Democratic Sentinel, Volume 19, Number 48, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 December 1895 — ON A GRAND ALE. [ARTICLE]

ON A GRAND ALE.

IS THE ONLY MEA OR INDIANA’S GREAT CEN I c,o,.AL. Tin Matchless Resources Which Would .‘>l >ke Possible a Wonderful Exposition. Suggestions on the Si MJect by Commissioners Frey, Cum hack 'd Mann. Commissioner Philip Frey of Evansville has broad id-. •• to the great centennial proposed t-: a c-nobra-tion of the 100th anniversary of the organization of Indiana territory. He says: ‘‘The importance of making the celebration of Indiana’s centennial a broad and comprehensive one, cannot be overestimated. It might as well be resolved by the commission at the outset, and understood by the citizens of Indiana, that to inaugurate this celebration on anything but a scale of grandeur, both in conception and execution, would at once write failure over the whole. “Indiana cannot afford in this day and generation to call the attention of the entire union, and of the world, to her position as a great state, in a small and narrow project. It should combine not only an epitome of its resourcefulness, but a strong picture of its history in the civil and military glories of the past 100 years. And the whole should be a stirring incentive to future achievements in economics and patriotism. “To my mind the commission should early ascertain what the sentiment of the people is in this direction, but if they should find that sentiment to be at variance with that general idea, the entire matter should be abandoned rather than that it should fall short of these ideals. As to what permanent shape this should take, it is yet too early to speculate. But it seems to me that whatever is done, it should be in some fitting way, so as to furnish for posterity the perpetuation of these ideas. Upon these lines it seems to me that the whole state would unite, because of its importance to the state and its citizens.” INDIANA’S PROGRESS. “What do you think of the proposed centennial celebration for Indiana?” was asked Hon. Will Cumbackof Greensburg by a press representative. “I am enthusiastically in favor of it." Mr. Cumbaeh replied. “I am a native of this state, and have been over the state many times—have been in every county, and am perhaps as familiar with the resources and progress of the State as any citizen of the state. Until recently but little was known of our state by the world outside. The progress she has made in every department of hnman affairs has never been published by onr people as in other states. Indiana has never been boomed or advertised. I have been in about forty other states and I think Indiana has less waste land than any state I have seen. We cannot only farm almost the entire state, but there is a larger portion of fertile and productive soil in Indiana than any of them in proportion to her territory. No effort has been made to let the world know what we have done, and are doing in agriculture, beyond the exhibit we have made at onr state fair. “As a consequence hundreds of thou-

ranway station to be shipped to the eastern cities or to the more convenient markets of Chicago, St. Louis, Louisville or Cincinnati. “We have ad the improved machinery and tools for farming. We have the best breeds of horses, cattle, sheep and hogs. There is no state that excels us in all things pertaining to agriculture. “We have the finest stone of any state in the west and are supplying the world from our inexhanstable quarries. “We have coal in abundance and our natural gas field is the best yet found, and seems to be as strong as when first discovered. “The indications are that before 1900 comes, we will have also the largest oil supply. It is jnst being developed. “It would take too long to tell all the resources of this great central state. “We have the very best possible school system and the largest school fond of any state with perhaps one exception. Our colleges and universities are second to none in the nation. “Our writers and literary men and women have attracted the attention and won the praise of the cultivated people of the civilized world. We have in Indiana every element of a highly civilized and progressive people. This proposed celebration will furnish the opportunity to bring forward and exhibit to the world what we are and what we have accomplished. If a full and complete showing is made, it-will be of immense advantage to the state. It will double our population in the next 10 years. The term Hoosier will have a different meaning to the world outside. lam glad to see that the people of the state are thoroughly in favor of the celebration and they want it done np in a style worthy the great occasion. The commission will no doubt formulate a plan that will do honor to the state.” MUST BE WORTHY THE STATE. Hon. Thomas J. Mann of Sullivan is one of the commissioners from the Second district. In expressing his views on the great project, he says: “In regard to the proposed centennial celebration of Indiana territory and state, I believe for various reasons that it should be held, and held in the form of an exposition, because in no other way that I can conceive can the past, present and future of Indiana’s greatness be so clearly and fully made known to the general public and her own citizens as well.

