New York at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, St. Louis 1904 Part 4

CHIEFS OF DEPARTMENTS

At the meeting of the Commission held in June, 1903, the following chiefs of departments were appointed:

Charles H. Vick, of Rochester, Superintendent of Horticulture and Floriculture, to take effect July 1, 1903, at a salary of $2,000 per annum.

J. H. Durkee, of Florida, Superintendent of Agriculture, to take effect July 1, 1903, at a salary of $2,000 per annum.

DeLancey M. Ellis, of Rochester, Director of Education, to take effect June 15, 1903, at a salary of $2,000 per annum.

Later Mr. Ellis's t.i.tle was changed to Director of Education and Social Economy, and he was placed in charge of the exhibits in the latter department in addition to those of the Department of Education.

APPROPRIATIONS FOR EXHIBITS

The following appropriations were made for exhibits:

Horticulture and Floriculture $20,000 Agriculture, including live stock and dairy products 25,000 Education 20,000 Social Economy: State Commission in Lunacy $1,800 State Board of Charities 1,200 State Department of Prisons 2,000 State Department of Labor 1,000 Craig Colony for Epileptics 500 General expenses 1,000 ------- $7,500 Forest, Fish and Game 18,000 Scientific 7,500 Fine Arts 10,000 ------- Total $108,000

In the departments of Agriculture, Horticulture, and Education and Social Economy the work was placed in charge of the chiefs above named.

The Scientific exhibit was placed in charge of the Director of the State Museum. All of the above exhibits were subject to the supervisory control of the chief executive officer. The Forest, Fish and Game exhibit was placed under direct control of the chief executive officer, valuable a.s.sistance being rendered, however, by the Forest, Fish and Game Commission.

The Fine Arts exhibit was provided for in the following resolution:

"_Resolved_, that Mr. W. H. Low, of the Society of American Artists; Mr. H. W. Watrous, of the National Academy of Design; Mr. J.

Carroll Beckwith, a member of the Art Commission of the city of New York; Mr. Louis Loeb, of the Society of Ill.u.s.trators; Mr. Frank C.

Jones, delegate to the Fine Arts Federation from the National Academy of Design; Mr. Grosvenor Atterbury, of the Architectural League of New York, and Mr. Herbert Adams, of the National Sculpture Society, be named as an executive committee on art for the State of New York, whose duty it shall be to aid the chief executive officer of this Commission to develop the New York State art exhibit at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, said executive committee to serve without expense to this Commission."

By means of the various agencies provided for the preparation of exhibits, the work was pushed forward as rapidly as possible, the Commission keeping in touch with its progress through monthly reports filed with the chief executive officer by the heads of various departments.

a.s.sISTANCE BY EXPOSITION OFFICERS

By the time the Commission held its meeting in St. Louis in December s.p.a.ce had been a.s.signed for most all of the State exhibits. There was an evident disposition on the part of the Exposition Company to do all in their power to a.s.sist the State of New York in making its partic.i.p.ation an unqualified success. In appreciation of this att.i.tude the following resolution was pa.s.sed at the meeting held in the city of St. Louis in December:

"_Resolved_, that the members of the New York Commission desire to express to the president of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition Company and the heads of the various departments with whom they have been brought in personal contact, their appreciation of the delightful courtesy extended them. It is obvious that there is a desire on the part of the Exposition authorities to facilitate the departmental work of New York in connection with the Exposition. We cannot fail to express our admiration of the gigantic task which the officers of this great international fair have carried to such a successful culmination. In the entire history of expositions, there has been evidenced no greater progress, and such work could not have been accomplished save through the most prodigious efforts on the part of the projectors of this vast enterprise. When St. Louis opens her exposition gates next year, it will be to invite the world to witness the greatest exposition in all history. And be it further

"_Resolved_, that the secretary be instructed to forward a copy of this resolution to President Francis and the heads of the various departments of the Exposition."

NEW YORK DAY

The Commission took considerable care in the choosing of a day to be known as "New York Day." It was considered important that a date should be named upon which it would be possible for the Governor to be present.

Moreover it seemed essential that no date during the heat of the summer should be designated, as but few New Yorkers would be apt to be present at St. Louis at that time, and, therefore, after mature consideration, October fourth was designated as New York State Day.

The Legislature of 1904 pa.s.sed an additional appropriation of $40,000, by chapter 640, which is given below:

CHAPTER 640, LAWS OF 1904

An act, to make an additional appropriation to provide for the representation of the state of New York at the Louisiana purchase exposition at Saint Louis, Missouri.

[Became a law May 9, 1904, with the approval of the Governor.

