Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-10-26
A CONVENTION CITY.
How a Big Exposition Center Could
BE Made Out of Pittsburg.
THE PLANS OF HENRY B. THOMPSON
An EngliShman Claims Americans Work
Hard and Long Hours.
INTERVIEWS ON A VARIETY OF TOPICS

INTERVIEWS ON A VARIETY OF TOPICS
Henry B. Thompson, of Grafton, has some
good ideas about making a convention city
out of Pittsburg. The subject was suggested
to him by the views of citizens who pointed
out where the next Exposition could be
greatly improved over the one just held. In
an interview. yesterday Mr.. Thompson said:
''The finger boards of the commercial
cross roads say Pittsburg is the central
city between the New England, Missouri
River and Southern cities Why not set
out to make it a convention city of first i'm
portance for industrial, commercial and
political conventions? Is there anything to
interfere with the success of an energetic
effort to establish this city as the Mecca of
annual commercial pilgrimages to con-
stantly changing national trades exposition
of glassware, pottery, hardware and food
products. None of these trades have their
established new product shows. Pittsburg
has grand opportunity in this feature.
The midway location favors it. Recent
important developements in the glass trades
certainly point to this conclusion. The
annual convention of Master Mechanics and
Master Car Builders and Superintendent
| of telegraph of American railways are con-
stantly requiring increase of Accommodations
| for their varied exhibits made by manu-
facturers at these conventions. The elec-
| trio light convention recently held in Mon
treal demonstrates the need of a proper
exhibit hall for. annual displays. The
Street Railway Association will never set
foot in Pittsburg again unless the city is
quick to supply their increasing needs.
The splendid opportunity is now afforded to
furnish them with an annual exhibition
hall and a double track belt line railway for
practical tests of cars, motors and similar
equipments. The association wants this
facilities. Some city will do it, and soon,
too. Why not Pittsburg?
CONVENTIONS WOULD COME
'sMany other national, industrial or polit-
ical conventions could be secured for this
CITY if the facilities existed. My sugges-
tions are that the North and Southside,
East and West End railway companies
complete double track loop or belt line
railway on the the triangle made by Du-
quesne way, Water, Grant and Tenth streets,
operating it as terminal loop during ex-
positions, conventions, festivals or other
entertainments in the building described
below, and keep this loop open for traffic
arrangements with all street railways, and
controlled by no one interest Organize
convention and trade hall company among
hotel proprietors, manufacturers and busl-
ness men for the purpose of building an iron
and glass building, which wonld have a
number of practical uses. Locate the build
ing on the Exposition Society's grounds
at the Point. A horseshoe-shaped struc-
ture will afford greater facilities for
all purposes Its width would be
from Duquesne way to the river line, its
length sufficient to be in correct proportion,
and its exhibition spaces would be most OF
the first floor and circular hallway about
IS feet wide on the second floor, the length
of its circumference or shoe.
''The chief feature of the building would
be its court shaped as the inside lines of
horseshoe, rooted and arranged as an audi
torium to seat 4, 200 people. The stage or
platform of this auditorium should be ar
ranged to seat 800 people, and be about or
10 feet higher than the floor level of the
main building The floor of this auditorium
would rise to the level of the second floor,
thus giving stepped construction so de-
sirable in seating large audiences. The
first floor of the building would be under
meath the outer lines of this court or
auditorium, and extending to the outside
walls of the horseshoe, thus giving an
available first floor space equal in area to
about two-thirds the area of the present
lawn.
A DESIRABLE BUILDING.
soThis building could be used by the E1-
position Society for their purposes during
the Exposition, and at other times its ex-
tended and complete arrangement, central |
location and accessibility over belt line !
railway tracks on all cars would enable the |
company building it to use it for the objects |
suggested, and by so doing place the city in |
the front rank of desirable convention |
cities.
GAS for the present Exposition buildings,
1 would suggest to give the machinery hall
to glassmen and potters for an industrial
exhibit worthy of Pittsburg. Put in the
building plate glass grinding, polishing,
beveling and embossing, bottle making,
pressed glass and window glass making, and
pottery in its many attractive branches, and
through the center, from end to end,
place complete display of the
new products of glass and pottery for ma
tional trades exposition. Insist on a new
location and new exhibition booth by every
in the main building. Not one
of these advertisers would think of keeping
a stale advertisement standing in the
Many change them daily.
IuclI CAhlDlGs De |
next year. The existence of the Exposition
depends on this move. Place national
exhibit of food products in the first floor of
the horseshoe or auditorium. Let the Ex-
position Society scratch the lunch shanty
off the face of the earth and place a good
restaurant in a conspicuous and convenient
location under the auditorium floor and then
build long one-story building on the river
bank extending the entire length of both
the present buildings and make it in fact as
we'll as in name machinery hall
Advertise the exposition 500 miles from
home, and don't depend on few of your
country cousins Fifty cities near you are
ready to come, if the magnet is strong
enough to draw. Carry out these or similar
suggestions from others, and with variety
Of musical entertainments and competitions
in the auditorium there would soon be dis
covered the cause of surplus triple that
Of this year to the society, and ten times
the value to the city's trade. Pittsburg
can be made a convention city,
MAKES MEN LAZY.