The Hawaiian gazette., 1893-12-19

present, some one Of the speakers in
cidentally remarked that part of the
foreign exhibits would probably 90
from Chicago to Chill before being re-
turned home. The thought lmmedi-
ately came to the mind of Hon. NJ. ii.
de Young, the California member of
the United States Columbian Com
mission, that if these exhibits were to
be available for display elsewhere,
why not secure them for California,
and why not at the same time adver-
tise California's climatic advantages
by holding greatsInternatiOnal eX-
position by the side of the Golden
Gate at the season when the greater
part of the rest of the world sits hud-
died around its fires, or wrapped in a
mantle of snow.
On the following day, Mr.. de Young
communicated this thought to several
other prominent Californians who
happened to be in Chicago at the time
and through their combined efforts,
the Midwinter international EXPOSE
ton began at once to assume shape.
When the idea was first preached it
met with decided opposition in some
quarters, and with ridicule in others,
while the good people of San Fran
cisco themselves, though never under
estimating their ability, were almost
inclined to pooh-pooh the project from
the start. A few there were among
them, however, who arose to the me-
cessitieS of the case and the result was
the formulation of a plan for an expo
sition which should include many of
al, axyhihff5 from GNI1fnnc.n q
many new ones from abroad as might
be obtainable, and a considerable list
of local California exhibits and other
practical features of Pacific Coast pro-
duction-an exposition, in fact, which
should embody every element of in
terest and attractiveness, and which
should draw to California thousands
upon thousands of people, who had
for years been waiting for better eX-
cuse to make winter journey to the
Gland of Sunshine, Fruit and Flow
ers."
Ground was first broken for this ex-
position on the oath day of August,
and, within a fortnight after con-
tracts had been let for the cree
ton of five main buildings to cost
about four hundred thousand $780,
OOO), dollars, though where the money
was to come from was yet by no means
certain. A popular subscription list
had been started in San Francisco,
and something like quarter of mil
lion of dollars was quickly raised; the
rest of it seemed hard to get, but it
came on little by little, and when
work ON these five great buildings be-
gan, new subscriptions began to pour
in, until now the $1,000 has nearly
been subscribed, and there is enough
more money in sight from the sale of
concessions and from the rental of
space in the Exposition buildings to
warrant the assertion that the Cali
fornia Midwinter Fair will be open on
the first day of January, just six
months after its inception, and that
when its gates swing ajar it will not
have dollar of Indebtedness, but that
the receipts for admissions will not
need to be diverted from the direct
payment of the running expenses of
the Fair during the six months of its
duration.
The five buildings grew apace; a
penalty of $500 day was part of the
Exposition contract with the builders
if they failed to finish the buildings
within ninety days from the starting.
The result was that no five such
buildings have ever in the history of
the world been pushed forward so
rapidly as these, yet they have been
constructed under the personal super
vision of competent engineers, so that
there can be no doubt of their stability
and adaptibility to the purpose for
which they were planned.
There is building for manufactures
and liberal arts 462x237 feet, Moorish