Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1893-05-05

ain al sciences the errors precede the
truths, SAL Walpole, aud he might have
included all great undertakings. II has
been true OF the Columbian Exposition and
| /. still true The errors have been made
| and corrected az home but the untruths are
| srill in circulation because lit is much
| easier 10 be- critical than to be correct
| The criticism of the Worlds Fair manage
ment lust bow is that its work Is not COM
plptc, and that every exhibit is not in place.
| II there has ever been fsir-worlds
far. state fair. county far or even church
fair that was completed before the doors
were opened To the visitors this criticism
on the Worlds Fair management might be
important but sach state of perfection
was never known on the LAY of opening.
So notorious was the incompicteness of
the so-calied Worlds Fair held in New York
in 1858 that ID was then remarked that about
the only exhibit was President Pierce and
his cabinet, who went in state to inauguratc
1t. The famous Crystal Palace of London
was not ready IN 1851, though it had been
several years in building, and there were
only S32 $50 square feet of space finished
for exhibitors, while in one building ut
jackson Park there are | 271 ,o59 square
feet of space, in all the buildings SIP 900
square feet of space, and including the for
eign and state buildings, nearly 1000, 900
square feet of space to be filed by exhibits.
The floor space of the Manufactures build
ing alone would accommodate the standing
army of Russia.
In 1852 London had another World.
Fair with ,29l 500 square feet of space
for exhibits, and Paris in lsG7 had about
+, 1000, 600 square feet, and at the Cenen-
NAL Exposition in Philadelphia We had
about the same space. Paris IN lSS9 in
creased this space about million square
feet. but Chicago has quadrupled it, with
nearly II 900 900 square feet for the ex-
hibits.
The Worlds Fairs in New York, London,
Philadelphia and Paris were not ready on
the day of opening, and neither are all the
exhibits in Jackson Park in place, but there
are enough there to fill the combined space
of the Worlds Fairs in London, New York
and Philadelphia, or to crowd the great
Worlds Fair buildings i'll Paris four years
ago.
Unfortunately the managers of the Expo.
si,ion can not absolutely control all the tx
hibtors, and compel them to get their wares
in place on time. There are laggards every
where, even Mt little county fairs which CON
tinue only four days. There were thousands
who had not their exhibits ready in New
York, London, Philadelphia and Paris, and
there are good many who are not ready at
Jackson Park. But the critics of this Expo
sition fail To comprehend the extent of the
show. In Philadelphia there were about - :,
900 exhibits in Paris about - 900; but at
Jackson Park there will be 100 900 exhibits
when all are IN place, or more than at both
those great exposi'ions combined
Chicago has tried to fulfill the obligation.
of the government and prepare this great
Exposition on time. but it has been not on
iy the greatest exposition ever housed, and
in the most magnificent buildings, but tbi.
has been done in the shortest time ever
given to the preparation of Worlds Fair
For the Centennial Exposition at fhiladcl
phia. Congress passed the bill in 1871 and
the commissioners were Mt once appointed
This was five years before the exposition
was to open, and President Grant issued his
proclamation July 3, 1873. The French
government began the preparations for tho
Paris Exposition in 1855, or SIX years be.
fore it was to open, but the Congress OF
the nited States did not pass the bill 10
eating the fair in Chicago until the summer
of 1870, the Legislature did not grant the
permission to use Jackson park until Angus
the same year, and the Columbian Exposi
ton had to be housed in little more TIL It
two years, or one-third the time for bull
ING the great Paris Exposition, and less