The farmers' union. (Memphis, Mo.) 1891-1895, 1893-11-23
ASSETS OUT OF SIGHT.
CONTRACTORS STRIP THE
GREAT WORLDS FAIR.
They Own Even the Roads and Roofs
Benches Are Gone. While Mechanical
Apparatu. and All Hopes Of Salvage Ar.
Going. Too.
Own the Earth.

Own the Earth.
The assets of the Worlds Fair are
dwlndiing t. an extent that alarms the
managers When the exposition
closed on oct 20 Treas 3rcr ScrherGer
had. in round numbers. >c.cc.0.oto in
cash in bank. Th has been slipping
away, in >pite of what the manages
claim j. the most o., ncmical man. &C.
mcnt. 4. the rate If Sio.utJ Il day. hut
in addition t. that. the assets hav.
been shrinking in the III, 81 unexpected
manner. Discoveries have 'ately tern
made which. in any rn:trp i Z but the
Worlds Fair. wouid lc Regarded a
sensational IN the extreme. 1t tram
spires that Il large amount of property
that the FNpo-i;l III mama gers cN1 cric,I
to sell. and with the funds pay back u
stockholders ii small percentage Of their
contribu'i, H.. does not belong L the
fair IT al, bat is own Il 10y 90 tractors.
The contractors ave MOVING their
property away. They are lit ally
stripping the Emp, zion grounds.
How mucn will he .c!, when hey get
through can only be >urmis ii. In
some c;,ses they own the roofs 4 build
ings.
The situation was the suh.,cc; If u
spirited debate Il; The last session of
the board Of directors. Disc oSurt>
We're made that a>tonishcd the m"m-
hers. Director General DAVIS told
them that after the cont actors had
ca"tcd away their prose ty lack on
Iark. except for the skeleton build
ings. would be as much of a swamp is
it was hcforr tuc directors began
shnvclrg millions in to reclaim it from
marsh. The situation was regarded
a SO scriouS that orders were issued to
find out exactly what the eXpoSilion
owned and what hcioNgcd t. tie con-
tractors. The disclosures made some
DAYS age regarding the ownership Of
the roldways in jackson Park amazed
the directors. 1t was learned that
every boulevard. street. sidewalk and
plaza in the park, and for which the
Exposition Gem any paid nearly $40
600. was owned 10y the paving c, mpany
that put them down. This company
had Il clause put in the contrac. to the
effect that after the Fair it could tear
the +. always up and haul the z ;,vcl and
crushed store away. The company had,
In reality. merely lea -cd the road, To
the Exposition Company for six months
and at the end of that time all the ma
terial IN the reads could be- taken away.
Taking Everything I" Sight.
Following that discovery came 9th
ers equally unexpected and startling.
One day Director General Davis called
General Manager Graham to his Office.
Il have been ordered 10y the din ectors
to take care of all the property of the
Fair" he began. Nov we must get
| things together and prepare +" realize
| on the salvage. want you to get all
! these benches under cover. Put them
! in the stock barns; they are not needed
any more by visitors" but we don't
own the benches" Mr. Graham an
swered what. Who does own
them" Director General Davis asked.
| why, they belong t. the contract. r..
We merely rented them for six
months"
Examination of the contract showed
the statement to / c correct. The FIX
position Company had paid $1,000 Tor
the use OF tie benches, about 40 cents
foot. The managers had expected to
sell many of the benches to the differ
ent park boards of Chicago. and 3"
ship others to San Francisco for use At
the Midwintar Fair. Nearly all the
seats have already been hauled ont of
the park. Thesc revelations were
quickly followed by Others. no less sur
f, pri-ing to the board of directors. A
few days later workmen came 10 tho
park and began boxing up machinery
of various kinds in half u dozen differ
cnt buildings The hauled away en-
gincs, loaded boilers on fiat ears, took
down electric lamps, and pulled out
electric wire.
Property to the value of Il million
dollars or more was claimed 10y the
contractors. Nothing wa, passed in
the entire heating and lighting plant.
1t TRANSFERRED that every machine on
hnrnrl l., c.n.h re
the Exposition Company. Many of the
directors believed tha, much # this
property belonged {, the stockholders.
! \ few of them undcrst JOd III con-
! tracts. but they had not taken the
trouble to explain them To those who
were in ignorance of the terms. Ot
the entire electro lighting plant. with
its battery of dynamos. 5000 arc lamps
and nearly l5).WW incandc cent burn
crs. nothing IL left but the iron lamp
posts for arc light. Even the net
work Of wires belongs to the electric
companies that put them in. Re
Gently a contractor turned up with II
curious document. II showed that he
was entitled to all the ma erial in the
roof Of one Of the. largest hui dings on
the grounds. He is given authority to
tear the roof off at the 81 Sc of the
ex; osition." General Manager Ora
ham was astoni-h.d to lean Of the
contract. He believed the CONF any
owned the roof.
In the early days # the Fair csti-
mates were Icade that the salvage
would Yield S3Oo.EW. The indica-
tions ar now that not enough will be
left to pay for tearing the buildings
down, AID that most of the S..JUl,ND
left in bank at the end of tae Fair viii
be expended in closing up affairs. The
prospect is less promising for stock
holders than any of the managers be-
lievcd 4 10 be two week ago.
THE rcxt Newfoundland legislature
will consist of twenty-fcur government
and twelve opposition supporters The
government vii prG baby introtlu, .