The Florence daily tribune., 1898-06-04
RIvALs rAE WORLDS EAlR.
Edward Roln,vster asrspandst 20 thr rsi
.tIha Dannhn E.nn.ltinue

every metropolitan paper in tho
United States was reprcs nted. Eo-
sponses TO toasts were made by num-
ber Of distinguished editors. The pro-
gram was highly interesting. Edward
! Roscwater edisor of the Omaha Bee,
was assigued to respond TO the toas;,
''The Omaha Exposition because of
his position as manager OF tho Depart
ment OF Publicity and Promotion.
Mr.. hssewatcr was enthusiastically
received As he ro3e IN his place aul
I spoke rs iollows
1T, ToaStmasser and Gsatlsuen % tho Press:
In projecting me 80 the very front of
this entertainment, take it that tho
toastAaster has been actuated by about
I the same motive chat prGmntpd tho
prince OF American showmea, z. l.. Bar
mum, 10 always send his little elephant
in the front when he was going 70 cr,iss
a river, IN order TO test the ice. (Daugh-
4 teri And before proceeding 1 desire
\ TO register q most solewu protest, ii the
4 presence of this august assembly.
/ against the slight put upon myself oy
/ the 'Foet Lariat, thc poet of this assa-
ciution, in omitNng any reteronue Nhat-
| ever TO altar of rose, or any oth3r per-
/ fulle, which tho toastmaater has re.
/ terred TO, and l most sincerely regrot
I shat these wiusome, boWitUhilv ,yitchss
| (grcat laugherJ have made not even
soo faiuiest atlusian TO bees and honey.
/ Now passing from the ridiculous to
the sublime, want 10 riyet your alton
ton on TINS picture lpictore Of Omaha
Exposition held up at his sidel, aad
thcn 1 want also to rivot yonr attention
/ ON a few salient points.
1t is within the memory of many
mon still ln their prime when Chicago
and -. Louis We're uutuostS OF American
| frontier civilization Yen viii re-
member, those OF you who lo0s back.
aud not very long whilc back either,
/ that the most rapid communication ho-
/ tween Chicago and San Francisco WAS
! by pony express come citing with tue
/ overland stage. Tho building OF tie
/ Pnci1ic Telegraph was Regarded as
marvellous achievement. That Nns
| only four years Before Cyrus w Field
! had completed communication botwecn
! America and all Europe through tho
/ laying Of the Atlantic cable. When
1 the golden spike was drivon in 1858,
and the iron band was welded which
/ united all the states OF Ahis Uuion ue.
| tween the Atlantic aud tho Picisio
coasts, ihis p5op,e witnessed the ba-
/ ginning OF the most marYeious era Of
! progress that has avsr taken place in
the worlds history. From that prog
ress has sprung an empire west OF the
/ Mississippi river. Whore there WAS
not u mile OF railroad when crossed
the Missouri river in 1858, today we
have $4,000 miles OF railways wo have
SIX trinscontinentai lines; we have
country that is greater in population
than the nation had at The bcgiumus
of the civil war. II is for the pnlpQss
OF illustrating. by q striking object
lesson, the grcsl progress that has
been made BY the western half OF
this continent chat the Trausmis-
eissippi and International INpo9itiau
| was projected and win be iuaugu-
rated on tho first day OF June, two
| weeks from this date, Tho Chicago
! Worlds fair was marvel ia Itself. dt
| had at its disposal somethiug like Ss0
00U.001, $5,0v0,000 Of which were nlacad
to its credit by the national foYera.
ment, aud S5,8u0,0a0 moro raiIod FigAt
here by loan. We, Of tho ltits OF
| Omaha, started ont in the faee af tho
most depressing times, IN the face of
| two consecutive drought years, and
| organized ma association by private
capital that has been enabled wiGiau
the space Of rs months TO produce R5
| least what / would call miniature
Chicago Worlds l0ir, that will ao5 be
seconh 10 any fair that has ever heoh
held in this country. (Applause) in
tiiatt t-A i,itAAtl 'l Nt4t't-4i kfEtf lflIt
| tories VIII be officially repreAentei ana
will participate. Every state in tha
Transmississippi from Loulsisna and
| Texas clear 20 Oregon aud Mashingtau,
viii be there by its representatives AMI
! by its prodGcEs. Aud whiio "a. Chicago
American products were oYershadaweI
by the foYeign exhibIt, at Omaha thu
4 American products VIII be the par..-
mount and most attractive featare. 10
| VIII illustrate what can bo done asst
what the possibilities OF that western
4 country are, when you take ho men nf
| pluck and brawn and brain that peop,o
| the county wtsto OF the Mississippi Cap
plause.) These people, of course, repre
sent all glasses. from Massachusetts AMI
every state ia New England, from PeIa-
| syFania, Ohio and Indiana; yes from
every state il the Union men hlva
come across the Mississippi river an
built up villages and cities, aud in thn
great exposition their industry and
thrift Will be an object les son TO al
who may come.
1t is not simply an Omaha affair. It
Is an exposition that represents
1 American enterprise and industry ~
/ broad rs tho lapd we live in. (AD-
| plause.) Permit me 10 say in very
/ few words That we desire to extend 10
the American PRESS, and particularly
| to the members of the Assoei8ted
1 Press, our cordial invitation to
attend tho Opening of he ezpo-
sition two weeks from tins dIY. and il
! they cannot individually or collectively
be on hand on that day, we desire thoin
/ to be there sonlo time during the prog
gess OF this fair to satisfy tbamselges
| that all that We hay0 said about il falls
short ennrely OF the actual facts.
| And may say, OF course.
tsat were we not assured IN advanso OF
/ tho friendly cooperation of tho
/ American press we ecrrsiulY should
have long since abandoned the onter-
1 prise. / thank you for your attoltioa
and trust to meet you il Omaha aftor
the exposition has>opeued. (Applause.)