Chapter IV

THE STORY OF THE BUILDING OF THE WHITE CITY.

OUT of this legendary and story-telling atmosphere, the three Marlowes passed through the country in beautiful June, and found themselves, in the longest days of the year, in that wonder-city of the new world,—Chicago.

“The first story that we will have to hear,” said Mr. Marlowe, “will be that of the Fair itself.”

THE STORY OF THE FAIR.

If ever there was a man with the heart and intelligence to welcome
the world, it is Judge Bonney, whose generous spirit and hearty
words millions of people will remember. As the leading mind of
the Exposition’s Auxiliary Congresses, as many as possible of the
delegates to the many Congresses met him, and the questions which he
answered in the Art Palace in Chicago, would have filled many Bibles.
We hope that he took a long rest after the close of the Exposition,
for no man ever better earned such a right.

With a patience that was beautiful, and ought to serve as a national
lesson, he met every one courteously, and every last person that met
him felt that he had found a friend, and left him rejoicing that the
newly-collected world was so friendly in its representative. His
intelligence was equal to his courtesy, and his tact to both. The
people all have good wishes forever for Judge Bonney.

Our trio had been told to report to Judge Bonney. They found him at
his desk in the Art Palace in the city, and one look from him assured
them that they were expected.

“Judge,” said Ephraim the elder, “I have called with my son here, who
is a delegate to the Folk-Lore Congress. There are a few things about
the Fair that I would like to know.”

“I shall be most happy to give you any information that I have, my
friend. Sit down, sit down.” We give the judge’s answers from a
general memory of like scenes.

“I thank thee, friend Bonney.”

“I see that you are a Quaker,” said Judge Bonney. “There are several
people here already who are interested in the Folk-Lore Congress.
I will see that you are introduced to them. What are some of the
questions which you wish to ask?”

“Well, friend Bonney, what is the history of this great Fair? How did
it originate?”

“In the minds of many, who agreed to act as one,” we may imagine the answer to have been. We shall speak of this topic again. We are inclined to the belief that the secret of the success of the Fair may be found in the fact of this supposed answer.

“By whom was Chicago selected as the site of the Fair?”

“This city was selected as the site of the Fair by vote of the
National House of Representatives, February 24, 1890.”

“What other cities were voted upon?”

“New York, St. Louis, and Washington.”

“When did Congress authorize the Fair?”

“The Act of Congress authorizing the Fair was approved April 25,
1890. This was followed by the President’s Proclamation, inviting
all nations to participate, which was issued December 24, 1890. The
World’s Fair Grounds were dedicated October 21, 1892. Preceding the
opening of the Fair, May 1, 1893, was the grand Naval Review in New
York Harbor, April 26, 27, 28, 1893.”

“How about the appropriations, friend Bonney? Where did the money
come from?”

“From various sources. The States and territories appropriated nearly
$5,000,000, and foreign countries nearly $6,000,000. The capital
stock amounts to $5,000,000, the City of Chicago Bonds to $5,000,000,
the Souvenir half-dollars (appropriated by Congress), to $2,500,000,
and the Debenture Bonds to $4,000,000.”

“What is the total value of the exhibits?”

“It is estimated to be $300,000,000.”

“What will the Fair cost?”

“The total estimated expense is $21,250,000.”

“How many visitors are expected?”

“It is expected that there will be about 20,000,000 visitors.”

“The gate receipts from them would amount to $10,000,000. How much
ground does the Fair cover?”

“The total number of acres in the Exposition Grounds is 633, of which
Jackson Park occupies 553 acres, the Midway Plaisance, 80, the space
available for buildings, 556, and the Interior Waterways (61 acres)
and Wooded Island, 77.”

“Now I wish to know something about the size of the different
buildings. Which is the largest one?”

“The Manufactures Building is the largest. It is 1,687 feet long, and
787 feet wide, covering 44 acres of floor. Its cost was $1,600,750.
Of the other buildings, the Stock Sheds cover 25 acres, the Machinery
Building and Annex, 23.2 acres, the Agricultural Building and Annex,
19 acres, the Transportation Building, 17.9 acres, the Electricity
Building, 9.3 acres, the Building of Mines, 8.5 acres, and the
Building of Horticulture, 8 acres. The total number of acres covered
by buildings is 240.”

“How much did they cost, Judge Bonney?”

“Twelve million two hundred and sixty-seven thousand dollars.”

“How many other World’s Fairs have been held, and where?”

“Between the years 1851 and 1889, eight World’s Fairs were held,—two
of them in London, four in Paris, one in Vienna, and one in
Philadelphia.”

“How does the size of the grounds here compare with those of the
other World’s Fairs, Judge Bonney?”

“Of the previous World’s Fairs, that of Paris in 1889 covered the
largest area—200 acres—which is not quite one third the size of this.”

“How many visitors had that Fair?”

“Twenty-eight million, one hundred and forty-nine thousand, three
hundred and fifty-three.”

