Final Report of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition Commission

by Louisiana Purchase Exposition Commission

The agricultural portion of the university exhibit was designed to show the comparative produce of Illinois soils expressed in terms of both crops and animal products. The yields shown were of corn, wheat, oats, beans, potatoes, apples, tomatoes, milk, butter, cheese, port, mutton, and beef.

The actual amount of corn, wheat, apples, and other crops shown was the normal yield of one-hundredth of an acre of standard fertile soil of Illinois. The milk shown was the amount that should be produced from the same amount of land when growing crops suitable for milk production, and the butter and cheese shown were such as could be made from this milk.

A mounted steer, which when living weighed 750 pounds, represented the amount of beef that should be produced from an acre of soil in one year. The same land would produce 10 such sheep as shown, weighing in all 1,100 pounds, or 100 pigs like the roaster shown, or their equivalent, with a total weight of 1,400 pounds.

Incidentally the work in soil improvement was shown by a number of yields from soils naturally deficient in fertility, taken both before and after treatment, and thus showing the benefit of intelligent methods of soil restoration.

The articles contributed by the College of Engineering were arranged in an alcove, partly inclosed by cases of books and for folding frames, on which were placed photographs and diagrams mounted on large cards. A larger case contained the more bulky specimens of the work of students in the engineering shops. Above these cases were placed on the walls enlarged views and some original designs by architectural students.

A large series of good photographs arranged for convenient examination presented views of all buildings occupied by the College of Engineering, especially of their interiors, showing class and drawing-rooms, shops and laboratories, incidentally illustrating much of the equipment of machines and apparatus. A series of large diagrams and tables afforded full information concerning the very remarkable increase in the number of students in attendance during recent years.

The exhibit of the College of Medicine consisted of a large series of normal and pathological specimens and dexterously executed dissections of various portions of the human body. These were mounted so as to show to best advantage the special peculiarities in each case and so as to secure permanent preservation.

Closing up.—The closing up of the business of the commission, the sale of the building, furniture, and exhibits involved considerable work. The commission on two separate occasions advertised the building and furniture for sale, advertisements to that effect appearing in the St. Louis, Chicago, and Springfield papers. Opportunity was given for the people to bid for the building and furnishings as a whole, for them separately, or for any part. About sixty separate bids were received, some for one article only, many for a few pieces of furniture, and a very few for the building or furniture as a whole. Four bids were received for the building, viz, $200, $500, $750, and $1,000, the bids on the building including a provision that all debris from the wrecking of same should be removed and the ground cleared and left as it was originally, all of which involved considerable expense. The bid of the Southern Illinois Construction Company, of East St. Louis, was the highest, including building, furniture, and furnishings, and amounted to $4,250. This bid was accepted. Articles in other exhibits not included were afterwards disposed of and are included in the financial statement, bringing the amount of salvage to over $5,000. This amount seemed small, but was in line with the results of all expositions. At Chicago, with a net appropriation of $662,000 and with a building and furnishings costing $277,000, the total amount realized from the sale of buildings and furnishings was $3,926.50. At Omaha and Buffalo the amounts realized were less than $1,000.

INDIANA.

On March 9, 1903, the legislature of the State of Indiana appropriated the sum of $150,000 for the necessary expenses of the participation of Indiana at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition. At the same time the governor of the State was authorized and directed to appoint a commission of fifteen persons, not more than nine of whom were to be of the same political party.