The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-11-29
CHICAGO's TRIUMPH.
Her Courage, Faith and Self Reliance
Made the Fair n Success.

The closing of the gates upon a show
such as the world never saw before, and
probably will never see again in the
rolling ages, makes proper a few re-
marks, retrospective and otherwise, con-
corning the great Chicago fair.
The worlds Columbian exposition. it
is in the documents, but the great Chi
cago fair it is for history and for the
admiration of mankind. Chicago did it,
She did it alone, with some help from
the federal government, and the honor
is all Chicagos.
On a scale never before contemplated
by the audacity of the human magma
ton this western town conceived and
carried her enterprise through to splen-
did success-absolute success artistically
and tremendously, relative success
financially. She went in on cheek. She
came out in glory.
The qualities displayed by Chicago
and her representatives in the earlier
stages of the undertaking were Of that
sort which the way Of the world ad-
mires or condemns according to the out
come. She started i'm for a local boom.
There was a suspicion of the hotel
counter, the boarding house. the street
railway and the real estate Office in
her professions and pledges. Her
negotiations with the government were
distinguished by unblushing assurance.
She boldly promised everything. She
would have given bonds to bring down
tn moon and Alpha Lyrae and set them
up in JackSon-park if that had been
necessary to enable her to get the fair.
She got it, and The Sun is now glad
she did.
There is a point where unblushing as
surance becomes sublime confidence,
where irresponsible recklessness dignifies
itself in to indomitable resolution. Just
where in the chronology of fair promo
ton Chicago reached and passed that
"a fV,eta
tain ii is that her management of the
enterprise underwent the transition. 1t
| ceased to be cheeky and became sublime.
1t ceased to be irresponsible and became
unconquerable. The petty schemes OF
the mercenaries dropped out of sight The
little tricks and chicaneries of the begin
ming were forgotten in the gradual de-
velopment and manifestation of the true
spirit of Chicago, amazing the world by
it's power, it's reach, its resources, its
devoted civic loyalty, its intelligence, its
masterfulness and it's success.
The cloth had been cut too large, ac-
cording to all of the lessons of eX-
perience. Chicago did not repattern, but
proceeded TO grow to it, The chances
were a thousand to one against victory.
With cheerful optimism and magnificent
nerve Chicago kept right on and sue
ceeded.
1t is likewise proper to record here the
fact that the prime factor in the IL
lustrious success of the Chicago enter
prise was quality rating higher in the
scale OF CiviliZatioES forces than mere
business energy or the willingness to
spend money without limit. Somewhere
among the magnates of the exposition 5
mana cement and backing there was
from the start a profound appreciation
of the truth that to be truly great the
fair must be not merely big, but beauu-
fui
p...4sr,,1 I,o,.o,d oil yraoadanf tbeV
made it; not merely according to the
aesthetic standards of Chicago, or of the
West, or Of the United States, but
Judged by the worlds measure of the
grandest art Such creation as that
by the lakeside, soon now 10 be demol-
ished, is not the result of accident. good
luck enthusiasm or haphazard design,
and while all the credit goes TO Chicago,
the chief credit should go to the indi-
Vidual or individuals in Chicago who had
the wit TO perceive from the first the
architectural ideal that was finally real
lied. the intelligence to select the ma
kers best qualified TO realize II, and the
enlightened liberality TO insist that the
genius enlisted in the creation of the
White City should be supported by dol
lars without stint.
Chicago has fifty celebrated the Co
lumbar achievement by paralleling it.
She has done what Christopher Column
bus did 400 years ago. In a spirit like TO
his in the magnificence Of it's courage.
steadfastness and unwavering faith and
self-reliance. she embarked on borrowed
capital and sailed right out into the un-
known Wisdom doubted and sound
judgment called her back, but she sailed
on unterrified. through good weather
and bad, steering straight for her mark.
and she kept on, like Columbus, till she
got there.
Hats off and up in the air for Chicago,
our little sister, the Columbian city
N. Y. Sun.