The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1893-12-16

present, some one Of the speakers in
cidentally remarked that part of the
foreign exhibits would probably go
from Chicago to Chilli before being re-
turned home. The thought Immedi-
ately came to the mind of Hon. NJ. III.
de Young, the California member of
the United States Columbian Com
mission, that il 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 a great. international ex-
position by the side of the Golden
Gate St s se season when the greater
cart of the rest of the world sits hud-
died around its fires, or wrapped in
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 MidwiDter 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 he
cessities of the case and the result was
the formulation of plan for an expo
sition which should include many OF
the choicest exhibits from Chicago, as
many new ones from abroad as might
be obtainable, and 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 ha>
for years been waiting for better ex-
cuse to make winter journey to the
"Land 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 hup thousand (S40'
OOO), dollars, Z the moneJ
was to- come f. mo means
certain. 4 popular suOs~-iption list
had been started in San Francisco,
and something like a quarter of a mill
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-
can. new subscriptions began to pour
in. until now the 500, 900 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 bulldogs TO
warrant the assertion that the Cali
fornia Midwinter Fair will be open on
the first day of January, just SIX
months after it's inception, and that
when its gates swing ajar 1t Will not
have a 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 It's
duration.
The five buildings grew apace;
penalty of $500 a day was part of the
EXPOSITION contract with the builders
III 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 adaptibiIity TO the purpose for
which they were planned.
There is building for manufactures
and liberal arts 462x237 feet, Moorish
in style, with a strong suggestion OF
the old California mission architec-
ture, and with great wide gallery
So feet broad running all around
the interior there is building
for mechanic arts 364 feet by 160 feet,
purely East Indian, in style, and per-
fectly adapted for the accommodation
of such exhibits as are usually found
I'm machinery halls; then, too, there
il a palace of horticulture and agri-
culture, almost twin to the mechanic
art building in point of size, though
entirely different in architecture. The
fourth building is the fine arts palace,