THE AMERICAN EXHIBITION, 1893.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1530, 5 June 1891, Page 3

THE AMERICAN EXHIBITION, 1893.

Some time since news reached the colonies that in consequence of some disagreement between the managers appointed to carry out this wonderful undertaking it would not be held on the same scale of magnificence as originally laid down, and that instead of a national and international exposition to commemorate the four hundredth anniversary of the discovery of America, the celebration would take the form of purely an American show. However, we are constantly in receipt eff pamphlets and forms explanatory of the big show and the various objects it is proposed to elaborate, accordingly we can but think the alarm was a false one ; all are of great interest whatever may result, and so as to keep our readers in touch with the world on <-hc subject we shall from time to time publish the most interesting in our columns, com mencing with the reasons why Chicago was selected as the best place for the World’s Fair. Chicago, April 4. Occasional comments by the European press indicate that the reasons why Chicago was selected as the location for the World’s Fair in 1893 are not wed understood abroad. The wisdom of the Congress of the United States in “selecting Chicago is unquestioned in tliis country. This being so, it is, of course, of interest and importance, to intending and possible European exhibitors and visitors to understand the chief reasons why such action was taken Tho assertion has been made with some truth that fnt-pio-ners with comparatively few exceptions, knowmv little of tho United States outside of New York It is easy to account for this from the fact that Europe has’ dealt chiefly with New York, and has not learned to fully appreciate the importance of Chicago. A few decades ago the eastern portion of the United States, of which New York is the metropolis, preponderated greatly in population and commercial and political importance. But within a lifetime a great change lias occurred. The States in the interior and the west, embracing the great Mississippi vallev, have been, and still are, developing with astonishing rapidity. This great area, which is about four times the size of Great Britain, France and German v combined, is naturally one of the richest and most productive regions on earth. Within its bounds the increase in population, wealth and even- kind of industry, during tho last ouarter of a century, has been marvellously great. This Mississippi valley yields in the products of agriculture vastly more than does any other country i„ the world. In the manufacturing industries, too, it is rapidly forging to the front. Nearly the whole of the Mississippi valley is tributary to Chicago. That city is its metropolis and its market. Almost the entire buying and selling trade of this vast area, 2 000,000 square miles in extent, is conducted through Chicago. Responsive to this wonderful development of the Mississippi valley, the centre of gravity of national life has been moving rapidly westward. The centre of population-that is, the point to the north, south, cast and west of which there is the same number of inhabitants—was in 1830 near Moorelield, West Virginia a point about 500 miles east and 250 miles south’ of Chicago. Thirty years later, in 1800, it had moved westward as far as Columbus, Ohio, which is about 400 miles east of Chicago. The census of 1800 showed that it is now near Greensburg, in Southern Indiana or onlv about 100 miles cast and the same diitanco south of Chicago. The industrial and commercial centre of the United States, were it determined, would be found to be even nearer. The tendency of both is towards Chicago, and the next ton years will see them almost within its limits. The geographical centre of the country is m north Kansas, or about 500 miles west and 100 miles south of Chicago and conformation of the western country, location of the water courses, relative resources of dilf°rent portions, accessibility to the Atlantic seaboard, whence trans-oceamc commerce with Europe must always proceed, etc., combine to preclude the possibility of the centres of population and industry ever coinciding with the centre of area. According to tho judgment of persons who have made a careful study of the matter, they arc sure to remain in the immediate vicinity of Chicago at least for generations to come. , . . , , For a quarter of a century the central and advantageous location of Chicago, and its increasing commercial importance, have been growing rapidly in recognition throughout tho Union. As far back as is;;;)’ Abraham Lincoln, the great emancipator, father of the present U.S. Minister to the Court of St. James, was nominated at Chicago for President of the Republic. Later, Presidents Grant, Garfield, Cleveland, and Harrison were* -nominatedat the same city. During the last dozen years nearly all of the national political conventions of both parties have been held at Chicago. There, too,_ it lias grown to b - tho custom to convene a majority of tho industrial and social gatherings of national scope. Chicago i* now known throughout the country as I the “ Convention City.” i The reason why these important assemblages, 1 which draw their constituencies from every quarter of the United States, have been held at Chicago were the same, in a large degree, as those which influenced Congress to locate the World’s Columbian Exposition in that city. They are convincing proof of its surpassing importance as a city, of its great accessibility, of its potency in national and commercial affairs, and of its superior facilities for accommodating large gatherings of people. Chicago is the principal railroad centre of the North American continent. Its 27 different lines of railway, radiating like the spokes of a wheel to even'"important American seaport and city, make it easily n-coosslMo from every direction. So CX* tensive'ami perfect arc its railway facilities that it may be said" to be practically equi-distant from Spain and Japan, London and Canton, the Sandwich Islands and Rio Janeiro, Buenos Ayres and St. Petersburg!!. The visitor can reach it with equal comfort from Montreal and New York, San Eiancisco and the City of Mexico. Within a radius of 1000 miles of Chicago is a population exceeding 58,000,000. Within the same distance from New York, the number does not exceed 10,000,000. It is a fair inference from this fact that the attendance at the World's Fair at Chicago will be much greater than if it were held at New York Tin, is a very important consideration, for the larger the attendance the greater the benefit to the exhibitor, and the greater tho success of the Exposition in general. , „ AT , ~ Being the largest port on the Great Lakes, the greatest railroad centre, and tho second largest metropolis in the country, Chicago offers exceptionally "ood facilities for transportation of both passengers and freight by either water or rail. Indeed, it combines the advantages of both means to a ■'renter extent than any other American city. These considerations are important to foreign exhibitors and visitors for this reason. _ The competition between the different railway lines and the water routes is so great that low rates of transportation, both for passengers and freight, are the result The truth of this is well indicated by the fact that Chicago importers, though they have to pay fr-i'dit, of course, on their importations, find no niflieultv in competing with those of the seaboard even in the territory lying between the ocean and tho lakes. , r , , . The railway journey from Now York to Chicago thoii'-h it requires about 22 hours, is m reality much less formidable than that from London to Pans. It is less fatiguing and more comfortable than the journey from London to Edinburgh. Foreigners who shall 1 isit the World’s Fair will naturally desire to see, not onlv the Exposition itself, but something of tlio country in which it is held. The New World has been to them a closed volume. They will want to open it and scan some of its intensely interesting niges. The journey from New York to Chicago will afford them an excellent opportunity to observe the appearance of the country and the industries and Inrdo of living of its inhabitants. Among the many natural attractions they can see cu route is the Niagara Falls. . Chicago itself offers to visitors a very interesting and instructive picture. It is a phenomenal city. Within half a century it has grown from a frontier village to a metropolis, tho second largest city in the Uuit'-d States and the seventh in the world. Since the annexation of its suburbs a few years ago it cmbraces a larger area than does any other city in the world. Within its 175 square miles it contains, of course, several vacant and thinly .settled districts. It was owing to this fact that it was enabled to offer within its limits a splondod site of more than a thousand acres for the Exposition. This site has a frontage of two miles on Lake Michigan, the second largest body of fresh water on the globe. Added to the considerations referred to above there are still others well known to Congress which induced it to choose Chicago as the location of the Exposition. Chicago's citizens are full of pluck and energy. They have not only built up many enormous private' fortunes, but at the same time have instituted and carried through successfully many public enterprises and improvements. Not a single great enterprise of this character has Chicago ever abandoned or made a failure of, once it was begun. Chicago is cosmopolitan to a greater extent than any other American city, with the exception perhaps of New York, as is indicated by the following figures from the census of 1890;

