Omaha daily bee., 1896-06-19
STORY OF THE EXPOSITION
Project Had It's Inception in an Editorial in
The Omaha Bee.
MANY THOUGHT 1T A DREAM AT FIRST
Unanimous Endorsement OF the Trans
mississippi Congress Raised Up
enthusiastic Workers-Origi-
nal Stock Subscribers.

Now that the first really formidable
obstacle in the way of Omaha's great ex-
position has been surmounted, it is OF
interest to review tho work that has been
done so far and the efforts that have al
ready been made by philosophical citizens
In behalf of the great enterprise. The recent
history of the exposition bill is a matter of
general information, but the manner in
which the idea was first promulgated and
the means by which 1t was made to assume
q practical form are not so generally known.
The suggestion out of which the present
exposition project has developed, came from
the editor of The Omaha Bee. 1t was
brought to public notice in the following
editorial article which appeared in The Sun
day Bee, November 20. 1895:
A TRANsMISSISSIPPI EXPOSITION.
1.-THE construction of tho transcontincntal
railroads gave tho first powerful impetus
to the development of the trapsmississippi
country. Twenty-Five years ago the popula-
ton of the states and territories west of
the Mississippi was G,4S5, 1G7, and the states
and territories west of the Missouri we're
credited by the national census with a
population of 1,492, SOC. In 1890 the trans
mississippi states contained a population of
iiN ~ PpldtGNioh " II SluNtS
and territories west of the Missouri ag-
gregated 5.917. 213. In 1850 there were only
twenty-one miles of railroad in the country
west of tho Mississippi. Today the rail-
road mileage in the same region exceeds
$1,000 miles, of which 8 1000 miles are
boosted by the country west OF the Missouri.
The marvellous resources OF this vast
empire were only in a measure displayed
at the Worlds Columbian exposition. In
fact the exhibits OF the western states and
territories were to a great extent over
Swallowed by the international exhibits made
at Chicago. OF the hudreds OF thousands
OF people who viewed the Worlds fair COM
paratiyely few carried away with them a
distinct impression OF the productive in
distries OF the transmisslssippi states.
Even people who live in this section and
who have contributed TO its growth do not
grasp their extent and magnitude.
Tho inspiration for the Cotton States
exposition now being held In Atlanta doubt
less lay In the conviction that an inter-
state exposition would go further toward
promoting the development OF the south
than any other single agency. That the
Judgment Of the projectors OF the Cotton
States exposition was eminently sound is
attested By the success that has attended
this great undertaking as regards both the
number and variety OF the exhibits aud the
financial management OF the venture, Net
only have the people Of tho cotton states
displayed coinnendable zeal In contributing
toward Its success with their displays. bur
several OF the Atlantic states, notably New
York and Pennsylvania, are crcditably rep
reseuted. The Atlanta exposition has drawn
hundreds OF thousands OF visitors from
every section Of the couutry and Will be
tho agency by which a vast amount OF new
capital VIII he transplented into the south.
What has been accomplished for the
south by tne Atlanta exposition can he ac-
eomplishea for the west W q transmissls-