Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1892-01-30
THE WORLDS FAIR.
People Are Becoming Much Interested In
the Work at the Grounds.

L
the Work at the Grounds.
Cores pondence OF THE REPUBLICAN.
CHICAGO, Jan. 22.-In the way OF travel
to the southern outskirts of the city we
are already getting n foretaste of what
we may expect between New Years day
and Christmas of 1898. Although the
suburban train and cable car service to-
ward the south is probably the best Of
its kind in the country, and generally
equal to double the demand made upon
It, yet already it is being uncomfortably
taxed, and | am told that ON all lines
the travel for the month of October was
twice as large as ever before recorded
for the same month.
On Sundays, especially, immense
crowds of people, representing all classes
and conditions Of society, turn their faces
toward the Worlds fair grounds, while
it is becoming something of a fad for
visitors from other places, no matter
whether they are here on business or
pleasure, or how little time they have at
:heir disposal, to do the same thing.
They seem to feel that they cannot af
! ford to go away without taking run
down TO jackson park. And yet there
| is not so much for the ordinary visitor
TO see. A high board fence, with very
few entrances, surrounds the grounds,
and the number of permits that are
issued to enable the favored ones TO pass
the Cerberus at the main entrance are
decidedly few and far between.
/ Once inside, however, the visitor is
struck with the activity that prevails
and with the progress that has so far
| been made. Away over toward the west
there is noise that sets ones teeth on
edge, diversified occasionally by series
of shrill whistles, and sudden discharge
Of volumes of smoke from big stack.
/ These are the sawmills, where big forces
! of men are turning out immense quaint
| ties of lumber that are needed for the
| preparatory work on the various struo-
lures. From midnight on Monday morn
ing until the same hour on the following
Saturday night this work is not suspend
ed for moment. Only on the Sabbath
do the saws and the engines and the
men that operate them take a breathing
spell.
Three gangs of men are employed, and
| from dusk until daybreak a score or
more of big electric lamps shed some
| thing of weird light upon the busy
scene. Although they are turning OUT
| about q carload of lumber every hour,
they are barely keeping up with what
is demanded. \ single building, that
to be devoted to manufactures, has
NAV that is simply ravenous. 1t IL
eating up the product of the mills at the
rate of nearly 100000 feet day, and
from the time the ground was broken up
to today its appetite has been equal to
nearly 1900, 900 feet.
This structure, by the way, will be a
wonder, and were it to be the only fea-
ture Of the fair it would amply repay
the people who will come from the far
thest point of the continent. The city
hall of New York and the big music
hall in st. Louis might be put into a
corner of it and they would look like
architectural dwarfs. Ten such struc-
lures as the public building in Phila-
delphia or the Auditorium in Chicago
could be put under its roof and there
would still be room for the biggest
| crowd Of visitors that the liveliest Inn
agination expects to see in any one
building at one and the same time. To
put it in another way, four-ffths Of all
the structures that comprised in the az
gregate the Philadelphia centennial
could find shelter within the four walls
of this extraordinary structure.
On this building also work is being
carried forward by day and by night
The foundations are practically com
pleted. the greater portion of the floor.
ing is done and the immense central
truss will soon bo in place. But IL is the
Women's building that will first have the
honor of flying the flag that will denote
final completion. In fact, the structure
in which will be displayed the handi-
work of the gentler sex Of two continents
seems to have sprung up like mush-
room. Still, for all that. it is going to be
not only substantial, but decidedly
pleasing to the eye, so far as can DO
judged at the present time by the white
roof lines and the immense quantities
of ornamental fricze and decorative
molding that is now being applied to
hide the bare boards from sight.
More than satisfactory progress Is also
being made on the Transportation build
ing, the greater part of which is ready
for its exterior covering. The first floor
of the Horticultural hall is in position
and the second story will be very soon
looming up. Little remains to be done
on the foundation work of the Fine Arts
building, and the structures to be devot-
ed to the fisheries, the aquaria, as well
as TO electricity, agriculture and admin
istration are well under way. Only pre-
hminary work has so far been done on
Machinery hall, but when the contractor
starts in in earnest an immense force OF
workers will be concentrated on this
feature Of the fair.
HENRY M. HUNT.
A Treasured UoOf