The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-05-02
THE CENTgNNlAES COST.
The Condition that ConFronts the New York
Committeeman,

1
New YoRE, May l,-What the entire
cost of the Centennial celebration will
We it Is impossible to soy at the present
time.
1t seems pretty clear that, SO far as the
Centennial Committee is concerned, the
expenses will exceed the money which
has been appropriated by the State and
the city, together with the subscriptions
which have been secured by the Finance
Committee, headed by Brayton Ives.
This statement Is not made from alb.
solute knowledge Of the facts Of the case,
because Mr.. Gerry and his associates
have preserved the same golden silence
concerning the finances Of the affair
which they have concerning everything
else the Centennial has to do with. The
conclusion Is simply based on the iact
that ut a recent meeting Of the Plan aud
Scope Committee special reference was
made TO the fact that the available funds
were not holding out, and Brayton Ives
and his associates on the Finance Com.
mittee were asked TO stir up suLsCrip.
tlous and get them In as rapidly as pos.
sible.
According to Mr.. Bowen's official pro.
gramme the money appropriated by the
State OF New York for the purpose OF
the celebration was 100000. One hun.
dred and twenty-five Thousand dollars OF
this, however, belongs to tho National
Guard, and $4,000 was for the Grand
Army OF the Republic, so that S55. 600
only goes TO the Centennial Committee.
The city government, however, appro.
priated $4,000 and the voluntary sub
sCriptions have been about 1000. This
gives the committee an aggregate
fund OF $4,000, and out OF this
the expenses of the parade
must be met, the maihtAinanCe OF such
troops as have not been provided for by
the States 10 which they belong, the cost
OF fireworks and decorations, and the
very heavy expenses OF the committee
incurred during the work OF preparation.
Spacious offices have been maintained In
the Stewart building since last Novem-
Der, and a number OF parlors ut Fifth
Avenue Hotel have been occupied by tho
Army Committee since January OF the
present year. When TO these expenses
is added the probable deficit In the ball
and banquet accounts, II will be seen
that with $4,000 the committee will
probably not come out anywhere near
square.
The expenses for the ball and banquet
almost Of necessity 60 together, for the
reason that the cost Of building tho an.
nexes TO the Opera House and the deco.
ratiOns Of the building are necessarily
charged up against both entertainments.
The cost Of these two affairs will un.
doubtedly aggregate 100000. Here arc
some OF the items rs set down in the
original estimate; Metropolitan Opera
House Company, for use Of building,
S., 100; +. S. Stokes, for banquet, 800
guests at Sl2 each, $1,000; wines thereat,
$780, supper at ball, at s. a head,
probably 5000 people, $4,000; wine at
supper for same number, $l3, 1875; con.
struction Of boxes on stage, s., 100; dec.
orations OF supper room, S2,30O; music,
$1,000; police, $3.50; staining yestibule,
S25; cloak room aud ushers, $3.50;
printing, Sl,450i steam fitting, 5000;
yestibule doors, $50; Madison Square
Bank, for selling tickets, 5000 electric
lights, $1,000; door servants, $50. Total,
S6O,5l5.
In addition to this the buildings in
Thirty.ninth street and Seventh avenue
will cost from $4,000 to $4,000, which
OF course will have 10 be charged un To
the entire cost OF the ball and the ban.
quet, and since the above list was made
out other expenses, such as $500 TO Ed.
mund O. Stanton, for his services in
experimenting the Opera House on the
evening Of the ball and expenditures for
similar objects. What the deficit in the
ball and banquet accounts will be can.
not be estimated, or how much moro
than $4,000, which tue committee has
in It's hands, will be required. What.
ever the difference may 6e will have 10
be met by private subscriptions.
The money actually expended OF
course includes the $4,000 committee
money, $l96, 900 to the National Guard,
$40, 900 to the Grand Army OF the Re.
public, and various appropriations by
the different States for the transporta.
ton and maintenance OF their troops.
Massachusetts, alone appropriated $50.
900, These are Of the official expendI.
lures. The private expenditures run up
into seven figures.