“Now, Judge Bonney, tell me about the World’s Fair Auxiliary and
its Congresses, of which you are the representative. When do the
Congresses meet, and where?”

“There are nineteen Departments of the Congresses of the World Fair
Auxiliary. Each lasts usually a week. In May we held the Congress
of Woman’s Progress, Public Press, and Medicine; in June, will be
those of Temperance, Moral and Social Reform, and Commerce and
Finance; in July, of Music, Literature, Education, Engineering, and
Art; in August, of Government, Science and Philosophy, and Labor;
in September, of the Departments of Religion; and in October, the
closing month of the Fair, those of Sunday Rest, Public Health, and
Agriculture.”

The good judge took the trio into the Hall of Columbus and the Hall
of

Washington, and the various art rooms in the Palace where the
Congresses were to meet. The engines shrieked as they passed the
sunny windows, and the blue lake rolled afar as in fathomless
distance. The world seemed on the march in the great avenues below
the balconies. Near by rose the Great Auditorium, and near it a
colossal bridge led the way to the steamers and cars.

How bright and happy the world looked from the open windows of the
smoke-colored Art Palace. As they passed one of those windows, the
White City some miles distant, gleamed afar over the blue lake like
a radiant vision. Constantinople from the Golden Horn was not as
celestial and beautiful.

“White, Judge Bonney,” said old Ephraim.

“Yes, my friend, it is built of Staff.”

“Judge Bonney, what _is_ Staff?”

“Staff is a mixture of plaster—often called plaster of Paris—and a
small per cent of cement, into which are introduced frequent fibres
of hemp, jute, or Sisal grass, to give it toughness, so that it may
be bent, sawn, nailed, or bored, at will.”

“How is it cast?”

“It is cast in moulds. The plaster and cement are first wet up to
the consistency of thick treacle, a layer of which is spread on
the well-lubricated mould. Then follows a layer of the long, tough
fibres; over this is poured another coating of the liquid plaster,
covering in the fibre and filling the mould to the required depth.”

“Are there many moulds?”

“Yes, there are a thousand or more of different patterns and sizes,
from those for casting plain staff-board for walls, to those for the
most complex, beautiful, or fantastic ornamentation.”

“Are statues ever made of it?”

“Yes, both statues and statuary groups. The moulds are first
fashioned in clay, then coated with staff.”

“How long does it take to make it ready for use?”

“Oh, in the course of half an hour the composition hardens
sufficiently to be handled and taken away to the buildings in process
of construction.”

“How long will it last?”

“If kept painted, it will withstand the weather for a number of
years. If it cracks or crumbles off, it can readily be repaired with
a brush or trowel, from a tub of the liquid mixture. It is fireproof,
and, to a great degree, waterproof.”

“They say, Judge Bonney, that there is a sidewalk there that goes all
by itself. Is that so? Tell us all about it.”

“The Multiple Speed Sidewalk is also called the Travelling
Sidewalk, or the Locomotive Sidewalk. It is a mechanical device for
facilitating travel on the long pier—nearly one half a mile long and
two hundred and fifty feet wide—near the Peristyle, thus enabling the
tourist to make the trip over the pier in ease and comfort, refreshed
by the lake breeze. The sidewalk, which traverses the entire length
of the pier on one side, returns on the other, making a loop at
each end. It is on low wheels. There are two parallel sections,
or platforms, one moving at a rate of three miles an hour, about
ordinary walking speed, and the other at six miles an hour, an easy
driving rate. One may ride on either section.”

The Judge led the trio back to his room. It was crowded with people
seeking information.

“I am obliged to you, Judge Bonney, for those bits of information.
But what are these few things that I have learned to a Fair like
that? I’ll call again, Judge Bonney, and give you a chance to tell
us some more. ’Tisn’t often that I find a man so well stocked with
information about the world.”

Judge Bonney did not look tired. With a serene face he met the crowd
awaiting him, many of whom would ask him these questions over again.
Our fancied interview is but a picture of the Judge’s work for nearly
a year.

The Marlowes, under the influence of the officers of the World’s Auxiliary, who invited them to a literary reception soon after their arrival, arranged to spend their home-life in Chicago with Mr. and Mrs. Edmand, who led a Folk-Lore Society which met at their home on Michigan Avenue. The Edmands family were from New England, and had known the Marlowes by reputation, and received them as their guests. It was agreed between the Edmands and their guests that the Folk-Lore Society should meet every Saturday evening, and that, on these occasions, the Marlowes should relate as a part of the exercises Folk-Lore stories.

The first of these stories that was told at the Saturday evening meetings was “Miraculous Susan of Quaker Hill.” It was told by Grandfather Marlowe, and we shall give it in its place. Another of these stories was “Hannah, Who Sang Countre.” It was told by Mr. Marlowe, who illustrated it by singing old-time tunes. This we shall also give in an interval between the sight-seeing at the Fair.