The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-12-03

New South contributed in 1900 to wealth
and prosperity of our country two thous-
and five hundred millions of tons of iron,
forty million tons of COAL seven hundred
and thirty-six million bushels of grain,
and eleven million two hundred and sew
enty-four thousand bales of cotton.
Electricity and steam, the instantan
eous circling of the globe with news and
rapidity in transportation have made one
market for all the world. Reduction of
cost and superiority of workmanship are
the factors of modern competition. Build
ing the cotton mill beside the cotton
fields and the furnace and steel factories
by the ore and coal are redistributing
industrial centers. Upon these lines, and
by the application of these principles, the
South, from no place in 1866, has come to
the front in the production of iron and
coal, and while New England and the
Western States have practically reached
the profitable limit and are standing still
in the expansion of the manufacture of
cotton goods, there has been the phe-
nomenal increase of one million three
hundred and seven thousand spindleS dur
ing the year 1900 in the Carolinas and
their neighboring commonwealths.
Surely, nothing in the story Of the rise,
decay and resurrection Of nations equals
the development and progress in the last
third of the nineteenth century of the
States which are bounded by the Ohio
and Potomac Rivers on the north, the
Gulf of Mexico on the south, the Missis-
sppi on the west and the Atlantic ocean
on the east. =
"The teachings of this industrial eXh-
bition, carried by visitors from the West
India Islands and the South American
States to their homes, will enforce the
lessons of reciprocity and open here and
there new and growing markets.
''The East is surrendering it's spindles
and the Middle States it's furnaces, and
they are giving new and broader and
healthier life to the South. Thel past is
but a suggestion of the future of our
united country Sectional lines have dis
appeared and jealousies and prejudices
have worn away. The nineteenth CEN
tury has opened exhaustless avenues for
spiritual mental and material progress
in the United States. Our mission in the
twentieth is their extension over the new
world
Then followed the exchange of greet
ings between President Roosevelt and
Mr.. Wagner and the exposition on
signal from the White House was de-
clared open.
The fair. while not as large as other
expositions that have been given, is an
exhibition of much merit and is already
an artistic success.
The exposition is not in the state OF
preparedness, however, which its pro-
jectors had hoped for. There have been
delays which all similar enterrises have
encountered but the chief deterrent FAC
tor in the installation of exhibits waI
the scarcity of cars to transort them
here Between two and three hundred
cars of exhibits are on the tracks at the
park. but they are rapidly being unloaded
and put in place by an army of men
working twenty-four hours day.
The principal object of the exposition
is to make a fully representative display
of the manufacturing progress and COM
mercial possibilities of the country and
particularly of the Southern States. ~
commercial problem at this time con-
fronts the South and perhaps the su-
preme purpose of the fair is to solve it.
The great advance in the number of cot
ton mills constructed and the output of
finished products has created surplus
of cotton goods. OF this product China
was at one time the largest consumer
outside of the home markets. The re-
cent disturbances in that country, how
ever has virtually paralyzed the markets
and the home surplus multiplies. The
principal undeveloped markets in close
touch with the South are in the West
Indies, and it is hoped that through the
medium of full displays at the exposition
oh, Will hat
part of the world.
The exposition site occupies about 100
acres of land on the bank of the Ashley
with a frontage of 1000 feet on the
river. The architecture of the buildings
follows closely the styles which were in
troduced at the Chicago Worlds Fair.
There are eleven great departmental
buildings; the cotton and commerce pal
aces; the hall of agriculture; minerals
and forestry buildings and structures de-
voted to woman, art, the negro, trans
portation and machinery.
The administration building occuy
commanding position.
The cotton palace covers $4,000 square
feet of ground area; the commerce pal
ace contains $4,000 square feet of floor
| space; the palsJ,e of agriculture the
same area; the administration building
16, 900 square feet and the transport alton
and machinery buildings each about
20, 900 square feet A commcdious audi
torium, seats about four thousand peo-
pie.
The United States Government, in
spite of the failure of Congress to make
an appropriation, has a display here,
the exposition company having provided
the necessary accommodations for the
Government exhibit recently seen at
Buffalo
The court of palaces, around which the
main exposition buildings are grouped,
is 1000 feet in length and over 900 feet
wide This court contains one million,
six hundred and fifty thousand square
feet, and one of its unique features is a
sunken garden filled with tropical plants
grouped around an electric fountain.
The woman's department is under the