“The first thing I would consider, however, in an undertaking of this kind would be the amount of money necessary to carry it through successfully, giving an exhibit worthy the state and creditable to her citizens. In no event would I recommend a reckless, extravagant outlay of money. Can it not be done without this, and without the state being worthily and creditably represented in such an exhibit then it wefe better to not attempt it. The safe, careful, prudent business man always considers well his investment before making it, whether or not it will redound to his own good and profit. So in this proposed celebration, would the citizens of the state be justified in making a judicious, reasonable expenditure along this line? I for one unhesitatingly say yes; that a reasonable amount in honest hands, judiciously expended, for various reasons, would bring to its citizens a rich reward.

“As is well known in events of this kind that have gone before, Indiana has not been represented as she should have been, or in away either worthy or creditable to her. It is with no great amount of state pride that Indianians call to mind her exhibit at the world’s fair, and the same thing could be said of her at the International Exposition at New Orleans in 1885. Yet in the face of this, what might be termed “incomplete exhibits," we are told that sho carried away as many or more first awards, at each place, as any state of the Union. Of this I believe her own citizens are Dot generally aware; neither is the general public aware of the capabilities or possibilities of our state. In the proposed celebration there are two or three objects that should be kept in mind. The first should be to show to the world as strongly as possible (it can not be overdone) what Indiana is., Second, to let her sister states and all nations see her as she was a century ago, as nearly as possible, and then her advancement and achievements through the intervening decades of the century in the world of human endeavor; or, in other words, the great feature of the event should be a retrospective view of the century just then ended—a glance backward showing the progress made by the state in ail branches of science, industry and art. The third and last object of course is to create within the breasts of her own citizens a jnst aud reasonable pride, bring her into closer and more friendly relations with her sister states, as well as to establish better relations with the commercial countries of the earth. For present purposes, what I would say might all be classed under the first object set out — WIIAT INDIANA IS. “The very first thing to be remembered in this is, that within her borders the center of population of the United States rests, thereby making her eligible and available to more people, to give such an exhibit, than any other state of the union. Standing as she does in . this great sisterhood of states sixth in point of .population and wealth, her own citizens know that in several particular advantages she takes still higher rank than this. Nowhere on earth do I believe they have a better or more productive soil than may be found here in Indiana, one capable of produc ing a greater number or variety of prod nets of equal quantity and excellence. Another thing to be said in its favor is its great lasting qualities. Many of her great fertile fields that have been in cultivation and yielding their bounteous harvests for one-half, three-fourths, or almost the entire century, are today producing as much or more and better products than a half century ago, and that, too, in the face of but a comparatively small outlay in the way of fertilizers. “This point I would have brought out as strongly as possible by way of exhibit of all her products in the shape of grain, vegetables, fruit 3, eto. Follow-

sands of people have passed over this great central state, going to the west and the northwest seeking a home, not think ing it worth while to even stop and see what we had in Indiana. They went farther and purchased poorer and dearer land. “We have now better railroad transportation than any of them. But a few counties have one railroad and most of them several. Onr excellent gravel roads enable the farmer to haul heavy loads of the nrodnet of his farm to a mg this would come her timber, her re sources and possibilities in that line; her great coal fields, employing thousands of men, and sending the product throughout the country; her stone quarries, of which there are none richer or better, or of finer quality, being used in almost every city of the east as well as in other directions; her great natural gas fields, furnishing light and fuel to her citizens, as well as inviting the manufacturer from every quarter of the globe; her great school system,of which there is none better; her manufactories and manufactured goods, embracing articles used in almost every quarter of the civilized earth. All these things, and many others too numerous to be called out here, that the occasion itself would develop as it took shape, that would represent some point of interest and value and as well be a credit to the state, should and would be called out and given prominence in an exposition of this kind. Having so many natural advantages, as was said at the outset, and that she had not been truly and properly represented in expositions in which she had taken part, I certainly think a celebration might be made that would return to her citizens many fold. In doing all this, as said before, I would favor no reckless or lavish expenditure of money, but only in safe, judicious investment, making a part, at least, of her exposition permanent, by preserving everything possible of all that was best in every department in some suitable building erected especially for that purpose—a state museum, as it were—and as the years went on adding thereto, as strides in the arts, sciences and industries are made. This would enable future generations to look back with some degree of comprehension upon the great advancement of Indiana territory.”