Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1900-06-09
UTTER UNPREpAREDNESS.
New Dominion Correspondent
writes of Paris Exposition,


Everything is in Il Chaotic state
Efforts 10 Push American Uern--Ex-
penses are not Burdensome.
PARIS, June /, 1900.
| have been In Paris but two days
after seven days tossing on the At
lantic and have had time only for a
glance AT the Exposition. This glance
has impressed me with nothing 50
much as It's utter unpreparedness.
Masonry, carpentry, painting, dig
/ ing, carting, sweeping, busting,
] sprinkling everywhere, with only here
and there an exhibit complete aud
ready for business The shops, res.
taurants and midway plaisancelike
shows are Of course ready and are do-
! ing a more or less thriving business,
and the same old features Of French
men, Dutchmen, Englishmen and
Yankees masquerading in Oriental
/ garb and selling useless oriental GIN
cracks Tor twice the amount they can
be had for IN any city Of the United
States, are very prominent.
The Exposition is doubtless, as the
! late Mr.. Barnnm would say, "a mon
strous aggregation etc. etc. 1t viii,
when completed, surpass all previous
! expostions in bigness and richness
and win be an admirable epitome Of
the past century's transcendent pro-
gress. Why should it not excel all
others2 The world, at least In ma
terial things, is moving fast, and
what was evolution made for, II each
succeeding exposition shall not out do
its predecessors
Moreover Paris, and | regret to say
/ it, seems to be but poor fourth in
4 the expert trade of the world, with
/ England, our own country and Ger
! many ahead OF her But she gets
/ back at us every ten years or SO
by making great exposition aud,
with the prestige &c her only Paris
/ levying tribute on all the wealth Of
/ the world. The amount Of money we
spend in Paris in one way and another
/ is regretable. Hundreds of rich
American families live here 10 winter
and in the south of France during the
! summer So far as | know the only
advantage gained is in better house
hold service. Servants In France are
doubtless more efficient, intelligent
and cheaper than In the United States.
But In every other comfort of living
we surpass the French. At least this
/ is my impression after fourth visit to
Paris and residence off. and on of
several months.
The reports that have been so ex-
I tensively spread about the crowded
condition Of the city, and the high
cost of living, are misleading. | do
not Ind the prices at hotels or Pen
sions boarding houses) much higher
than usual. They are / think little
lower than at the Exposition OF 1878.
Anyone according to his taste, purse
and endurance, can get board and
lodging from one dollar up. | am
! lodged at No. As Rue do Clichy, about
two miles from the Exposition, in a
Pension with steam heat, elevator
and electric lights, at a cost of Is
francs (s3.) per day. The same ac-
commodations would cost az much In
most American cities. Before | Sc
lected this place | inquired the rates
and looked at rooms in many other
1 localities. Some were higher, some
/ lower, and / speak from personal OBJ
servation when say there's abundant
room here and at reasonable rates.
! To say that the Americans here di-
rectly ia charge of American Exhibits
are angry is to- draw 1t mild. In spite
of the utmost effort they cannot get
the French authorities to complete
/ the buildings for their exhibits.
| There are lime, dust, mortar and rub
bssh everywhere, and only two or
three French workmen where there
should be twenty. Meanwhile the
4 French authorities are urging the
Americans to open up their displays
The Americans say sNo, not until
these buildings are completed and
cleaned. We will not subject our fine
wares and delicate food stuffs to de-
terioration from dust and mud and
lime" After much prayer and i'm
precation the American Commissions
ers finally resorted To law with the
result Of great acceleration OH the part
of the French. The buildings, 1t is
expected, will now be completed In
! two weeks.
There is a sinister report that the
American National building is inse-
cure. unsafe, and that II Sousa's band
should play there, it will be with
peril to the assemblage.
The American National Building Is
eclipsed by that of Italy, Roumania
and by other countries that have not
one 1.-THE OF our wealth. 1t was vanity
and folly to build a National Building
here anyhow. 1t does no good, teach
es nothing, brings nothing. 1t cam
not I'LL the wandering American with
pride when he sees it, for he is always
loverfowing with that stuff and ready
TO tell you that while we have no vol
cano like yesnvius, we have "a Niagara
Falls that can put it out in five min
uteS