the four hundretb anniversary OF
which will be in 1899. In view OF the
magnitude and sublimity of the enter
prise, it cannot be said that its promot-
ers have gun too early to survey its dl-
mensions, to lay it's foundation in the
popular heart, to sketch its superstruc-
ture, and even to plan the details OF
its installation.
1t is proposed that the celebration
shall take the form of Worlds Fair,
and the situation most favored is the
Hats South of the White House, cover
.ing an area of three hundred acres,
and, as it were, in the midst of the city.
The shape Of Washington may be
roughly described as that of a crescent
with its horns resting on the Potomac
the right at Georgetown, the left at the
Arsenal. Between these two horns lie
the flats, bounded on the West by the
river. and on the East, North and
South by the Naval Observatory, the
War, State and Navy Department, the
White House, the Treasury, the Smitho-
nian institution, and the National Mu-
scum In the midst stands Washing
tons Monument, the highest structure
in the world. From every part of the
grounds may be seen the towering
Capitol of the United States, and, for
background, are the evergreen hills OF
Arlington on the right bank of the
Potomac. Never have Nature, Art and
History done so much to make an Ex-
position great and a celebration sub
lime. At the centennial exposition in
1876, and at Paris in 1878, it was neces-
sary to travel on an average about
three miles before the Exposition
grounds could be reached. Here no
part of the city will be more than a
and the greater part will not be farther
than a half mile. Here on the very
confines of the proposed situation are
museums, the Corcoran Art Gallery,
and the finest specimens of architec-
ture in the world. In other words,
there is here already a permanent Ex-
position, and the promoters of the
great enterprise find the work half
finished to their hands.
The enterprise is one of infinite possi
bility. There is strong sentiment in
favor of making the Exposition perma-
nent--an exhibition at the National
Capital year in and year out, Of the
products and resources and industrial
progress of each of the several States
and Territories of the Union; and not
only of the States and Territories, but
of the other Governments of the three
Americas, forming in the aggregate a
vast panoramic display of the art.
science and agriculture, the native
wealth and skilled industries, the varied
chronological phases and the civilized
development of the Western Hemis-
phere.
The magnitude of the results thus
sought te be reached surpasses all pre-
vious conceptions of a similar charac-
ter, yet the practicability Of the scheme
is easily comprehensive, and its ex-
pense within the bounds Of simple
business computation, it being under
stood that the general Government will
grant the use of the necessary grounds
and contribute its own valuable collec-
fions to the! enrichment of the great in
fernational exhibit.
The States and Territories co-operat-
ing in the project, either singly OIL in
groups, would merely be called upon
to erect such buildings, for their own
occupation, as immediate needs might
require. The cost to each. in view OF
the accruing advantages, would be
scarcely more than that of an or
dinary State fair. Foreign govern
Enents participating in the exposition
would of course have their separate
departments and the necessary space
allotted to them. The Government
at Washington, having q general super
visory direction of the whole, would
add from time to time such aids and
accessories as the growth of the country
and the development of the enterprise