The record-union., 1891-06-24
Progress of Preparations for the Chi
cago Worlds Fair.
The California Commissioners on the
Ground-Much is Expected of
the Golden State.


Commissioner Thompson - who Is the
Secretary of the California board-sends
the RECORD UNION the following inter-
esting sketch of the meeting, and of the
progress that is being made toward pre-
pairing for the great exposition, under
date of Monday last:
EDS. RECoRD-UNIoN Having just re-
turned from Chicago, where 1 went as
one of the California Worlds Fair Com
mission, / thought possible you might
like to know something OF the work that
is now going on there, and the work done
by the commission for California.
The Commissioners all arrived at Chi
cago on June 9Th, and held their first
meeting on the evening of that day. The
10th, llth and 18th were spent in looking
over Jackson Park for suitable site for
our State building, and in getting in
touch with the various officials, at whose
hands we received every courtesy. Every
assurance was given us that California
would be literally treated in any under
taking she might engage On our trip to
Jackson Park we were joined by Hon.
w. L Buchanan, Chief of the Department
of Agriculture, and at Woodlawn Station
were met by Dion Geraldine, Assistant
IN the Construction Department, who had
provided carriages for our party, and to-
gether we drove over the ground. While
there we met Mr.. Ulrich, the Assistant
Landscape Architect, late of the Hotel
Del Monte, and he also Joined us.
THE SOUTH PARK SYSTEM
Consists Of two great parks, connected by
the Midway PlaiSance-a strip of land
mile long and six hundred feet wide,
united by boulevards with the heart of
the city, and with the west and northside
parks. Washington and Jackson Parks,
with the Midway Plaisance, cover some
974 acres. Jackson Park is the scene of
operations. At its northern end, which
is the only portion under cultivation, is
tract of some 100 acres that has been set
aside for the erection of the buildings of
. States and foreign nations. The balance
of the park is low, marshy land-or
rather it was once sO-and the work of
grading and filling this end has been
progressing rapidly. The contract for
doing this work calls for a payment of
800, 600 on its successful completion.
About three-fifths of the land has now
been graded, and on that where the fill
ing in and leveling is now being done
the scene is much like that on a section Of
land in California where preparation by
grading is being made for planting in
vines. Horses, teams and men are all
busy.
CALIFORNIA WILL FARE WELL.
At the end of the park where space is to
be allotted for State buildings arrange
ments are being made to remodel the i'm
proved portion, and to this end Frederick
Law Olmsted, the Chief Landscape Archi-
tect, is preparing plan after which the
ground Is to be laid out. This makes it
impossible, until the completion of this
plan, to designate any particular space
for the erection of the State buildings,
and as yet no specific amount has been
given to any one State. California will,
however, fare well, as the disposition on
the part of the authorities of the exposi-
ton is to show this State every favor
No buildings have been erected yet on
Jackson Park site, and on that portion
devoted to the general exposition build
ings only the stakes and corner posts,
marking out the spots where some of the
gigantic structures are to be erected, can
be seen.
WORKING IN EARNEST.
That the work in connection with the
Worlds Fair has been begun, and in
earnest, too, anyone can tell who visits
the Rand Il McNally building, where the
DireCtor-GeneraPs and other offices of
the exposition are situated. The offices
of the various bureaus occupy one whole
floor, and the crowds moving in and
about the departments evidence the activ-
ity of the officials and the interest of the
masses i'll the work.
In another of Chicago's famed build
ings, the Rookery, Superintendent of
Construction Burnham has his offices,
and here may be seen another busy
throng. This gigantic structure, with its
fourteen stories, covers some 5000 occu-
pants, and its fourteen elevators are kept
constantly at work transporting the
1hrongs that crowd the building.
INTEREST TAKEN IN THE FAIR.
Another evidence of the interest mani
tested by the people of the world was
shown while the California Commission
ers were in Chicago The Diplomatic
Corps came in body from Washington
to inspect the work being undertaken by
the exposition authorities, and to show
by personal contact with the World 8
Fair promoters, that the countries each
represented were heartily in sympathy
with the movement, and would be repre-
sented at the great show.
On Saturday night, June 18th, the di-
plomats We're entertained at a banquet.
at which some 300 sat down to an even
ing's enjoyment not soon to be forgotten
Commissioners Daggett, Hatch and the
writer were present, the other Commits
sioners having left for New York. There
were no set speeches, but it was not long
before we were listening TO responses to
toasts In every language Imaginable, as
nearly all of the foreign representatives
spoke in their own tongue. From the
time NJ. ROustan, the French repre-
sentative, arose to express his apprecia-
ton Of the results Of the undertaking, to
the time when the POSTMASTER introduced
Chinese Legation, the enthusiasm was
manifest. When the visiting diplomats
we've taken over the fair site they were
loud in its praises.
When it is known that company is
being formed in St. Petersburg and Mos
COW with a capital of S2,500,000, for the
purpose of helping the Russian exhibit,
and that the Government will probably
appropriate as much more, it is better
understood what interests foreigners are
taking in the display.
PLANS FOR THE BUILDINGS.
The plans for the general exposition
buildings are prepared on a gigantic scale,
and the various portions of the grounds
will be equally accessible by water and
by land. Lagoons are TO be made through
out the grounds, connecting with the lake,
and on these boats representing the small
craft OF every nation Will carry the
throngs of spectators through the intri-
cate maze of waterways. Down to these
waterways viii come green terraces,
reaching from the buildings and from the
paths. BY whatever way the visitor
comes, he viii behold q scene of COM
manding beauty-noble edifices grouped
with consummate art in grounds cleverly
arranged with every care of the leaders
among landscape architects.
THE CALIFORNIA BUILDING,
If located in the spot which the State
Commissioners have applied for, viii be
in one of the best situations in the entire
exposition grounds. This spot lies at
the junction of Jackson Park and the
Midway Plaisance, and will only be sep
srated from the horticultural Building
NV the Women's Exhibit. Directly in
iront of the space applied for is large
triangular piece of ground only separated
rom the State building by a driveway.