Omaha daily bee., 1897-01-16
ORIGIN AND
STORY Of THE
EXPOSITION
INCEPTION OF A COLOSSAL ENTERPRISE
Plan is First Proposed to the Transmssis-
sippi Congress
UNANIMOUSLY ENDORSED BY DELEGATES
Omaha Chosen as the Most Central Mid
Continent Location.
RECOGNITION ACCORDED BY CONGRESS
Steps Taken to Secure Participation Of Ma
tiOn and States
PROSPECTS BRILLIANT FOR SUCCESS
Record in Detail of the Preparations
for the Great Exposition to
he Held I'm Omaha
in 1SDS.
PROSPECTS BRILLIANT FOR SUCCESS
Record in Detail of the Preparations
for the Great Exposition to
he Held In Omaha
"a in 1SDS.

The Transmississippi and International
Exposition will be held at Omaha, begin
ming in June and ending in November,
1898.
The original suggestion out of which the
exposition assumed tangible form was con-
tanned in an editorial which appeared in
The Omaha Sunday Bee of November 20,
1895. This article was as follows:
A TRANSMlSSISSIPPI EXPOSITION.
"The construction of the transcontinental
railroads gave the first powerful impetus
to the development of the transmssissippi
country. Twenty-Five years ago the popuia-
tion of the states and territories west of
the Mississippi was 6,435 167, and the states
and territories west of the Missouri were
credited by the national census with
population of 492 1896. In 1890 the trans
mississippi states contained a population OF
15,170,3l5, while the population OF the states
and territories west of the Missouri ag
gregated 5,9l7,213 In 1860 there were only
twenty-one miles of railroad in the country
west of the Mississippi Today the rail
road mileage in the same region exceeds
$1,000 miles of which 81 900 miles are
boosted by the country west of the Missouri.
"The marvellous resources of this vast EN-
pire were only in a measure displayed at
the Worlds Columbian exposition. In fact
the exhibits of the western states and terri
tories were to great eXtsnt overshadowed
by the international exhibits made at Chi
cago. or the hundreds of thousands of
people who viewed the Worlds fair compare
lively few carried away with them dis
tinct impression of the productive industries
OF the transmississippi states. Even people
who live in this section and who have con-
tributed to its growth do not grasp their eX-
tent and magnitude
"The 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 emlnently sound Is
- attested by the success that has attended
this great undertaking as regards both the
number and variety Of the exhibits and the
financial management of the venture. Not
only have the people OF the cotton sta.;s
displayed commendable zeal in contributing
toward its success with their displays, but
several of the Atlantic states, notably New
York and Pennsylvania, are creditably repre-
sented The Atlanta exposition has drawn
hundreds OF thousands of visitors from
every section OF the country and will be
the agency by which vast amount of new
capital will be transplanted into the south.
IMPETUS TO THE WEST
"What has been accomplished for the south
by the Atlanta exposition can be accom-
plished for the west by Transmisciisippi
Exposition. With population of 100000
to draw on and country prolific In ma
terial wealth, a Transmsslesippl Exposition
would be an assured success from its very
inception. Such an exposition would give
the impetus to the westward trend Of popua-
tion and capital for which the people of this
section have been striving 1t would make
known to all the world the capabilities of
the great west and revive activity in every
branch of industry and production.
"The Transmlsslssippi congress which con-
venes in this city during the present week,
Is the proper body to take the initiative In
formulating the plan for TransmlssIssppi
Exposition. Its recommendation in this
matter would have great weight with both
the state and national legislatures, With
out dlsparaglng any other city ambitious to
secure the location OF such an interstate eX-
position, The Bee believes that the claims of
Omaha are far superior to those of all other
transmssigsippl points. Its location In the
heart of the continent, midway between New
York and San Francisco, makes 1t alike ac-
cesslble to people east and west It's rail
road facilities In every direction are as per-
feet as these of any city in the Mississippi
valley north OF ST. Louis, II is the center of
the great agricultural belt and within a days
reach by rail OF the mining region OF Colo
rado Wyoming and South Dakota, and
within two days reach of the great mining
states west of the Rockies. Omaha Is as near
TO the Puget sound country as is ST. Paul,
and nearer by 800 miles to San Francisco
and southern California.
1T is hardly necessary TO add that what
ever is required OF Omaha or pledged for