WISCONSIN AT THE CENTENNIAL. 
359 
Great Britain with colonies, viz.: Queensland, New Zealand, New 
South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, India, Cape of Good Hope, 
Bahamas, British Guiana, Ceylon, Straits Settlements, Gold Coast, 
Mauritius, Seychelles, Archipelago, Tasmania, Trinidad, India, 
Bermuda and .lamaica; Hawaii, Italy, Japan, Siberia, Luxem¬ 
burg, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Orange Free States, Peru, 
Phillippine Islands. Portugal, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, 
Tunis, Turkey and Venezuela. 
LOCATION. 
On the 4th of July, 1873, the commissioners of Fairmount Park 
formally conveyed 230 acres of land, in the most beautiful part of 
the enclosure, for the use of the centennial commission. On the 
4th of July, 1874, ground was first broken for the construction of 
the exhibition buildings. At the opening of the exhibition, 194 
buildings had been erected on the ground. The time for the exhi¬ 
bition to be held was fixed to begin on the 10th of May, 1876, and 
close on the 10th of November of the same year. The matter of 
raising money was a very difficult one. The general prostration of 
business of the country had rendered money scarce, and the people 
could not be induced to invest in the stock as extensively as had 
been hoped; still the work was pressed on with energy-. The man¬ 
agement never lost hope. 
APPEALS TO CONGRESS FOE AID. 
At the commencement of the session of congress, in December, 
1875, a statement was made to that body by the board of finance, 
shov/ing that $5,187,750 had been raised for the purposes of the 
exhibition, and that $1,537,100 was still necessary to carry the 
work through to the opening day, and leave the buildings free from 
debt, and a strong appeal was made to congress for aid. This ap¬ 
peal was responded to, with an appropriation of $1,500,000, on the 
14th of February, 1870. This was the first and only assistance in 
the way of ready means, received from the United States govern¬ 
ment in aid of this magnificent enterprise; and this was appropri¬ 
ated with the understanding that it was to be paid back before any 
profits should be divided — thus making the government, under 
whose auspices the exhibition was held, a preferred creditor. 
