Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-06-02
WORLDS FAIRS /. . .
81"
Of THE PAST

! III THU
Now that the great Paris exposition
has at last been opened one is naturally
curious to know how the financial end of
such a immense exhibition is managed.
While it is one thing to be able to per-
suade all the nations of the world to con-
tribute to the artistic success of such an
enterprise, it is quite another matter to
SO arrange the OUTLAWS and expenditures
as to leave a balance on the right side
OF the book when the turnstile has at
last retired from business.
AT the present moment the reports
from Paris are roseate enough to lead
one to Imagine hat there can be nothing
put profit in the affairs. but those who
are acquainted with the nature of the
expenditures do not hesitate to say that
managers of the big show will find it no
easy matter to make both ends meet.
In fact. 1T is freely limited hat there
Will be an immense deficit at the close OF
the season. but even if this should prove
70 pc the case it will by no means be the
first time that international expositions
nave been run at a loss.
among the several nations that have
neid words fairs in the past, England
mas been one of the most successful
from a financial point of view. h first
great international exhibition ever held
in the world was given bv Great Britain
IN 1851, and for that time it was a most
amazing affair. -
Architects from all parts of the world
submitted designs, n the one chosen,
tnat OF Joseph Paxton, now comprises
the buildings of the Crystal palace. svd-
enham. The entire floor space consisted
OF no less than % acres, while the area
of the buildings covered 10 acres of
ground. No less than 1000 tons of ron
were used in the structure and when the
exposition was opened at 2 O'Clock on
october Z, there We're $4,000 people as
sembled under hat one roof. 1t is need
less to say that such a novelty was a
genuine success. the profits of the affair
being fully $500, 900. .rfl, -
FIRST BIG SHOW.
1t was the success of this exposition
that persuaded France to inauglraet =
slhlllar movement, and in 1856 she gave
her first big show at Paris. Artisticallv
1T was a great success. The buildings
Where were most attractive, covered 20
acres OF ground, n the number of ex-
hibltors was not less than "a, 900. Finan-
cially, however, the affair was a most
dismal failure, for when the gates We're
closed the treasurer reported a deficit of
81, $50, 900.
In 1861 a brave effort was made to give
a worlds fair at Florence, Italy,, but for
several reasons the nations did not re-
Spond with the alacrity that had been
been anticipated and the experiment cost
Its projectors a round sum of money.
A year later the second big English ex-
hlbltlon wa held - London and it would
Undoubtedly have been another nqual
ned success of the death of the rrince
Consort had not occurred. AS it was.
however, the receipts so nearly balance
ca the expenditures that there was a de-
fcit of something less than $50, 900.
Not at all discouraged by the failure of
her first experiment, France held another
exhibition in 1867. This time i was a
success In every sense of the word.
Inc floor space of tn ebuildings alone
occupie an area of 36 acres, and, for the
first time, the xhibits were so arranged
tnat each nation occupied a separate di-
vision. During the progress of the ex-
hlbition over 1900, 900 persons paid for
admission, and the books showed a sur
plus over all expenses of nearly $40. 900.
1t was this success that inspired the
people of Vienna to indulge in a similar
enterprise in 1873, and they went about
1t in a most elaborate manner. The total
cost of the buildings alone exceeded $40
0o,00O, and no money was spared Ito
make the affair a success. III
FINANCIAL FAILURE.
In spite of all these efforts, however.
the big show was a financial failure.
Partly owing OF a financial crisis in Eli
rope that eliminated in a panic and part
ly to a variety of other causes. including
a general election, over which the direct
ors had no control, the deficit shown
when the books were balanced was not
less than $40, 600, o.. the largest that the
directors of any exhibition have SO Far
had to face.
The next big exhibition was the Phfia-
delphia centennial in 1876. On the &C.
casion of this big show there was nothing
done on a small scale, and the covered
space alone exceeded so acres and the
exhibits were superior to any that had
been shown ~tprevious expositions. The
attendance was also very large, more
than 10. DOC, 900 paying admission, but, in
spite of all these facts, the directors
We're compelled to face a substantial de-
felt when the books were balanced.
Great as had been the loss on the oc-
casion of the first Paris exposition, the
deficit shown by the exhibition of 1878
was even more ~stupendous. This affair
broke all records in many ways, the area
covered being no less than so acres, while !
the number of visitors exceeded l6. OOO. : I
900. Favorable as all this may seem.
however, the books told another story
for the loss was more than So, 200, 900.
After this disastrous experiment 10
years elapsed before another interna- !
tional show was held, but in 1889 France.
still u~ndaunteA. launched out upon an
other gorgeous exhibition, this time With
triumphant results, the books showing a
profit of 81. 500. 900. This exposition also