The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-03-23
THE WORLDS FAIR CITY.


jackson Park and tho Exposition Palaces
MT. Vernon, tho Home OF washipcton I.
Special Correspondence Of THE TINES
CHICAGO, ILL.,, March 2O.-After a
long but highly entertaining tramp
through the exposition grounds 1 find
myself back in the city ready to give
The TINES readers 3 few lines to let
them know that have seen the biggest
thing in the world, and hoping that thew
may enjoy the same blessing.
Yes, this Worlds Columb ian EXPOSE.
ton eclipses anything heretofore un.
dertaken by historic man. What the
people did before Adam and Eve sat
under the vines and fig leaves sacred
history fails to definitely inform us.
Nor do profane chroniclers more than
intimate that big things were under
taken and accomplished in the days of
Atlantis and Ignatius Donnelly. In
Arizona, Mexico, Yucatan and in veri-
GUS parts of Central America evidences
exist OF most wonderfully developed
prehistoric cities, but no writer has at.
tempted to show that these back num-
bers ever had a Chicago or Worlds
Fair. Now this is comforting refiec.
tion; proud consciousness, and it does
a fellow good to know that he isn't
writing about something stale and un.
interesting.
alighted from the train TODAY at
the northwestern entrance to the
grounds, having previously consulted
my map as to the location OF "OUB"
building. had an idea where to look
but asked the gatekeepsr where the
virginia Building" was, just to see IL he
knew, and was directed around past the
North and South Dakota buildings and
several others and was surprised to
lind how near the back fence we were,
but we have little homo to go to and
l felt quite at my ease in front Of mt.
Vernon, the Home OF Washington"
marched up to the front door and
raped as big as life, expecting to have
some old time revolutionary darby an.
swer my call and usher me into tho re-
ception hall in the good old way, but
alas! the sound OF my knocking was
echoed by hammers in the rear of the
building and thought best go around to
the back door, where I found some
carpenters and plasterers putting on
the finishing touches to this reproduc.
ton of our Fathers" homo.
There is something pathetic about
this imitation, but nothing especially
inspiring. would much rather SEQ q
model OF the Terry Building" Hotel
Roanoke, the Ponce de Leon; something
to remind us of the living present, the
rushing, roaring now. But the anti
quarians must have their say, and so
about twenty thousand of the twenty
i've thousand dollars appropriated by
our big hearted Legislators has been
spent in telling the old, old story that
fogies love so we'll.
But the mill will never grind with the
water that Is past, and we must see
what can be done to supplement- this
monument to our past. Isn't Roanoke
going to do anything? Where is Pres
1dent Deaton OF the board of trade i?
Where is the City Council" Where are
Salem, Radford, Pulaski, Lvanhoe, Max
Meadows, Wytheville, Abingdon. Bris-
toll, Big Stone Gap, Norton, Virginia
City, st. Paul. Coeburn. Richlands,
Tazewell, Graham, Pocahontas and
Bluefielde
There Is enough nerve, muscle and
energy in this combination to build
modern structure some where in the
back yard of Gen. Washington's mansion
and put in it some Of our raw materials
In coal, iron, zinoi marble, timber, corn,
wheat, fine stock, some of our manufac.
tured articles wrought from these raw
materials, some Of our land company
literature and extra copies OF THB
Times special editions; in fact, Virginia
or rather Southwest Virginia, up to
date, starting not further back than ten
or fifteen years ago.
This Is what we youngsters want and
am sure that DIR. Apperson, the execu-
tive commissioner of our State board of
Worlds Fair managers, would give US
strong hand in this move. Please do
not mistake my suggestions as casting
any reflections upon the work thus far
done by our State board, but can't we
help them q little in our own waya
Where is Jim Simmons? He organized
the Roanoke Development and Guaran-
tee Company and our philosophical
citiaens gave fifty thousand dollars to
guarantee competing l?) line. Can't
the indomitable Jim get another such
move on him and raise about ten thou
sand dollars for Roanoke's exhibit at
this competitive drlllP
IL we can devise ways and means to
secure creditable manifesto OF our
present state OF development and actual
material wealth, their presentation here
IN the presence of the world will ali
vance us ten years in the race for SUI
premacy.
Let mo give you an example of how
the Westerners do and are doing hero.
After dropping tear on the back porch
OF our State building, buttoned my
overcoat and started over toward the
lake, where l saw a very handsome
structure, upon approaching which /
read Iowa In large letters over the
arched doorway.
Now, where is Iowa? Out West. For
what is IL principally noted? CORN.
How did we find this outa Through
their annual "Corn Festivals" at home.
Well. what has that to do with the