58 



At R future nieetinp: a majority of the committee beint: present, this matter 

 was apaiii taken up, and upon a further examination of the ^jround, a sug- 

 Restiun led us to discciyer that by buihling the drive alonir the bottom of the 

 ravine the expense would be lif^ht and it would remove from siyht a some- 

 what ugly loukinp diteh which was little more than a catch basin for blowinjj 

 papers, weeds and other debris, only to be cleaned and purified by a sharp 

 rain, which was the only time the ditch was ever known to contain water. 

 The committee approved of the plan and ordered the drive made, thereby 

 adding another new and rustic feature to the Illinois State Fair Kfounds. 



In consideration of walks, three kinds were sujfffested— cinders, cement 

 and brick. The only recommendation we could find in cinder walks was its 

 cheapness, the only cost of which, after the bnd had been prepared, was the 

 cost of hauling. Although this cost was trifling in comparison with other 

 walks, it was considered a cheap affair after it was put in place, being but 

 one step in advance of no walks at all. But when shown that the bed lor the 

 cinder walk was the same as the bed for the cement walk, that cinder walk 

 was simply a foundation without further expense for a future cement walk, 

 that the preparation for the bed and hauling and placing of the cinders could 

 all be done by our own teams and men without expert help, it was not only 

 considered a wise step, but a cheap walk in the right sense, and the right thin(? 

 to do in places where a cement walk was not necessary for immediate use. 

 Therefore a cinder walk was ordered along the south side of the drive lead- 

 ing east from the dining halls to the drive west of the east gate. 



A cinder drive 16 feet wide was ordered put in place, extending to the east 

 from the north door on the east side of the Dome Building to the drive west 

 •f Machinery Hall, parallel with and 100 feet north of the west extension of 

 said hall, which was constructed by our own men and teams. 



For permanent walks the committee considered brick and cement; the ma- 

 jority seemed to favor brick on account of the difference in cost, the brick 

 being about one third that of cement, but upon examining the brick walks 

 already in place on the ground, being south of the grand stand and at both 

 ends of the iron viaduct, it was discovered that the interstices between the 

 bricks were well filled with vegetation, grass and weeds, the destruction of 

 which became a serious question, there being insufficient travel upon the 

 walks to prevent this growth. For this reason brick walks were discarded 

 from the grounds except under cover. 



Under the canopy around the south end of Machinery Hall the committee 

 ordered a brick floor laid, with two short walks connecting with the two gates 

 at the railroad platform, all of which is under cover except the two short 

 walks. 



In the discussion of where cement walks were necessary, it was plainly 

 evident that the equinoctial storms during the previous fair had not been for- 

 (fotten, for suggestions were made, you might say, to builil walks all over the 



f:rounds. The most prominent of these we-e as follows: A walk to tie east 

 rom the main entrance to the west end of the street car platform; a walk to 

 the east and north from the east end of the platform to the south door of the 

 Dome Building; a walk from the north door of the Dome Building to the 

 walk on the north side of the drive in front of the Woman's Building; a walk 

 along the south side of this drive leading Irom this walk last described, 

 westerly along in front of the dining halls to the cattle barns, passing in 

 front of the new Coliseum Building; a walk from the east door, thence around 

 the northern side of the Coliseum Building to the west door thereof; a walk 

 along the east side of the drive, from the northwest corner of the Dome 

 Building block (east of the dining halls), thence south to the walk from the 

 Dome Building to the Exposition Building; a walk from the north door on 

 the west side of the Dome Building to the walk on the east side of the drive 

 east of the Exposition Building; and a walk from the west end of the iron 

 viaduct to the Poultry Building. 



Plans and specifications were drawn for about one-third of these walks, 

 and bids advertised for. 



