Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1899-01-05
The Paris Exposition.

LduOC ACAN SAS"N - '-'
is to be at Paris in 1900, will begin
April 10Th and end November 9th
Eleven years will have elapsed since
the last preceding great fair at Paris,
and in that interval industrial and
scientific development have been pro-
ceeding at rapid pace France may
be relied upon to celebrate the COM
pletion of the nineteenth century,
century remarkable for material pro-
gress-in a striking, original aud ap-
propriate manner There are things
in which other nations excel the
French, but in the art Of producing
novel spectacular industrial displays
the latter easily distance all competI-
tors. They have had big shows since
1889 at Chicago, Atlanta, Nashville
and Omaha, but they were all copies,
more or less imperfect, Of the great
French exposition inst mentioned. Ex-
perience tells. France organized the
first exposition ever held, and the taste
and skill Of her people are expanded
in every successive effort. The COM
ing exposition was authorized by the
Chamber of Deputies as long ago as
July, 1892, so that when it arrives 1t
will have had the advantage Of eight
years of careful preparation. The
new century will be ushed in by an
adequate review of the inventions and
improvements in every art and science
that have distinguished the past cen
tury.
Some 800 acres Will be occupied
with the palaces, museums, landscapes
and gardens, OF the exposition grounds.
Twenty millions dollars are to be de-
voted to buildings and running ex-
penses. This sum is in addition to the
large sum spent by other governments,
st in number, that will participate.
The United States has been conceded
100000 square feet ofspace, as against
the I'D 697 feet used at the exposition
of 1889. Other governments are OBJ
tanning even larger proportIouate al
lotments, so that it will be seen that
tie display is to be on a large scale.
The gate money, or receipts from
visitors, in 1900 will amount, it is es.
timated, to $l2,OOO,OOO, as against the
$4,3l6,OOO Of 1899. The price of adj
mission is to be one franc, and the
number of paid admissions is expected
to be 6O,O0000O, or three times as
many as in 1889 The enterprise is re-
garded by Frenchmen as national
atialr-one TO enlist the patriotic SEN
timent of the nation-but it is also ex-
pected 20 pay. The exposition of 1889
brought to Paris visitors who spent
as much, it is estimated, as $25 ,OOO,-
600. The receipts Of French railways
were increased by it to the extent Of
$15,4OOOOO and postal and telegraph
receipts to the extent Of 81 100000
These were good results, but the out
side receipts in 1900 will, it is be-
heved, be double or triple these fig
ures.
To the American or English mind
an exposition is a show and nothing
else, but to Freuchmen 1t isa matter
Of sentiment also, and, as such, mat
ter of great political importance. Such
enterprises tend to quiet the public
pulse. It is hoped that the coming
exposition, being in some sort a na-
tional fete, will draw mems minds
away from the Dreyfus, PIcquart,
Fashoda and other like disagreeable
topics, and so conduce to the restorA-
ton of a wholesome state Of political
feeling. France has recently been
supping full Of horrors. Sensational
incidents have been developing con-
stautly at Paris, each Of kind to de-
moralize the public. Revelations Of
corruption in high places have tended
to unsettle the faith Of the masses IN
the honesty Of the government. The
Panama scandal, the Dreyfus miscar-
rage Of justice, the PIcquart prosecu-
tion and the Fashoda episode all bring
into question the efficiency if not the
good faith, Of the men to whose hands
the destinics Of France are entrusted.
Honest souls are almost in despair.
There Is a strong disposition, accord
ingly, to turn for relief to the e1posl-
ton. In this at least the nation may
feel a legitimate pride, and the liberal
thoughts inspired by it may tend to
lift France from the morass Of miser-
able suspicious into which she has
fallen.
Representative Bailey, Of Texas, is
incensed over growing mystery. He
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