The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-03-21
Nll!islZE5ale
THE COLUMBIAN EXPOSITION.
Stumbling Blocks in Its Pathway-A
Hopeful View.
[speosai Correspondence

Stumbling Blocks in It's Pathway
Hopeful View.
[Speosai Correspondence
CHICAGO, Aarch 10.-If the duration o.
the Worlds Celumb ian exposition were to
be measured by the obstacles and troubles
agaifsG which Its promoters have had 70
ooutend as web as to overcome, its doors
would be kent open for six years rather
than six months. A bare half of calendar
wear would Seem to be a very short space
of time for the official existence of an en-.
terprise that has bad to fight its way inch
by inch for very life. If the prince CON
sort and his committee had encountered a
1.-THE of the rocks that have beset the path
of the Worlds fair directory, even such a
giant among colsOrts as was that illus,
trious man weuih probably have given up
the task in despair.
One of the most prominent workers In
the cause of the centennial in 1876, man
who had made his mark in the national
legislature, the head and front of one OF
the largest iron establishments in the
world, and the possessor of good sized
fortune to boot. died Of amental complaint
which as he himself told the writer not
many months before be passed away. was
superinduced by the arduous character OF
his labors during the existence of the ex-
position and the two years of preparation
that preceded it. Yet neither himself nor
his colleagues had to contend against one
1.-THE of the obstacles, the opposition and
the handicapping that month after month
has doomed up in the way Of the national
and local authorities who are responsible
for the success or non-success of the event
upon which the United States has put the
stamp of an official sanction.
To begin with, there was the stubborn
and determined fight that was made in
both branches of congress before lOca-
ton was finally decided upon. Then for
months there was what promised to be an
interminable warfare between The various
geographical divisions of the city as to
which of them should carry off the prize
In the matter of a SITE The south Side
won the day, and then when. in answer to
a popular demand, it was decided to locate
some of the most important buildings
upon the Lake Front, the property owners
in that region jumped into the arena,
claimed that their rights were being in
fringed, an d threatened to invoke legisla-
ton without limit to prevent the plans of
the directory being carried out. Certain
necessary municipal legislation was re-
CURED from the city council, but of course,
in order 70 be in fashion, the aldermen, or
goodly proportion of them at least, had to
be ohstreperous, and the directors were
compelled to almost literally go down on
their hands and knees in order to secure a
recognition of their moderate require
ments.
Almost the same experience was repeated
Sr hn la,-yIc 81 M ira af ha tn+n
time hullabaloo was being created
abroad regarding the dire influence that
the passage of the Mckinley bill would
have upon would-be exhibitors, while the
foreign press was deluged from interested
sources with articles inimical to the United
States, the city of Chicago and the fair in
particular. When finally contracts were
let for the preparation of the grounds in
Jackson park, and the first shovelfuls Of
earth had been turned, organized, or rather
disorganized, labor stepped in and drove
the Italian laborers pell NELL from the field.
Once more rising serene in the midst of its
difficulties, the directory amended its con-
tracts by providing that no show should
be given to alien labor.
On the top of this the eight hour ques
ton cropped up, and during the past few
a
ate has been sitting in this city Investigate
ing the pulse of the directory on the ques-
ton of organized labor in general and its
relations to the eight hour law in particu-
lar. Meanwhile several thousand of sub
scribers to the stock became delinquent,
and the process of justices and circuit
courts had to be threatened, and in some
cases invoked, in order to bring the de-
inquents to time. Then, as finale, comes
the action of the late congress in practically
depriying the preliminary management of
funds and making it necessary for lime
tenths of the staff of the national commits |
sion to be laid off indefinitely.
All this will make interesting reading
after the doors have been closed and the |
final reports of the enterprise have been
written. There was an old business man |
in Philadelphia back in the seventies who |
used to head his advertisements with the |
startling caption, Betrayed, but not dis |
mayed" Nobody ever found out who had |
betrayed him or what for, but his headline |
was so successful in keeping his advertise !
ment before the public that he lived to be- /
come the possessor of a comfortable fortune |
30 with the Worlds fair management |
1t has been betrayed almost on every hand, |
but 1t is not dismayed. It's troubles only |
serve to inspire it with additional deter |
to make the work it has before |
1t the greatest and grandest of it's kind |
that the world has ever seen. Money will |
be found to carry on the work of the /
national commission as it should be car |
ried on, even if the private purse strings
of patriots have 10 be unloosened
The local directory is doing its share. as
witness the constant accessions to the staff |
of the department of promotion and pub |
icity, the tons of printed matter that are |
weekly being sent out all over the world |
and the immense amount of correspond |
ence that is being conducted with promi- |
nent people in every quarter of the globe. |
Meanwhile tokens of encouragement are |
pouring in. Patriotic men and women in |
svery state, imbued with laudable pride /
Of country, are working with might aud |
main 10 stiffen the backbone of the man.
agement. There are good many rocks |
still in the way, others may turn up where
they are least expected, but there is bone
and sinew enough Yet remaining to push
them aside. HENRY N. Hunt
Eight Men Rescued by a Dog.
The dog has long been known as the
81