Daily Texarkana Democrat., 1893-05-16
THE WORLDS FAIR.
Special Correspondence to the Dem
ocrat, from Chicago.
Worlds Fair Grounds, J
Chicago, ILL.,, MAY IA, 1898. (

day this colossal achievement of nine
teenth century genius has approached
dearer and nearer to completion, yet
even now the finishing touches are
lacking to make perfect this splendid
panorama of modern industrial pro-
gress. The fact that after two weeks
have elapsed from the date of the
opening, upon which every assurance
had been freely given that all things
would be complete, and yet things in
and about the fair are in a decidedly
unfinished and incomplete state, has
given cause for much blame and al
most universal complaint upon the
part of the visitors. In commenting
upon this state of things, among other
items of general public interest, the
DEMOCRATS Worlds Fair correspon-
dent writes as follows:
Guides to right of you,
Guards to left of you,
Uniformed men in front of you'll
Thus one is met as he is ushered
through the turnstiles at the Worlds
Fair gates. There are guides to show
you about the grounds and through
the buildings; guards to keep the
peace; boys dressed in light blue sell
ing guide books; boys dressed from
tip to toe in bright red selling the Of
fetal catalogue; boys in grey and yel-
low selling Chicago papers and the
Daily Columbian; custom officers, let
ter carriers telegraph boys and many
others, who have official business, all
wearing uniforms. One almost be-
comes bewildered until the title of
their Office is made apparent by an IN
spection of their caps. AS a rule these
uniformed men and boys are polite
and courteous, and seem to take pleas
ure in answering que stions.
The second week of the great fair is
numbered with the past, and during
that time many results have been ac-
complished, although much remains to
be done-much more than to have the
"finishing touches put on. Some are
wont to complain because every nail
had not been driven, and every door
hung on the stroke of twelve, noon,
May 1st, and although the task set
was herculean in its scope, still so
much should not have been promised
by the heads of the departments hav-
ing such matters in charge, unless
there was some seeming prospect of
its being fulfilled.
While perhaps many of lis would
not have done as well under like cir
cumstances, still there is room for
complaint, and just where to lay the
blame is perhaps not an easy matter.
The general public expect SO much.
especially in view of oft-repeated
promises made by the fair officials,
that everything would be ship-shape
and in order on the opening day, and
from some cause said officials have 80
forgotten their pledges, that the long
suffering public are not willing to ex-
ercise the virtue of patience. Of
course we all understand Chose of us
who have watched the rise of the
White City by the Lake. that the
building thereof required no ordinary
measures, rather extraordinary ones;
and perhaps they have been taken, but
we were rather in hopes that in respect
to the general finishing, more would
have been accomplished, SO that in af-
ter ages history could point with pride
to the fact that the Worlds Columbian
Exposition was practically complete
on May 1, 1898.
All meet on the same level here; you
jostle perchance against some titled
foreigner, or one his superior--an
American-and bearing no handle
such as earl" "Duke," or what not;
the hard working mechanic; those who
adorn aud likewise disgrace the pro-
fessions oflaw, medicine and OF the
"cloth;" the sunbrowned sailer from
over the seas.
The man Of war and Of peace, all
come together on one common plane.
To the mind Of many this fair will be
great object lesson, with much to
learn, with their eyes for their teach
er, and many will make good use of
the opportunity. There are others,
who, having the time to spare, and
necessary "wherewitha" to spend,
will not embrace this chance. TO one
who has had foretaste Of what the
future weeks and months promise, 1t
can hardly be conceived that any Of
the latter class exist. How many less
favored with time and means, would
like to exchange places with them un-