Sacramento daily record-union., 1890-09-06
COLUMBIAN EXPOSITION.
THE QUESTION OF SITE NOT YET
DEFINITELY SETTLED.
The Difficulties of the Enterprise Have
Been Great, but Have Been Ably
and Conscientiously Met.
TFrom the chicago Economist

From the Chicago Economist
A year has now elapsed since, by resolu-
tions unanimously adopted at citizens
meeting, Chicago declared that Worlds
Exposition should be held within her bor-
ders. For some seven months hundreds of
leading Chicagoans, mostly in committees,
were industriously engaged in the formida-
bic undertaking of securing national rec
ognition with the combined forces of three
other cities arrayed against them. No
such battle for civil prize was ever be-
fore fought with like eagerness and per-
sistency in this Or any other country. Not
only the press and people of the four con-
testing cities, but also of the entire nation
became involved in the spirited conten-
ton. Chicago sent out her representatives
to champion her claims before assemblages
and conventions in many of the States, as
well as before Congress, and finally came
out triumphant in the great competitive
struggle. 1t was mlgniyy victory,
The coveted prize being thus secured at
a great cost of money, time and effort,
loomed up as well worthy of the triple
expenditure, and drew toward the victori-
GUS young city the attention of the whole
world The bare announcement of her
carrying off the palm redounded so much
to her credit and gave such promise of
rapid growth and general advancement as
to stimulate all values and all branches of
local industry into noticeable activity.
Next followed the completion of the
State organization, which, under the pro-
visions of the Incorporation Act, unavoid-
ably consumed two months, and since then
further legislation, both by city and State,
was absolutely needed and energetically
sought. No one can truthfully deny the
earnestness and untiring zeal of the di-
rectors in their efforts to overcome opposi-
tion and constantly recurring obstacles to
the granting of the needed ordinance and
legislative Act, both of which were at last
secured and could not have been an in
slant earlier, but both in compromise form
in concession to the spirit of opposition so
developed. All this time the ablest finan-
ciers of Chicago were actively and success
fully engaged in securing the requisite
capital, task that had baffled other cities
of greater population and wealth. Next
came the question of site, which, Of neces-
sity, had mainly to be deferred till the en-
actment Of laws, less than a month ago,
gave some assurance that the desired loca-
ton could be used.
Here, two difficulties arose and culmin-
ated, such as the average citizen little
knows, and which space does not admit of
mentioning in detail. Suffice it to say
that as Congress, the United States Com
missioners and the directors were all
agreed that the exposition should be held
somewhere on the lake shore, the great
aim of the directory was to secure the
Lake Front, so-called because of its supe-
rior convenience and greater promise of
financial success. What complications,
legal and physical, as well as sectional,
surrounded, and seemingly buried that
effort, at least to large extent of the cov-
eted area, no man, not director or men,
ber of the special committee having the
site in charge, can adequately compre-
hend through seduously reading and
watching everything that bears on the
subject. Difference of opinion on SO grave
a question, and under such circumstances
of embarrassment, were to be expected in
the directors, and found their counterpart
in like differences, not only among our
citizens, but also in the press, showing
that each site suggested must have SUBJ
stantial merits and demerits.
The restrictions of the ordinance, as
passed, requiring the use of not less than
one hundred and fifty acres of the Lake
Front, and for park purposes after the
fair, also forbidding all arrangement with
the Illinois Central Railroad Company,
rendered the acceptance of that ordinance
impracticable in the judgment of large
majority of the directors, and a new or
dinance is asked for. So, too, the elabor-
ate reports of Mr. Olmsted, admittedly the
ablest landscape architect in the country,
imposed upon the directors the duty of
further careful consideration of the ad-
vantages and disadvantages of the respect
i've sites rendered, or promised to be tend
ered and also further negotiations with
the South Park Commissioners. All this
takes time. The discussion of the site
question in Paris, with infinitely less occa-
sion for it, the competing locations being
Champ de Mars and the Bois de Boulogne,
the controversy being confined chiefly to
architects, occupied twice the time thus
far consumed in Chicago, and resulted in
iudicious selection with no bitter denun-
Citations or subsequent regrets.
The Chicago directors, having all these
difficulties, Instructions and uncertain
ties to contend with, and no other motives
or interests than to decide on wise loca-
tion of the fair, should receive the en-
couragement and support in their arduous
duties of all our citizens and of the press
particularly. Otherwise harsh criticism
and denunciation, freely copied in the
Eastern hostile press, and then transferred
to the newspapers of Europe, will greatly
damage the cause in which all Chicago,
and, indeed, all the nation should be
deeply interested. 1t is hard to see what
good is to be accomplished by abuse of the
directors, to result in crippling the great
enterprise and inficting lasting injury
upon our city.
TULE BOTTOMS FOR RICE.