The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1892-12-23
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THE CHILDREN's BUILDING.


developed as popular movements will
uncontrolled by any individual. The
managers tried to keep it down. 1t
was easy enough for others to demand
certain things and leave it to the man
agement TO provide the funds TO carry
out these ideas. The men who had
charge of the finances of the exposition
have appeared, at times, in the light of
close-fisted. narrow-minded men with
out any thought of the higher objects
for which people kept on demanding
space. But this view of them is entire
" erroneous. Imagine a finance COM
mittee burdened with an enterprise
that is started with an anticipated ex-
penditure of ten million dollars. and
the plans keep on growing until the
estimate of the expenditure reaches the
enormous sum of almost twice that
amount. 1t is enough to Brighten any
man who has any share in the respOn-
sibility, financial or moral. But to make
matters more complicated for the
finance committee. they found them
selves not in the position of directors
of private corporation which can stop
its expenses and curtail its plans at
will without being obliged to consult
any other interests; they were at the
head of a semi-public enterprise, and
the people expected that it should be
credit to the nation and truly represen-
tativc of these latter days of the nine
teenth century, whereas the stockholm
ers expected them TO make the eXpOsi-
ton pay expenses, at least, if not make
a profit. Between these two fires the
men who had to provide the finances
for the continually growing enterprise
have had 4 hard time of it. 1t was inn
possible for them to please everybody.
They did what they thought was most
conducive to the interests of the expo
sition rs Il national enterprise without
jeOpardizing the interests of the stock
holders.
An apt illustration of how the expo
sition has been growing far beyond
the limits originally laid down is sup
piled by the department of education.
This is branch of the department of
liberal arts, and as such was to have
been located within the manufactures
and liberal arts building. known as the
main building of the exposition. But
the manufactures department kept
growing, the liberal arts We're confined
to smaller space, for, there being no
commercial interest back of them. they
had TO give way before the enormous
pressure of the manufacturing in
terests of the world. Finally there
was no room left at all for the educa-
tional exhibit. At the same time there
was no money left to appropriate for
building purposes, the original plans
in this direction having been exceeded
by more than one-half. 1t required a
long controversy, which, however, has
been happily concluded by decision
to have an educational building.
Then the women connected with the
exposition thought it would be good
plan to have building for children.
They had been treated with the great
est liberality by the board of directors
from the beginning, getting. as mat
ter of fact, the pick of everything in
point of location, appropriation, time,
etc. So they concluded not to trouble
the directors with providing the funds
for this building, but to find the means
themselves. This was done
1t shows again how much further
sentiment will often go than business,
provided it is sentiment that appeals
to men or rather to women. Mrs. Pot
ter Palmer, the president of the wom-
ans department of the exposition
that description suits better than the
official title Board of Lady Managers"
gave up her beautiful mansion, one
of the finest residences in Chicago, and
perhaps the most unique, to grand
bazaar of the nations, and used
her wide acquaintance and influ-
ence as one of the leaders of society to
make it the most brilliant success in
that line ever accomplished in this
city. Her home was transformed into
an epitome of the world. In various
booths there were Greeks and Turks,
Russians, Swedes, Germans, French,
British, Dutch and other people, in
most cases, of course, women, as being
the fairest representatives of the re-
spective nations. They were Chicago
women who had a liking for the par
ticular nationality they adopted, and
presided in the booths. All wore the
most characteristic and, it goes without
saying, the most becoming to them of
the costumes of the nation they had Sc
lected. They sold articles of foreign
manufacture. 1t was all very pretty