The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1897-04-08
SIMPLY WONDERFUL,
Rapid Progress and Points of Excellence of
Nashvilles Big Show.

Rapid Progress and Points of Excellence of
Nashyilles Big Show,
The progress that has been made in
all the departments of the Tennessee
Centennial Exposition during the past
week is simply phenomenal. The build
ings in course of construction, includ-
ing the Government building and
Hygienic and Educational building,
have arisen as if by magic, and all
doubts about them not being ready by
May have been dispelled. The Gov
ernment building, an exceedingly
beautiful structure, will be ready to re-
ceive the exhibits by April 10, and they
can all be placed in position in one
week. An event worthy of special
mention occurred last week that shows
how very much in earnest people are
becoming about the success of the Cen
tennial. Ferdinand W. Peck, Chair
man of the Illinois Commissioners, who
was one of the prime factors in the in.
auguratiOn of the great Worlds Fair at
Chicago, Maj. Durand, of the Chicago
Freight Bureau; Robert Thompson,
Secretary of the Illinois Commission,
and others, arrived at Nashville at 8
O'Clock in the afternoon and were driven
direct to the exposition grounds. Be-
fore O'Clock a site for the Illinois
building had been decided upon by the
Director General, Maj. E. @. Lewis,
and Mr.. Peck, and an hour later the
contract for the building had been let,
and the same evening part of the ma
terial was delivered to the ground.
Knoxville and Cincinnati will have
their buildings ready about the same
time as Illinois. The Illinois building
will be a reproduction of the beautiful
Administration building at Chicago,
one-sixth the original size, and will
cost about 10000; it will be adorned
with the same statuary, valued at $780,
900, which was used at Chicago, and
will be elaborately decorated with a
horticultural display of rare excellence.
There will be no exhibit in the interior,
it will simply be used as a receptions
room for the Illinois visitors.
The past week has brought great
changes in every part of the grounds.
Among recent additions is water
wheel, placed at the water fall near the
Broad street entrance, and it serves as
an object lesson, impressing the be-
holder with the fact that you can not
grind with the water that has passed;
and as one stands on the little bridge
and surveys the busy scene before him,
the idea forces itself uppermost that
the Tennessee Centennial Exposition
is much greater affair than most peo-
pie imagine. 1t requires but an instant
to observe that the character of state
organization has been overwhelmed by
the international spirit that prevades
the whole. 1t is an achievement Of
which the nation may we'll be proud,
and yet it is the work of the people Of
Nashville alone, and it can be unhesi-
tatingly asserted that never before in
the worlds history has any city the size
of the capital of Tennessee brought SC
gigantic a scheme to so successful an
issue. A Michigan. editor said recently,
after day on the grounds "What
can do for you people? I want to dc
something. This is the grandest thing
! the south has ever seen, and it even
surpasses the Worlds Fair in many
ways" There are lots of people like
that Wolverine editor, and it recall;
the lines
"He either fears his fate to much,
Or his deserts are small,