Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1909-06-09

80. 1906. Contracts for the per
Torrance Of work for " hich the
government appropriation was IN
tended were not given until So late
in the Season OF 1906 that the
severe winter aud long, rainy
spring DELAYED their performance
and resulted in the incomplete
condition of the grounds and build
inys on opening day.
lt is true that director general
was elected after the opening by
the directors, but the movement TO
recreate that Office was inaugarated
by the board of governors, who
believed that one man could expe-
dite the work more rapidly than Il
board of seven. In fact, the Board
of Governors. before the opening
date, rendered the position To MIR.
". /. Buchanan, formerly director
General IF the Buffalo Exposition.
Il WAS declined hy him because he
Esd been appointed commissioner
10 The Hague Peace Conference.
Subsequently, the directors. with
the concurrence of the Board of
Governors. elected director gen
raj. The object WAS To concen-
rate the business management of
ne Exposition, and the action had
lo ,ela,ion 20 The fTnciionSordu
the President.
While Use Exposition WAS not
ie tiuaucisl success which il was
.opcd j. wcobi kc. ihst l. doc TO
ne IA hare OF attendance, only
.ouut ";,c L.ill.On, six hundred
Niug PASSED through the yates
hen 1t WAS expected that about
i've millions would Go so. This
lIilure Of attendance was undoubt-
LILY due To adverse advertisement
ol the lncompieleneSs of the EX-
POSITION resulting from the condi-
ii'us on opening day. Visitors
culd not distinguish which was
.ae work eff the Government,
hich the work OF the Exposition
company, or which the work uf the
safes, for several of the State
sb.IldingS were incomplete and
we're surrounded 10y >catfoldinys,
l.d AL lncu.nrlejcheSS was charged
to the company.
As AN instance ufiureSight, this
Exposition Management, instead
II leasing the site. rs other expOsi-
tons in America have done, pur-
chased its site, So that large part
OF the expenditures for streets i'm
provements, water, sewer and gas
plpeS and buildings have been
preserved and now represent a
property of great value, which it
i entirely within the range of
possibility may be disposed of so
- 10 pay the debts of the EXPOSE
tam. 1t Is true that under orders
Iof the United States Court suits
have been Instituted against delin-
queut stockholders, whose delin-
lGu"ncy helped TO increase the en-
bsrraSSment of the Exposition
Company during the period of
construction and, since then, to
postpone the payment of its debts.
While the Exposition did not
prove the financial success that it
was hoped it would, there can be
no doubt that the State OF Virginia
received such an advertisement of
Its resources assembled there as
many times To repay the expendi-
ture which was made by the State:
and while some who went into
speculative enterprises fail.d to
profit. there can be no doubt of the
fact that very large amount OF
money was expended by visitors "a
the Exposition and that great
benefit has accrued TO the State.
! This is evidenced locally by the
fact that there has never been such
extensive building of ali kinds in
Norfolk and its vicinity as there
was during the year Immediately
succeeding the Exposition, and
which has continued 10 the pres
ent time.
1t cannot be charged that the
Exposition was a failure. As an
artistic creation it was, when COM
pleted, one of the most beautiful
eXpositions that has been held in
this country. and it was the most
gigantic undertaking ever achieved
In this country by a community so
numerically small or with such
I L