Rensselaer Journal, Volume 11, Number 13, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 September 1901 — The St. Louis Exposition. [ARTICLE]

The St. Louis Exposition.

The of Works for the Louisiana Purchase exposition at St. Louis announces that ground is to be broken in a few days and that before the end of November the contracts will have been let for nearly $6,000,000 worth of work. It is expected that the entire cost of the exposition will exceed $30,000,000, in which case it will surpass all previous enterprises of this nature. The Forest Park tract of 1,100 acres, set apart for the fair, is picturesque and beautiful to a rare degree, and no less than 610 acres are to be occupied by buildings and other attractions. The plans are already sufficiently matured to make it evident that the St. Louis people are determined to eclipse even the World’s Columbian exposition. The World’s Fair in Chicago cost for construction $18,300,000, of which $5,000,000 was appropriated by the City of Chicago, $5,604,000 was secured by the sale of stock, and $2,488,000 came from the sale of the souvenir coins contributed by the national government. While Chicago had $13,000,000 raised before the gates opened, St. Louis already has $16,000,000 in sight. That city is fortunate in having an appropriation of $5,d00,000 from congress. Chicago got only £he souvenir coins. The City of St. Louis has appropriated $5,000,000, the same amount Chicago gave, but the State of Missouri has voted $1,000,000. Illinois gave no such sum to the Chicago Fair. Finally, the subsciptions to date are said to exceed $5,000,000.