Final Report of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition Commission Part 59

4. Recitation -------------------------------- My Tambourine.

Ida Prophet, Seneca.

5. Vocal Solo --------------------------- Hearts and Flowers.

Oscar Norton, Houp.

6. Oration -------------------------- The Old and New Indian.

Richard Lewis, Pima.

7. Vocal solo ------------------------------------ My Desire.

Bertha Johnson, Pottawatomi.

8. Recitation -------------------------- Flag of the Rainbow.

Esther Parker, Comanche.

9. Recitation ----------------------------- The p.a.w.ned Bible.

Stella Hall, Cherokee.

10. Vocal solo --------------- When the Birds go North Again.

James Arquette, Puyallup.

11. Recitation ------------- Why he Stole the Parson's Sheep.

Iva Miller, Shawnee.

12. Pole drill ------------------------------- Sixteen Girls.

13. Instrumental solo ----------------------------- Selected.

Gertrude Brewer, Puyallup.

The dress parade in the evening was another feature that drew large crowds, and was thoroughly enjoyed by the spectators.

The average daily attendance was about 30,000. On some days it ran as high as 50,000.

Praise of the exhibit has been universal. Distinguished men of nearly every nationality and profession have eulogized it in the highest terms.

It is believed that the Government, by bringing this exhibit to St.

Louis, has given a strong impetus to the work of the Indian Service. The people of the country have seen the progress made by the Indian in the Government schools, and will no longer refuse to give the work their substantial support. It has been said that the true value of the Government Indian exhibit can not be estimated until the years have revealed its fruits.

VERMONT.

The Vermont Building, 50 by 100 feet, was a reproduction of what is claimed to be the second most interesting historic structure in the United States--the old Const.i.tution House at Windsor, where in 1777 the const.i.tution of the State was formulated, a const.i.tution of intense interest from the fact that it was the first in all history to prohibit slavery.

As this State building was a reproduction of a famous old tavern, it was peculiarly appropriate that it should maintain a dining room, and here between one and two thousand people were daily entertained.

The minutes of the const.i.tutional convention were for many years supposed to have been lost, but were quite recently discovered in the Congressional Library at Was.h.i.+ngton, and were elaborately reproduced in facsimile by Senator Proctor.

Thanksgiving Day was the Vermont and Hew Hamps.h.i.+re day at the exposition.

The State commission was composed of the following:

Governor Charles J. Bell, ex officio chairman; W. Seward Webb, president; Arthur C. Jackson, vice-president and executive commissioner; Frederick G. Fleetwood, second vice-president; J.C. Enright, secretary and counsel; F.W. Stanyan, treasurer; Miss Mary Evarts.

The legislature having failed to make an appropriation, Mr. Jackson, a native of Waitsfield, personally raised all the money required for the construction and maintenance of the State building.

Among the elaborate displays were those of private exhibitors in the Machinery Building, marble in the Mines Building, and the granite exhibit in the same building.

VIRGINIA.

During the winter session of 1902 the Virginia legislature by enactment provided $50,000 for an industrial exhibit at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, with the condition that no portion of the sum should be used for a State building. The act provided for three commissioners and five a.s.sistant commissioners, one of whom was named princ.i.p.al a.s.sistant, with duties of superintendent and treasurer. The State commissioner of agriculture was named as one of the commissioners, and the appointment of two was left to the governor, with power vested in the commission to appoint the a.s.sistant commissioners. Governor Montague appointed Col. A.

M. Bowman, of Salem, Va., and J.L. Patton, of Newport News, Va., as commissioners. This commission, in February, 1903, elected Hon. G.W.

Koiner, president, and appointed Hon. George E. Murrell, of Fontella, Va., superintendent, treasurer, and secretary; Hon. W.W. Baker, alternate and second a.s.sistant, and later appointed O.W. Stone, Martinsville, Va., B.C. Banks, Bland, Va., Lyman Babc.o.c.k, of Bay Sh.o.r.e, Va., and J.C. Mercer, of Williamsburg, to complete the executive force.

Mr. Murrell immediately took charge of the work and a.s.sisted by J.C.

Mercer as his secretary and stenographer, with the aid of Mr. Baker, planned the scope and took steps toward the collection of exhibits.

Later, as the force was strengthened, Mr. Stone was given charge of tobacco and peanuts, Mr. Banks of minerals and timber, and Mr. Babc.o.c.k of fish and game.

Exhibits were planned in agriculture, horticulture, forestry, fish and game, mines, and education, and were executed as follows:

In agriculture, exhibits of corn on the stalk, in the ear, and sh.e.l.led, to the extent of 1,000 bushels; grain in sheaf and threshed; peanuts sh.e.l.led and unsh.e.l.led, to the extent of 5,000 pounds; wine, pickles, vegetables, cowpeas, transparencies ill.u.s.trating agricultural scenes, cotton in bales, etc., tobacco in leaf and manufactured products. A pavilion erected in the Agricultural Building was of Moorish architecture, consisting of one central and eight subsidiary pavilions, connected with corn festoons. Corn, tobacco, peanuts, and sheaf grain entered into the decorations on a blue ground, the effect being harmonious. It was accorded the honor of obtaining one of the four grand prizes awarded in State agricultural exhibits. Tobacco was also used as a special exhibit, and was featured by an Indian maiden standing on a pedestal 23 feet high and holding in her outstretched hand a bundle of tobacco. A miniature log cabin advertised a special brand of tobacco.

