Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-01-11
THE COMPETING CITIES.
New York Orators Before the senate
Quadro- Centennial Committee.
HON. cHAUNcEY N. DEpEw AND Ex-REPREsESrA-
TIVE BoUBKE COCHRAN SET FORTH THE ADvAN-
fAeEs OF GOTHAM AS A SITE FOR THE WORLDS
FAIR.

FAIR.
The battle Of the commercial giants-Chicago
and New York-commenced before the Senate
committee on the quadri-centennial this MORN
ing. There was a preliminary skirmish for
seats, In which the western city came out ahead
because 1t was on the ground, or more prop
erly, In the chairs, at least half an hour before
any OF the Gothamites put in an appearance.
Fifteen minutes before the time set for the
hearing there were not twenty vacant seats in
the Senate reception room. On the north side
OF the apartment were a number of ladies
members OF the ladies' auxiliary society of
Chicago-and the only portion of the place
not pretty closely populated was in the
immediate vicinity of the committee table.
The bronze clock on the marble mantel had
muslcally announced the hour of 10 some if
teen minutes when the New York delegation
commenced to put in an appearance. BY this
time the senatorial committee was seated.
Senator Hiscock was in his place, facing the
center OF the long red-topped table, and on
his left hand sat Senators Sherman, Vest, Haw-
ley, Farwell, Stanford Colquitt and Evarts.
THE NEW WORKERS WERE SOMEWHAT SURPRISED
when, on endeavoring to enter the room, they
found the place SO thoroughly occupied by
Chicago and st. Louis, but the gentlemen from
the west were not at all disturbed at the sur
prised appearance of the Gothamites. As rap
Idly as possible the New Workers crowded into
the room and stood up in the aisles on both
sides OF the central division of the audience.
For q few minutes there was more squeezing
ana crushing than has been seen or undergone
In that reception room in all its history. The
one hundred Manhattanites held aloft their
SILK hats, clutched tightly their highly ornate
umbrellas, and swayed and surged until they
all 0nally succeeded i'm getting inside
FEW OF THE MORE DISTINGUISHED
among the recent arrivals secured chairs on
Senator Hiscock's right .hand. Ex-Secretary
Whitney, the picture of health and smiling at
everybody, was one Of the lucky ones, and Col.
Elliott r. Shepard of the Naa and Express was
another. Mayor Grant captured one
OF the most luxuriously upholstered
chairs the Senate owns and
he held on to it. Cornelius n. Bliss didn't get
to within twenty feet of the front. but he had
seat, and that was decidedly moro comfort
able position than that OF ElihU Root, who
stood up in the window niche and imbibed the
draughts of cold air at every available pore
W. +. ID. Stokes sat for a while on the softest
arm OF Secretary Whitney's chair, and when
the late navy resigned the leather
cushioned comfort to Senator Daniel he scraped
one monotonous place on his vertebre against
the hard and unnecessarily sharp edge of the
mantel- The incoming of Senator Daniel,
through Mr.. Whitney's politeness. deprived Mr..
Whitney Of a scat, but Mayor Grant abbrevi-
ated his physical being to such an extent that
the ex-Secretary enabled to occupy the
same chair. 1t strained the chair to have two
such heavy weights in il at one time, but there
was no catastrophe.
Commissioner Douglass sat in the front row
and watched the proceedings quite closely.
SPEECH OF CHAUScEY M. pEPEw.
The entrance of Chauncey NJ. Depew was the
signal for an outburst of applause. The clever
orator had come on a special train, so some of
his neighbors said, in order that he might
arrive on time. He was really fifteen minutes
late, but he caused no delay. In a very short
space of time he shook hands with the MEM
bers Of the committee. and before the members
of that body had composed themselves was be-
fore them, ready to speak. Singularly happy,
30 far as Washington Is concerned, were
the opening remarks Of the president of
to the fact that all great national or interna-
tional eXpositions were held at the capitals of
the respective nations Manchester, Blrming-
ham and Liverpool were great Cities he said,
but no successful exposition could be held in
any other city than London. This argument
he carried out 30 far as the princi-
pal cities and countries OF Europe
were concerned, but he did not
apply it directly to the United States 1t was
an incontrovertible fact he stated generally.
tiidt u udtlOudl eApOsltlOn must De Delu IN the
metropolis of the country holding it, and New
York was the metropolis of this country.
THE "CIRCLE" THEORY
as ridiculed by Mr.. Depew, afforded the au-
dience good deal Of amusement. 1t was very
well, he said, to draw circles demonstrating
that Chicago or ST. Louis was the center of a
greater population than was New York. He
was born at Peekskill ON the Hudson. A cir
Gle drawn around that place, he said, included
nna niti nd a
Der of people, but Peekskill was not an
asprant for the fair. [Great applause.
Within the limits Of what constitutes the city of
New York, Jersey City, &C., you have three
Chlcagos. Eight million of people in the
vicinity could visit the fair at New York for a
sum OF not more that S2 and from that down to
cents. On the transportation problem, be
said, depended largely the success of the
fair. Two hundred thousand wishing to go
home from st. Louis or Chicago could not dis
perse at the rate OF more than 25,OOO per hour
and this would take eight hours, and the next
day the fair would close. New York could dis
tribute the crowd more rapidly than was done
at Paris.
REFERRING TO THE FINANCIAL PROBLEM
he said that the exposition could not 20 on rec
ord. 1t would not be possible to sell bonds, SO
the "chromo business" could not be a success.
Chicago and st. Louis had memorial funds of
"a, 000, 900 each-New York a collective ASSESS
ment of S. 800, 900. The bill was now ready TO
be presented to the New York legislature au-
thorizing the expenditure Of S1O 600 600. which.
he said. would pass without dissenting voice.
The leading argument was completed by IL 10
and before the applause had died away the
orator had wriggled himself into his oyercoat
and adorned his fine head with a silk cap.
Then he sat down in chair which had
been saved for him. The general
impression produced by his speech was very
pleasing, and those Neutrality-suspicious. who heard
it were firmly impressed with a sense of graft
tude to the doctor for his able presentation of
the best argument that can be advanced in be-
half Of the nations capital
rx-coNGREssMAN W. BouRKR COCHRAN
followed Mr.. Depew. He reviewed at length
the transportation possibilities Of the COM
peting cities, and said that New York was the
only city in the Union that could possibly ac-
commodate the crowds that must make the
exposition q success. Every one who came to
the exposition from abroad would visit
the capital of the nation and SEQ the
great national Legislature in session.
Referring to the question Of the capacity of
the cities competing, Mr.. Cochran said that the
1000 people who would visit the exposition
every day would not be noticed on the streets
of New York. In conclusion he said
that New York. the gateway of the
commerce of the United States, living
on the borders of that ocean which
Columbus crossed, laid before the committee.
not a claim but statement OF its advantages.
and IL ma willing a leave the daois;on 90 tI,.