69 



ADDRESS— AIR. 



JONATHAN PERIAM, Editor 'Prairie Farmer," Chicago. 

 Mr. President, Ladies, and Gentlemen of the Associa- 

 tion : 



I doubt if I can say much that will interest you to- 

 night, but I do want to tell vou about a remarkable 

 thing that happened in the City of Chicago within the 

 last two days, something that never has occurred before 

 in this country since it was founded. Congress ad- 

 journed to meet the gentlemen of a Western city, and 

 they were well taken care of. I had the honor to be 

 on the reception committee, and I want to tell you a 

 little in regard to what is being- done on that 610 acres 

 of ground that in 1893 will show the nations of the 

 world the grandest production that has ever been been, 

 eclipsing anything that has ever happened. Of course, 

 these Congressional visitors were well taken care of by 

 the City of Chicago. They were the hosts, and these 

 people were carried all through those grounds in what 

 they called observation cars. They were dirt cars with 

 canvas nicely put* over them so as to make them look 

 clean. They were backed here and there all the way 

 through on the railroad tracks that had been placed 

 in there to get material together. The Woman's build- 

 ing is complete, virtually. The other buildings are 

 getting along magnificently, too. The main building is a 

 most astonishing thing ; covers over thirty acres of land. 

 Some people there thought that the roof could never 

 be put on, but Mr. Burnham, the chief of construction, 

 remarked that it was only a question of money. I 

 was glad to see that the Illinois State building was 

 going up well to its second story. Now, when I think 



