Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1900-05-31
South Carolina Interstate and West Indian
Exposition.


Charleston, the chief city Of South
Carolina, and place surrounded
by "reminiscences, is about to enter
upon new era. 1t is tired of liv-
ing on past greatness and determined
to make long, sturdy stride towards
the head Of the procession Of grow
ing and prosperous cities, and that
step is the holding of grand expo
sition. About three months ago the
talk of getting up State Exposi-
ton was heard; it became more
prominent as the plan was dissccted
and found feasible, and on March
90 the people of Charleston, having
secured the endorsement of the
Governor, of the Legislature, the
commercial bodies of Charleston and
other cities, formally announced to
the world that there would be held
in Charleston, beginning in 1901, a
great fair or exposition. At a mass
meeting held in the Auditorium, tho
citizens of Charleston with one voice
said to the men who had undertaken
the preliminary work, eco ahead
we are with you" Since that meet
ing, at the close of March, the work
of preparation for forming an Expo
stion Company has gone on with
remarkable activity. Within less
than two months subscriptions of
1926, 900 have been received to the
capital stock and they continue to
come in at the rate of five to eight
thousand per week. The amount al
ready received does not include any
thing from the railroads or larger
corporations-thc idea being TO leave
these large subscribers for the last.
This is proper, as the business men
and citizens generally should be al
lowed first to express their financial
opinions on the project. The result
has certainly been gratifying to the
men who have so far engineered the
work. But Charleston is not alone
interested. An exposition such as
planned will help every section Of
South Carolina. 1t will bring i'm
migration, increase manufactures and
give cause for greater activity in
every branch of business. South
Carolina has tens of thousands Of
arabic acres now idle that might well
be employed; mining lands tha,
have never even been prospcctcd,
square miles Of virgin timber never
touched by woodman's axe. From
all records of exposltions it is gath
cred that cities, States and sections
have felt the benefits accruing from
great fairs, where the world has
: been invited to come and see the re-
, suits already accomplished and to
, estimate what may be done with in
creased capital, added enterprise, in
dustry and enthusiasm.
The South Carolina Interstate
and West Indian Exposition Com
pany will be chartered corpora
ton within a few weeks. The peo-
pie of Charleston have given it
strong financial and moral endorse
mcnt The managing committee is to
= include two or more representative
men from each county in South Car.
olina and subscription books are
about to be opened in the principal
cities and towns. The people Of
t the State will be invited to take
: stock in the Exposition Company
and the subscriptions will not be
: contributions" but investments.
. Besides the general good which must
i. result from the holding Of the grand
y show proposed and planned, there
l., will be every reasonable chance Of a
t return of all or portion Of the
). money subscribed. The plan of
h subscription is that no assessment
4 can be called for until the total
+ (bona fdc) list shows &l50,000,
which is majority of the full capi-
tai stock of $250,000. When the
point of *l50,000 is reached an as
scssmcnt Of twenty per cent will be
made, and the remainder will be col
lccted in equal installmcnts of ten
d per cent Of the remainder i'm ter
c months. Subscriptions will be re.
> ccivcd in amounts from $5 up, shares
being pluccd at SIS each. The fna
}. report of the treasurer Of the re
Gently held Exposition in Omah'
~ shows that ninety per cent was pai(
/ back to stockholders after the clos
ing Of their big fair, Charleston com