The horticultural exhibit consisted of an open, three-towered elliptical pavilion and a horn of plenty, apparently pouring apples on a pyramid of natural fruit below. This was made primarily an apple exhibit, more than 800 barrels being used for the purpose. Peaches, melons, pears, cranberries, and other fruits were shown in season.

The forestry, fish, and game exhibit was displayed by the use of sectional disks and boards in the rough, dressed, and polished, and by specimens of fish in natural skins and papier-mache, ill.u.s.trating the leading food fish of Virginia waters. Mounted animals and a very complete collection of mounted water fowls and game birds were displayed. There was also one of the largest collections of oyster models ever made, ill.u.s.trating by means of composition replicas in the natural sh.e.l.l of all the leading types of the Virginia oyster.

Transparencies 28 by 30 were used to ill.u.s.trate forest scenes, while in manufactured goods an interesting display was made. The exhibit booth consisted of a rear facade with brown color scheme, relieved by ornamentation in sh.e.l.ls, fish scales, and forest products, the whole forming an immense picture of Hampton Roads executed in colors.

The installation for the mines and metallurgy exhibit was mediaeval in architecture. A castellated gateway, veneered with copper ores, gypsum, and slate was flanked by a bal.u.s.trade of slate surmounted by onyx b.a.l.l.s.

In the gateway appeared a coal exhibit, representing King Coal seated on a throne and guarded on either side by gnomes. The windows in the rear were screened with transparencies 28 by 34, ill.u.s.trating scenery of the State, while the floor s.p.a.ce was occupied by pyramids of various ores.

The panels of the wall s.p.a.ce were framed in c.o.ke, in which were displayed, in colors, pictures of the upper works of the mines. Between these panels were arranged upright cases containing ores of gold, silver, lead, iron, asbestos, kaolin, mica, clays, zinc, manganese, talc, etc., while exhibits of marble, rough and sculptured, together with cubes of building stones and mineral waters were displayed. The general color scheme was that of copper and iron pyrites. In these four exhibits Virginia occupied a little less than 10,000 square feet of floor, and her exhibits, both by award and public opinion, were adjudged to be among the best. An award was won by every entry made. During the spring of 1903 the Virginia a.s.sembly appropriated $10,000 to be expended by the Commission in the erection of a State building. This sum was augmented by private subscriptions of nearly an equal amount, and an exact replica of Monticello, the home of Jefferson, was erected. In this building, outside of the manual exhibit made in the Education and Social Economy Building, by the Blind, Deaf and Dumb Inst.i.tute of Stanton, all of Virginia's educational exhibit was displayed It consisted of an exhibit valued at over $10,000, made by the University of Virginia. A comprehensive exhibit was made by the Randolph Macon system, and exhibits were made by Roanoke College Hollins Inst.i.tute, and a number of other schools. The building, in addition to its social offerings, provided an interesting historical study through its furnis.h.i.+ngs of articles owned by Jefferson, and was cla.s.sed among the most satisfactory State buildings of the fair.

WAs.h.i.+NGTON.

In March, 1903, Governor McBride, pursuant to the act of the legislature, appointed the following-named gentlemen members of the Was.h.i.+ngton State commission for the Louisiana Purchase Exposition:

A.L. Black, Bellingham; Edward C. Cheasty, Seattle; Thomas Harrington, Buckley; M.E. Hay, Wilbur; G.L. Lindsley, Ridgefield; G.W.R.

Peaslee, Clarkston; R.P. Thomas, Anacortes; W.W. Tolman, Spokane.

At the first meeting of the commission, held in Tacoma April 2, 1903, A.L. Black was elected president of the commission; G.W.R. Peaslee, secretary; and Elmer E. Johnston, of Everett, executive commissioner.

The type of structure selected for the Was.h.i.+ngton State Building at the St. Louis World's Fair was an unique and attractive one, designed primarily to demonstrate the quality, character, and exceeding dimensions of the State's forestry product. It consisted of eight pieces of fir timber 24 inches square and 110 feet long, placed on end at the points of an octagon 90 feet in diameter at the base, five stories in height, the eight timbers surmounted by an observatory carrying a flag pole 60 feet in length. All the material entering into the construction of the State Building was s.h.i.+pped from the State of Was.h.i.+ngton, and was donated to the State by the Northwest Lumber Manufacturers' a.s.sociation.

The market value of said material in Was.h.i.+ngton would be, in round numbers, $8,000. The freight on the material from Was.h.i.+ngton to St.

Louis and the construction of the building amounted to $18,823.10. The unique design and unusual construction features of this building const.i.tuted it at the start one of the features of the exposition construction.

It was photographed by many thousand visitors, ill.u.s.trated in railroad guides as one of the attractions, featured by papers and magazines everywhere, and will probably be distinctly remembered longer by a greater number of people than any other building on the exposition grounds. As a practical exhibit of the State's lumber products it was a tremendous success, and together with its exhibit contents, representing a composite collection of the State's natural products and resources, was a colossal advertis.e.m.e.nt and demonstration of the State's natural wealth.

In addition to the State appropriation, heretofore mentioned, and the donation of lumber material above referred to, various counties in the State expended a total of $15,000 in the maintenance of individual exhibits.

The State of Was.h.i.+ngton installed and maintained throughout the period, in the various cla.s.sified exhibit palaces, comprehensive exhibits of its mines, forestry, fisheries, game, horticulture, agriculture, education, climate, and scenery, and in addition, and supplemental thereto, maintained a composite showing of all these resources in its State building: