110 Transactions of tee American Institute. 



CLOSING ADDRESS. 



By Dr. Jambs Knight, Chairman op the Board op Managers. 



Ladies and Gentlemen. — The fortieth industrial exhibition of the 

 American Institute is now about to close, after a most successful 

 career of fifty days, presenting to the public one of the largest and 

 most valuable collections of products of American industry. To the 

 great regret of the Board of Managers, the still too limited space for 

 exhibition (no doubt to the astonishment of the casual observer, seem- 

 ing impossible, since 93,220 square feet is the present dimension of the 

 structures) compelled them most reluctantly to refuse many valu- 

 able articles presented for exhibition. So popular and desirable have 

 these exhibitions become, they afford facilities for exposition exceed- 

 ing any other that we know of. About 300,000 visitors have 

 attended this exhibition ; and, for their inspection, profit and 

 information, 1,330 entries of goods were received, many of them of 

 extraordinary merit and value. This suggests the existing necessity 

 for their continuance, if possible without great pecuniary loss to the 

 American Institute, and invites assistance from whatever source it is 

 to be obtained. These exhibitions are held at a large outlay, requir- 

 ing the most careful management aud scrutiny of expenditure. This 

 is an impressive consideration for the friends of the American Institute, 

 for thus both exhibitors and. visitors are benefited ; the one in remu- 

 neration from publicity, tending directly to the sale of their com- 

 modities, and the other from the knowledge obtained as to the 

 benefits they may derive from the great improvements in all that 

 pertains to comfort and the lessening of physical labor, and as to 

 where such improvements may be purchased. 



"Were it not for these expositions, useful products would, in many 

 instances, be only known to a very limited extent, which is very dis- 

 discouraging to their inventors ; and, because of their limited means to 

 manufacture, they having expended, in many instances, in experiment- 

 ing, all their means ; at the completion of their inventions, not being 



