The Durham daily globe. (Durham, N.C.) 1889-1894, 1893-10-09
LAST MONTH OF THE FAIR.

closed on October 81. Effort is still be-
ing made to induce the commissioners to
continue the exposition, the principal
plea being that nearly or quite nine-tenths
of the people Of the country have not
seen it but while this reason for an e K
tension certainly does not lack impress
siveness, it is outWeighed by other prac.
tical considerations. 1t is highly imprOb-
able that any considerable number OF
people from remote parts Of the country
would visit the fair after the period of
inclement weather begins, and there is
strong reason for believing that the at
tandance after this month would not be
sufficient to pay the running expenses. 1t
would be necessary to provide for warm
ing the buildings, which, if entirely prac-
ticable, could be done only at great cost.
Then there are many of the exhibits,
some of them the most attractive, that
| could not remain. These and other OBJ.
viOus considerations of a practical nature
make with such force against the proposal
| ~ IAS "a Pooll1OA 4AIo LIZ IL
that it is not at all probable the commits
| sioners can be induced to change their
decision to close the fair at the appointed
time.
An interesting and rather p%erplexing
question in connection with the winding
up of this great enterprise relates to the
disposition to be made of the buildings.
The idea at the inception Of the under.
taking was that the structures might be
a valuable asset, but it is now appre.
hended that instead of being a resource
they may entail a heavy expense for their
removal. The fair corporation gave a
bond to the park commissioners in $780,
900 to insure the tearing down of the
buildings and the restoration of the
grounds to their original condition, and
it is said the commissioners are now fear
full hat this bond will be forfeited and
the buildings allowed to stand subject to
the action of the park authorities. In
that case the tax payers of Chicago would
be called upon to provide for another
large expenditure. The buildings cost
about $4,000 600. Yet no one has been
found willing to risk a bid for the con-
tract of tearing them down on individual
account, and there appears to be no way
Of dispOsing of them that would be of
any advantage to the city. AS soon as
the gates are closed and the exhibits with
drawn these great white monuments to a
nations enterprise and liberality, these
splendid examples of architectural skill
and ingenuity, must become, it seems, a
vast incubus to worry and fret the au-
thorities Of Chicago indefinitely and to
make a further heavy demand upon the
revenues Of the city. That the buildings
will have to come down there is no cues
ton. The problem is as to what shall be
done with the great mass of material,
much of which is useless for any other
purpose than that to which it has been
applied. 1t has been suggested that the
"white palaces" be kept standing for a
national exposition in 1900, but it is
doubtful whether they could be kept in
condition during sever years for such a
purpose. They would hardly withstand
the storms of summer and the blasts of
winter for such a time.
1t is now settled beyond all doubt that
the exposition cannot be a financial sue
cess. Up to this time the paid admis-
sions have been about $500, 600. By
the close of October they will possibly
reach 8 5000, 900. This will fall fully
II, 10000 600 below the number expected
when the fair opened, and which it was
estimated would be necessary to make
the enterprise d financial success. To
what extent it has been successful as an
object lesson in the practical, scientific
and artistic achievement of the world is
perhaps a debatable question. That it
has in a pre- eminent degree demonstrated
the enterprise, the energy and the liber-
ality Of the American people no one will
attempt to gainsay. By far the most
stupendous undertaking of the kind in
the worlds history, it will doubtless be
generations before an attempt is made to
equal it.