Pa.s.sed, three-fifths being present.]

_The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and a.s.sembly, do enact as follows_:

Section 1. The sum of forty thousand dollars, or so much thereof as may be necessary, in addition to the money heretofore appropriated, is hereby appropriated out of any moneys in the treasury, not otherwise appropriated, for the purpose of providing for the representation of the state of New York at the Louisiana purchase exposition at Saint Louis, Missouri. The money hereby appropriated shall be applicable to the purposes specified in chapter four hundred and twenty-one of the laws of nineteen hundred and two, as amended by chapter five hundred and forty-six of the laws of nineteen hundred and three, and shall be paid out in accordance with the provisions of such act, by the treasurer on the warrant of the comptroller issued upon a requisition signed by the president and secretary of the commission, accompanied by an estimate of the expenses for the payment of which the money so drawn is to be applied.

*--*2. This act shall take effect immediately.

This made possible the elaboration of some of the plans which the Commission had in mind.

HISTORY OF THE EXPOSITION PERIOD

The history of the Exposition period will be found in other chapters of this report. A description of the State building, detailed accounts of the dedicatory exercises and the exercises upon State Day, as well as other important functions, are given. The exhibits in the various departments are fully described, and the results of the inspection by the juries are given.

Throughout the entire life of the Commission death did not enter its ranks, nor the ranks of its attaches, nor did any untoward incident arise, although early in the morning of November twenty-first a catastrophe was narrowly averted. In the middle of the night a fire was found smouldering in the bas.e.m.e.nt of the building, which, through the prompt action of the watchman on duty, was extinguished without doing extensive damage. Many were asleep in the building at the time, and but for the presence of mind and courage of those on duty the consequences might have been too fearful to contemplate.

DISPOSITION OF EXHIBITS

At a meeting of the Commission, held just before the close of the Exposition, the following resolution was pa.s.sed:

"_Resolved_, that the Louisiana Purchase Exposition Commission of the State of New York hereby authorizes the Secretary and Chief Executive Officer, Charles A. Ball, to turn over to the Lewis and Clark Exposition Commission of the State of New York any of the exhibits, or such part thereof as the latter may desire in the various exhibit departments working under the auspices of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition Commission of the State of New York for the use of said Lewis and Clark Exposition Commission, State of New York, with the proviso that in the case of individual exhibits forming a part of said exhibits the Lewis and Clark Exposition Commission, State of New York, must get the consent of the owners of said exhibits and relieve the Commission of all responsibility relating thereto and return said individual exhibits to their owners at the close of the Lewis and Clark Exposition, it being understood, however, that said Lewis and Clark Exposition Commission must take possession of these exhibits not later than December 15, 1904."

Upon requisition from the latter Commission the Secretary and Chief Executive Officer turned over to the Lewis and Clark Exposition Commission the following material: The complete exhibit of the State in the departments of Education and Social Economy; the complete exhibit in the Department of Forestry, Fish and Game, with the exception of the Log-cabin and the Forest Nursery and a portion of the State exhibits in the departments of Mines and Metallurgy and Agriculture.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT TO PRESIDENT FRANCIS AND OTHERS

President Francis and the Exposition officials generally throughout the entire Exposition period extended to the Commission every courtesy and evinced a hearty interest in the work of New York, endeavoring to further the interests of the Commission in every possible direction.

Desiring to express in suitable terms its appreciation of these courtesies the Commission also pa.s.sed the following resolutions at its meeting held at the close of the Exposition:

"WHEREAS, the Empire State is about to close its official connection with this, the greatest of World's Fairs; and,

"WHEREAS, the members of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition Commission of the State of New York, appointed by the Governor, desire to express to the officials of the Fair their sincere appreciation of the hearty co-operation which they have rendered the members of this Commission, in every way facilitating the work of New York in each department of State representation; and,

"WHEREAS, in all of the Commission's relations with the officers of the Exposition, not only has every courtesy been shown the Commission, but there has been a friendly desire to promote their interests; therefore, be it

"_Resolved_, that the cordial thanks of this Commission be extended to the President of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition Commission, Honorable David R. Francis; to the Secretary, Honorable Walter B.

Stevens; to the Director of Exhibits, Honorable Frederick J.V. Skiff; to the Director of Works, Honorable Isaac S. Taylor, and to the chiefs of each exhibit department of the Exposition, with whom the Commission or its representatives have been brought in contact; be it further

"_Resolved_, that these resolutions be spread upon the permanent records of the Commission and a copy of the same forwarded to each of the above named Exposition officials."

COMMENDATION FOR STAFF