We find—this is confidential—the World’s Fair directors in the utmost perplexity. I believe that they would be very glad to give up the project if they could. We have been studying one question only and have studied with all our might: What could be done with the marsh land in Jackson Park? We made our report today and it was very well received being much more favorable than they had anticipated. We could give them 112 acres of building space there without cost to them. But they want and are pledged to provide a great deal more, and it has been supposed that they wd get it on the “Lake front.” The chances tonight are that they will fail to get it—because of difficulties of title. Then Jackson Park will not nearly do. We are rather inclining to go north to a sand dune country four miles out. There are serious objections to it but no where else can the necessary space be obtained as far as appears to us at prest. We are to report with maps to a general meeting tomorrow night. They seem well inclined to appoint us L. A. to the Directors and put all the horticl preparations into our hands but no one can say what a day will bring forth. There is small chance of our getting away this week, I fear.

A long report appeared in several papers yesterday of an interview with us, in which we were quoted as expressing several opinions and much enthusiasm. I sent a short note to all the papers of the city stating that we had declined to say anything for publication, that we had not yet formed an opinion & when we had should give it to the Directors of the Fair. The man who wrote the report came to us in great contrition, said he was likely to be discharged for it, talked about his mother & wanted us to intercede for him. Said he was only trying to meet the public demand and it seemed to him likely that if he could see us we would say about what he imputed to us. He had never seen us and evy word of the report was false—purely a work of the imagination.

Howard Walker sent his card but we were engaged with the Directors and could not see him. He was to go on to Omaha tonight.

Several people have called & we have lots of invitations but have been too driven so far to see any one except on business of the Fair.

The chances are so good of our getting an important commission if we are here at the right time and the chance of missing if we are not here when they come to any conclusion are so great that I think we shall feel it necessary to stay until something is accomplished. Make your calculations accordingly. Get another draughtsman at work if you can—If we get this we shall want to double our force at once. We are going to use Burnham & Root’s force for our drawing tomorrow.