Thus inspired, he was deeply engaged in the enterprise from the first. In 1890 he had much to do with securing from Congress the honor of holding the Exposition in Chicago. After it was so decided, he was commissioned to go abroad to promote interest in the Fair—was a director and a member of important committees—Finance, Ways and Means, Foreign Exhibits; and later, in August, 1892, was made President of the Directory and Chairman of the Council of Administration, a body of four, chosen half from the Directory and half from the National Commission created by Congress. This Council was clothed with the full power of all other bodies and committees, and charged with the completion and administration of the Exposition at a time when the treasury was empty and the enterprise was thought to be a failure. During that summer Mr. Marshall Field, Mr. Higinbotham’s partner and head of the firm, was absent in Germany; and he withheld his consent to Mr. Higinbotham’s accepting the Presidency, because he felt that the probable failure of the enterprise would reflect on their business. To convince him, Mr. Higinbotham wrote him the exact status of the Fair, what he thought he could do with it if Mr. Field would consent, and his reluctance to refuse his services at a time of crisis. In regard to this, Mr. Higinbotham has stated: “I remember saying that he would not be glad he lived in Chicago if the Fair was a failure, and his property would not be worth half as much. I also wrote him how many people would attend the Fair and how much we would receive from concessions, estimating about as follows: Admissions, 22,000,000 $11,000,000 Concessions 4,000,000 Residuum, Building Material, etc. 1,000,000 ——————————— $16,000,000 “Then I wrote him that it would cost to complete and administer the Fair 9,000,000 ——————————— and we would have $7,000,000