The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-05-27
OUR CHICAGO LETTER.
John HIcGovern Tells How Chicago Il
Preparing for the Fair Of 1893.

Especial Correspondence
CHICAGO, April 29.-I may hope that the
Worlds fair at Chicago will pique the curl
osity of the nation. Granting that much,
we at once enter upon an interesting realm
# thought. Individually, we may be un-
lble to see that fair is an economical
neasure-that it Will cheaper the cost of
;xistence; how comes it, then, that collec-
iyelY the American people have wanted
air? In multitude of counsel there is
Tisdom Probably the fair will unity the
,ountry-cement together its races and set
dement's. In that large view which O,OO0,-
90 people have, the exposition of 1893 may
oe necessity rather than luxury.
Again, the nation is suffering with brain
fag These Americans have lifted, and
grunted, and sweated, until Nature herself
stands as an irate worker, demanding to
know why her children should put on
themselves penalties which she herself la
ments. The discomfort OF the American
peOple-if it exists as much the outcome
Of brain WEAKNESS as Of hardship, for, II
there be growing discomfort, there is de-
creasing physical hardship. The son of
Hodge never had bicycle IN any other age.
Silk plush was never vulgar fabric be-
fora- So, on the score Of national ennui-h
it exist-the Worlds fair must be consid-
cred as q palliative, a soporifc. If you
please, you may hold. that man is grown
infant, crying with the vexation and vani-
ty of life; rattle him your Worlds fair
loudly, and he will cease to worry over
either Henry George or Jay Gould.
With national felicity that the student
of human affairs must admire, this stu
pendous spectacle of recreation is to center
on the very hotbed of American social fer
ment. The city which seems to hold all
the active social reformers-whither every
striker travels-where each nation of the
earth has planted its impenetrable colony
tho city where nervous, excitable, volu-
bic, social human creatures walk and talk
and write, and, alas! act-this very city
sets up the advertisement of a worlds
fair, the first of human attractions. Presto,
the reformers, must they not see the fair
first, and reform afterwnrd?
On this line of reasoning the fair intro
duces the people one to another, and gives
TO the statu quo a guarantee of further
peaceful existence. Chicago will soon be
so deeply involved in the fete of 1898 that
she will have no time to strike. That's
fatI
fari Is there boom? Does the movement
arise outside or within? Well, there is a
great boom, the first great boom I have
ever seen here, and think the movement
is from the outside The nation IS looking
full upon Chicago. The nation is expect
ing something prodigious of Chicago. 1t
would be a solemn thing if the Lake City
should evoke the cansure or the pity of
I e..
Five millions OF stock were subscribed
by $4,000 contributors and payment Of 2
per cent. exacted, so that S10l 900 have been
realized in cash. On this sum doubtless
the preliminary expenses were undertaken.
Some forty subscribers, by purchasing large
blocks Of the stock, have elected themselves
directors. l believe there are one or two of
the forty-fve directors who hold office not
by their own contributions, bat by the
small holdings of many people. Thus
Mark l. Crawford, a representative trade
union man, is now member Of the direct
ory. By signing for S150,e00 of stock Mr..
Yerkes was able to elect both himself and
his attorney, and it is said that his share Of
the stock WIS so large that, had he been a
reader reckoner, he could have seated a
second attorney in the board. Mr. Yerkes
SNuGECLo VIC SbEcSO OI LOuE-lllOuS VI JuG
city and looks after the gas trust, which
just now is laughing the law in its face.
He has figured and still figures in front Of
the worst Of our strikes.
The forty-fve Chiocgoans who pledged
their money most literally to secure the
fair are men vino may be trusted to note
well the colossal task which they have &C
ccpted. The city now begins to seetho.
Brobdignagian plans hang in our store
windows. One architect has drawn a tent
to cover 160 acres. Books of wonders are
on sale. The site question, so we'll kept
under because the South Side was finan-
cially certain to seize it when the fair
came, will soon bubble up, and then, after
the town eaIdron shall have simmered
down, the city and the native win pitch in
to see what can DO done in three years.
Short time, but lots working at It'll Big
thing, too-and rapidly growing on theim-
agination. JOIN MCGovERN.