Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-03-23
OUR GREAT CENTENNIAL
Odd and Interesting Faots About the
First Die Exposition on Western
hsmlsphsre-had . Narrow
gseape FROM Dankruptey
BY GEORGE NOx Mccain


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BY GEORGE NOx Mccain
A RETROSPECTIVE glance at the Csn.
"a tennial Exposition Of 1870 ia pnrticu.
IarIy interesting just now, in view OF the
work to be done In connection with the
Sesqui. Centennial.
| =, Comparatively few people believed at the
time that the Centennial could succeed.
=, President Grant formally ''commended'
| tc foreign Powers.
This, however, did not constitute an invi.
tation to them to participate. .
-, secretary Fish. whether from doubt OF
tne proposition or from an unworthy 'oppo-
sition which had taken shape In New York,
threw cold water on tho Philadelphia enter
Me sent notices to all consular and dip,o.
matte Representatives to inform inquirers
that President Grant had merely commended
tion.
| Charles Sumner. Of Massachusetts,. struck
n,onSsS another blow when be took occasion
would Be a failure.
He argued that England could not con.
sistently take part in the celebration Of the
anniversary Of her own defeat.
ToHN W. FORNEY took the bun By the
| He had listened to Summers j.remiad
| from the gallery Of the Senate when the mat.
ter was up for debate. -.
The following day he called upon sir
Edward Thornton, then British Minister at
Wa.hinkton, and asked him II he would
verify summers declaration.
| MT. Sumner" said Sir Edward, docs
not represent Great Britain on the floor Of
the Senate. Her Majcsty's. Government 10
than her COZ ccmmeSeisi i supremaey'. M sake, Ike,
Great Britain Cannot afford to stay away"
| That scotched the opposition pretty efec.
- Colonel Torney was subsequently made
European Commissioner to represent the
! Centennial.
| DARSIMONY was the keynote Of the Gov.
L ernment in those days; precautionary
conservatism perhaps.
for the panic Of 1873 broke like a cyclone
right in the midst Of the preliminary
arrangements.
The Centennial Commissioners had planned
an elaborate maia building to cost - .0OO, 900.
| Inc 2overnment appropriation was 30 fur
below what had been expected that these
plans were scrapped and q main building
was % erected at cost of approximately
When the actual work of building BEGAN
there was SO. 100000 in hand.
100000. the city 81 800. 900 and the
balance was made up BY individual sub
| oCTiptlOHb OF ClClxenS.
Washington expanded and cast its shadow
on the city.
| THIS shadow deepcned after the opening
| L Of the Exhibition.
| The Sabbatarians had insisted that the
doors be closed on Sunday, though the oppo-
sition claimed this day would attract the
largest crowd Of the week.
| The loss for the first three months ranged
from so, 900 to $4,000 a day.
BY September Sep !. 1870. 10 terrible had
management again advocated Sunday open.
ing In the hope OF recOuping q part of the
loss.
But their opponents declared they would
was adopted.
The doors remained sealed on the first day
Of the week to thcscnd.
| Nothing but cool weather and an easing
up OF the money market averted bankruptcy
| for the Centennial.
| A CURIOUS feature was that virtually
! "A all the Southern States, with the cxcep.
tion Of Mississippi, Maryland and Arkansas,
failed to make any appropriation for their
Ot the Northern States and territories
California. Idaho. Missouri, Nebraska,
North Dakota, Vermont and Washington
also failed to make appropriations.
| seventeen years Iater ARKANSAS, Della
ware, Kansas, Maryland. Mississippi, Ne
vada, Oregon and Rhode Island failed to
make appropriations to the Columbian Ex-
position of 1893 at Chicago.
| Under Director General Hawley there
- were seventeen administrative bureaus
| at the Centennial.
The Bureau Of Installation. which had to
do with the arrangement Of exhibits, was
organised on January IA, 1875. 1T com.
pleted its work on May o.. 1870, the day
before the exhibition opened.
The total number of American exhibitors
was O280.
The area of the grounds was 2s4. 40 acres,
Of which 7O.Os acres were covered by build
ings. There were In all 102 special exhibi.
tiOn buildings divided rs follows:
United States Government, 7: foreign
ate exhibitors. 20.
The total number oSs Ct admissions, including
The average paid admissions were 5O,341
daily.
OCTOBER. 1870. witnessed the largest
~ attendance Of any month.
Cash admissions ran as follows: May
37S, $50; June. G05G68; July. G38, SIS ;
August, 0OS ,S84; September uncluding ad.
missions to livestock show, extra), 2,l3O, .
091; October, 1884 $50; November, O1S, .
OO5.
The last three months all include admis-
sions to the stock show In addition to admis.
sons to the grounds.
4 total OF $237,0 was received for
privileges. The royalties from various en- :
terprises amounted to $204. 1881. making a
total from concessions OF $441, All.
1t was recognized too late that the above
sum was q mere pittance to what might
have been realized from this source.
| 0NE OF the most interesting features OF
~ the Centennial wns its music
There was II music platform In the main
building with one Of the largest pipe organs
In the world, at that time, for concert pur
poses.
In all 14S musical entertainments were
given there.
The best bands and orchcstras In tb.
country occupied the stage at different times
| and there were, in addition, many sin1inu