Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-05-21
TENNESSEE'S CENTENNIAL.
A Great and Well Ordered Exposition Steadily
Growing to Perfection-An AIabaman'S
View Of Its Progress.

Mr.. T. C. DeLeon Of Mobile spent yes
terday in Birmingham shaking hands
with old friends and renewing souvenirs
of the last years Exposition and Indus
trial associations. Mr.. DeLeon has been
for several weeks in Louisville produc-
ing new play of his own for charity
benefits; and in Nashville studying the
coming centennial exposition. OF the
latter he speaks in strongly enthusiastic
terms; and it will be remembered that
he was the first Alabamian to urge the
Atlanta exhibit, and one of the most
earnest workers for it. Hence he knows
what such an undertaking means and
his words carry experience with them.
To a State Herald reporter Mr.. DeLeon
said:
81 was more than surprised at the
solid progress already made by the Nash
vile centennial, and greatly pleased at
the conservatism and modest manner in
which it has been made. Every step
taken-and they are very many and very
long ones-has been thoroughly meas
ured and considered before taken. The
result is a solid and practical basis on
which will be erected, unless very much
err, the most practical, useful and broad
gagged exposition that the south has yet
seen. And base this belief on what
saw myself, and what 1 learned directly;
not from what was told me by anyone.
Indeed, the point that most strikes the
visitor is the reticence of all officials
and the utter absence of blowing and
the fact that all seem too busy working
to boast at ALL
"Yet there is vast deal already COM
pleted, upon which to base loud and
long hoop-la yawp. But Nashville,
while a city of wealth, Is also one of
strict conservatism. She prefers to
speak by her works; and for her CEN
tennial, her men-and her women, too
are working as with one heart and brain.
On the LIST of June the dedication, or in
augural, will be held but that is merely
form, so far as business is concerned,
and is merely to mark the 100-year ami
yersary. 1t will be a great day for
Nashville and for Tennessee; but it will
mark the opening of great event for
all the south, and indeed for all the
country. Thousands of visitors will be
entertained in Nashville's way and
these will see progress in the exposi-
ton that will astound them all the more,
from the very quietness with which 1t
has been made.
Two hundred acres of rich Tennessee
soil, lying just at the edge of town and
accessible by easy transit in ten minutes,
have been laid out, plated, grassed and
planted in shrubs, foliage and flowers.
An ample lake, for pleasuring and picto-
rial purposes, is already filled with clear
water; Vanity Fair as the Nashville
Midway is Called, is laid out, and al
ready six immense and stately buildings
rear their completed structures as silent
sentinels of the great 'to-be.' Machinery
hail. transportation and manufactures,
commerce, the administration and audito-
rum are already built. OF these buildings
l need only say briefly that their size and
convenience for exhibit at least equal SIM
liar ones at Atlanta. They are well
grouped and accessible, are perfectly
lighted and ventilated, and all the costly
experiments of Chicago and Atlanta have
been awaited of by their architects. They
are practically completed, though the
year that will elapse before the opening
has naturally prevented the final appli-
cation of staff and statue adornments.
THE woman's building is a beauty-a
renaissance of the old colonial, grown a
giant to suit the growth of fin de steele
progress. 1t looms up pure and striking
as the faith and patriotism of it's fair
promoters. The children's building (for
home and kindergarten exhibition Is not
yet built, but will neighbor the white and
graceful structure of the women. But
the art gallery of the centennial Is per-
haps its most novel and classic structure
This is an exact reproduction, to scale, of
the Greek Parthenon. and has been SO
named. 1t Is q veritable model of the
famed ruin, and a striking exhibit in it.
self; but 1t will store collection of rare
art works which no southern exposition
has yet equaled. And I may add that
the auditorium. which tested carefully
for acoustics, Is a rare success, both for
that and lis arrangement of seats. 1t viii
seat $500 persons. and hold over 10000: yet
the ordinary voice can be heard from the
stage even under the galleries.
But l have run into details when I
merely meant to state that the centen-