The morning call., 1893-05-26
WIGHT, OF COURSE
WHY California Was Late
at the Fair.
Secretary MarkIey of the Commits
sion Finds a Scapegoat and Tells
About Cur Exhibit.
Wight is the man.

Wight is the man.
They had to fnd scapegoat and Wight
goes.
Every one is denouncing the way in
when California disappointed her friends
at the opening of the Worlds Fair. There
was nothing ready, they say. The mining
exhibit was fraud, the viticultural ex-
III bit deuson and other States showed
strawberries, while California hadn't
berry.
A howl of disgust went up and the Com
mi ssioners squrmed in their boots.
Gradually, however, they are recovering
their equanimity and their wits.
Everything. they say, is all right, only
little late.
Why late?
Wight.
Who is to blame?
Wight.
This is the first time that this magic
name has come before the public SO promi-
| nently, but an enraged and outraged pub
! lie will demand. who is Wight ?''
Secretary Markley said yester rday
"Wight is at the root of all the trouble-P.
B. Wight
'The plans of the California building
were prepared by A. Page Brown of this
| /.
| Wight to carry them out. The Commits
sIoners appointed him and trusted him 10
| get things through n time, but he failed.
Didn't the commission inform itself of
the progress of the work? ?"
"Oh, well, Wight is plausible kind of
man and he would write that by such
and such date so much would be COM
pleted, and when that date approached
| there would be some reason for delay and
then golden hope would be dangled before
the commissioners"
This was rather rough on Wight and it
| was asked whether he had terminated is
| engagement with the commission.
There was a tinge of malice in Secretary
Markley's genial eye, as he replied: He
is through with his work. ,ibut don't thin k
he has received HIS last payment yet"
The Inference from the emphatic tone
was that the derelict Wight would never
get that last payment if the Commissioners
had their way. But, although Commits
sioner Mathews of Tehama was present,
he did not attempt to explain how Wight
had been able to pull wool over his col
leagues eyes for so many months, as
| Secretary Markley alleged was the case.
The building not being readv." cOntin-
ued Mr.. Markley, shaking his head ndig-
nantly at the memory of Wights way,
THE exhibits could not be installed
There is the whole story in nutshell
"Seventy-hve carloads OF exhibits have
| Utcu SHlppeu III All sIxty-elpHL nave ar
rived in Chicago. These cars contain ex-
hiDits enough to fill all the space the COM
mission has in the State building and all
the department buildings, and also in the
grounds where space has been allotted for
trees, shrubs etc. This is the permanent
exhibit, and when ii is all up it will fill all
| the space avalla BILE.
I'VE expect TO have everything in readi-
ness and the building in apple-ple order by
June1 l.
I'VE are now turning our attention to
shipments of fruit. We hope to keep up
stream OF fresh fruit running on to
Chicago from henceforth, to the extent, if
possible, of car a day.
This fresh California fruit will be made
one of the features of the fair.
The outlook for our arrangements in
this direction looks more hopeful. We
have made arrangements with the railroad
company to ship our consignments direct
to the fair grounds, which will save day
in transport
The interior is coming in to help in
great shape. The hOrticulturists see ii
VIII be a fine thing for the State as well as
Tor themselves. We agree on our part 10
ship the fruit exhibit 1t in their name,
sell it and give them the money That is
tair enough, is it not?
Yes, everything is looking pretty well
now aud had it not been for Wight the
California exhibit would have been ali
right The Commissioners have been
ignorantly criticized. 1t was Wight"
Poor Wight!