St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1897-04-02
The Coming French Exposition.

nC
The consul.general of the United States
at Paris sends an interesting report III
regard to the Worlds fair OF 1900. he
Judges from the inquiries already received
at his Office that widespread interest IN
the subject exists here, and heregards the
exposition as offering unrivaIled oppor-
tuntes to make known to the world the
resources of the United States, and their
achievements and facilities in the various
fields OF production. However this may
be, the last of line of worlds fairs, ex-
tending over halt century, planned on
such a plentiful. OF resources as that
which will open three years hence IN
Paris, can hardly tail to excite general
interest. 1t is hardly probable that the
lustre Of the Columbian exposition will
be dmmed by the show which will usher
in the new century. For there was at
Jackson Park unity OF plan and con-
gruous magnifcence OF execution which
can hardly be initiated in the center OF a
great city, everliberal the dimensions
fits open spaces may he. But the site
OF the Paris fair is a unique one, and the
setting of historic monuments and stately
ediices will certainly not detIact from
the impressiveness OF the completed as
semblage OF exposition buildings.
Considering that the ground is already
prepared and that at least one of the
great exposition structures-the palace
of the Trocadero-s already provided, a
guarantee fund of E100,000,000 (say,
500, 000, 000) must be regarded as a lib
eral allowance even for so stupendous an
enterprise Twenty million francs come
in the form of a subvention from the
national government, and I 100000
more from the city of Paris, while t Co.
900 900 represent the net proceeds of an
emission of 100000 bonds of 20 each.
These bonds have been issued by the
government with the co operation of five
leading financial institutions, which re-
ceive a commission OF five per cent on the
sales. 1t will be observed that the differ
ence between the gross value and the net
proceeds of the bonds is f.15,000,0 00
Ont of this come the bankers commission
and the prizes provided Tor the drawings
of the bonds which continue for series
of years. Twenty.one-franc tickets of
admission to the lair go with each bond,
and in the six annual drawings OF the
bonds, which take place up to the open
ing of the exposition, the numbers first
drawn take series of lottery prizes vary
ing from $500, 900 to 100.
This is, in its main outlines, the hnan.
cial scheme which proved so successful in
1899, though doubts have been ex-
pressed as to whether it can be success.
fully carried through on the present scale.
The number of tickets taken at the wick
cts in 1889 was little over 2S,000,000.
This did not represent as MANY individ-
ual admissions, because two tickets were
needed Tor evening admission, and on
special days FIVE tickets had to be pre-.
sented. But it will obviously require
two and half times the number taken
in 1889 to come near eXhausting the
ticket supply of 1900. There are those
who doubt the possibility of this, and
hence the financial success of the expo
silion is still uncertain. There has GER
tainly been shown no such aviditv to
take he bonds as there was before the
show of 1899 aud the premium which
the issue for that occasion bore almost
as soon as it appeared has not, we be-
lieve, been yet recorded. The ultimate
redemption of the bonds, which was then
provided for, does not appear to he part
of the present plan, but the lottery
features have been greatly expanded,
The French public, having had its fill OF
speculation in South African gold mines.
is probably not in a gambling mood at
present. Boston Herald.