Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-08-23
THE NEW SOUTH.
The Alabama Expedition in Rock
Island.
A Grand Exhibit Of Resources and
Products---Object of the TOur---A
Great state On Wheels.

Products---Object of the TOur---A
Great state On Wheels.
Attached to this afternoons mail and
express train on the R. l. & P road,
which pulled into the Peoria depot at
80 were two coaches attractively deco
rated and containing the much heralded
and looked for expedition of Alabama
isns with their exhibits of the states re-
sources. The members of the party
travel in their own special car. the
outside of which is emblazoned in
large letters State of Alabama"
Attached to this coach is another car
which has been fitted up for the special
purpose of the expedition and the outside
bears the inscriptions-"Ma tchless Re-
sources of Alabama, Agricultural, Min
eral, Wood" The interior of this car is
partitioned and provided with sh elves on
which are displayed specimens of
the products of Alabama soil,
mines and forests, and described
further on. The party as has
been noted heretofore, is sent out BY the
governor of the state and department of
agriculture, and in the interest of emf
grafton and general good will.
THE RECEPTION.
Immediately upon their arrival they
We're switched up east of the c., NJ.
Il st P. freight house to position be
tween two platforms and where the pub
lie are invited to call, and a visit to
which will be found profitable and inter-
esting. When the car had been located
Mayor Banding and Aldermen Howard,
Hampton, Winter, Schafer, and number
of other representative citizens boarded
the car. After an exchange of courte>
sizes, Mayor Blanding made brief address
OF welcome extending the hospitslities of
the city, to which Capt J F. Burke, of
Sheffield responded tittingly on behalf of
the visitors. By way o: explaining
the objects of the expedition, he said
the intention was not to draw emf
grafton from the state of Illinois
or any other state visited, but simply to
display the undevelOped resources of
Alabama and the south to those who
might be seeking location or investment
elsewhere, that the immese resources of
Alabama were unknown To the state itself
until quite recently, and would therefore
naturally surprise and interest the people
OF the north and elsewhere. The
idea was to give the people of the north
to inspect the products of
the south, for the speaker believed the
whole nation should take pride in the
droducts of one of the sisterheod of states
which form the great union protected
by the stars and stripes> Capt. Burke's
remarks were happy and patriotic, aud
were heartily applauded, as were Mayor
Blsnding's.
OBJECT OF THE EXPEDITION.
The purpose of the expedition is to
advertise the ''Matchless Resources of
Alabama" 1t is boomer for the new
south. and good one. The gentlemen
accompanying the cars, while anxious to
see all they can of the north, and to in
spect the points of interest and fame
through the country as they travel along
are naturally more anxious to entertain
than be entertained Theirs is q bust
ness venture, and it promises to be as
successful as it IS novel While there is
no Intention on the part of the boomers
to diminish Alsbsmas fame as cotton
and water melon state. the purpose is to dis
pei the long existing idea that the state
is productive only of these two things
In word. they have put Alabama in a
miniature scale on wheels, and instead of
asking the people of other states to 90
to Alabama and investigate, are giving
the people an opportunity to see for
themselves without leaving their homes
The notion of the expedition was con
Ceived few months ago by Hon. W. F.
koib, commissioner of agriculture and
immigration of Alabama He suggested
the matter to the enterprising business
men of the state, who at once lent their
to the proposition and in
structed MIR. KOlb to institute and ar
range the plan of the trip. The L & n.
railway company placed two cars at his
disposal One is coach provided with
a cuisine. berths, and other conveniences
for the use of the commissioner and his
party, and the other is sixty foot car
divided into eight compartments for the
exhibits. The two cars are attached to
the rear Of the express trains and thus
are conveyed through the territory out
lined in the plan of the expedition.
FROM day and half to two days stop
is made at certain cities en- route, and only
places of importance are visited.
The exhibit Car, which is open to the
public, is divided into eight apartments
and contains specimens of the various
and the excursonsts claim-limitless
products and resources of the state they
so admirably represent.
THE EXHIBITS.
There are samples of corn. grasses,
oats, wheat, barley, rye, German millet,
caffir corn, fruits, hops, sorghum, ribbon
sugar cane, peanuts, tobacco, cotton,