The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-10-31

Nashville, Tenn, Oct 3O.-The Ten
nessee Centennial Exposition, which clos
ed its gates to day, has been n success 8.
Not that great success which was merited
by the scope and artistic beauty of the
exposition ia all its appointments, but
still n success. and reC: arkable one, con-
sidering the disadvantages under which
the manaoemenJ has labored
July and August were unusually dry
and hot, and the yellow feverar south of
Nashville has, during the pnst two
months, kept thousands Of Northern Wis
i'ors away from the exposition. But still
when the gates closed to-day they have
registered one million seven hundred
thousand visitors.
Friday was John w. Thomas day. in
honor IF the president of .;he exposition,
and there were eighty thousand people on
the grounds, the railroads bringing in
fifty thousand people. The attendance
for his week runs ose to two hundred
thousand
Over one million dollars was spent on
the grounds and buildings, and the COM
pany started out over two hundred hon
sand dollars in debt. During the six
months over seventy thousand dollars
has been spent for music alone, and vet
when the end came tonight the com.
rany is in position TOT wipe out every
dollar of indebtedness.
The exposition has been OF the greatest
beneht not alone to Nashville, but to
Tennessee and the entire South in more
ways than one. The active interest taken
by many states and cities in the enter
prise and.1he sending of.largc DELEGATIONS
to Nashville. has led tc a better under
standing between Tennesseeans and the
nf cicta
especially have been attracted by the M
dacious enterprise shown by a city of one
hundred thousand Inhabitants in giving
six months exposition of--such mapni.
Jude and carrying it to successful cul-
minati0n
The wonderful resources and deyelop
lnent of Tennessee and the South has
been displayed as never before and much
caDital has been attracted az n direct re-
suit of this exposition. While hotels and
the street car and railroad companies
have largely been the beneiiciaries of the
crowds that have.filled the city, still the
visitors have turned loose any hun 1red g
OF thousands of dollars here and all Nash .
vile has been benefited thereby. The ex
position has been n great educational fa, :
tor, too, and more liberal, broader.spirt
is manifest among all classes of citizens
1t Dad been the cherished ambition of
the exposition company to turn the site of
the exposition over to Nashville for pub.
lie park, but the unexpected misforiune
OF the yellow fever outbreak on the Gulf
Kept down the attendance and prevents
the consummation of this desire. There
is held, however, an option on the nron-
erty and an effort will be made to turn If
into public park, though the way is not
yet clear. With a view TO this being ac.
complished, the executive committee has
given instructions that the Partbenon
and the history building. which are built
OF brick, ue not torn down: that the band
stands and the bridges be preserved All
the other buildings will probably be sold
a one lot to some salvage company; sew.
eral bids have already hecn made. he
electric light plant will probably be sold
to the Omaha exposition. During the