Germans ... 384,053 French... ... 12,003 Americans ... 202,4(53 Italians 0,021 Ir'sh ... 215,534 Hollanders ... 4,912 English ... 23 785 Swiss 2,012 Scotch 11,927 Belgians ... 082 Welsh 2,908 Greeks ... 008 Canadians ... 6,939 Spaniards ... 207 Bohemians ... 54,299 Portuguese ... 34 Poi e3 ... 52,756 East Indians ... 28 Russians ... 0,077 West Indians ... 37 Roumanians ... 4,350 Sandwich Isl’nd 37 Hungarians ... 4,827 Mongolians ... 1,217 Swedes ... 45,577 . Norwegians ... 44.015 Total ...1,208,009 Danes... ... 9,851 Chicagoans arc not only public-spirited, but hospitable. Chicago is unsurpassed by any city in America, and by not more than three in the world, in its facilities for accommodating visitors. It lias more than 1,400 hotels, large and small, and several new

hotels of enormous capacity are beinjj erected. Tho hotel and restaurant accommodations _ will be enormously increased against the demand in 1803. Reference might be made to Chicago’s excellent water simply, equable and delightful climate, its healthfulness, as shown hy an exceptionally low death rate, its facilities for intra-mural transportation, and to numerous other points of excellence, all of which combine to emphasize the wisdom of its being chosen as the place for holding the next World’s Fair. But enough has been said, it is believed, to indicate that Congress made no mistake in toe matter.