Governor Bates appointed as the board of managers having the appropriation in charge Dr. George Harris, of Amherst; Mrs. Sears and Mrs. May Alden Ward, of Boston; Thomas B. Fitzpatrick, of Brookline, and Hon. Wilson W. Fairbank, of Warren. Doctor Harris was elected president of the board; Mrs. Sears, vice-president, and Mrs. Ward, recording secretary. To Mr. Harris was assigned the department of education; to Mrs. Sears, art; to Mrs. Ward, history, and to Messrs. Fitzpatrick and Fairbank, finance. Mrs. Sears, Mrs. Ward, and Mr. Fairbank were chosen to serve as the building committee. The board appointed James M. Perkins, of Boston, secretary and George E. Gay, of Malden, educational director.
The State Building at St. Louis was designed by C. Howard Wattset., of Boston, and the cost, including the furnishings and the grading of the grounds, was about $32,000. The building was of colonial style, embodying as many features as possible of the Bulfinch front of the Massachusetts statehouse. The reception hall on the first floor resembled in part the old senate chamber in the statehouse, and the room above, the historical hall, was like the present senate chamber. Most of the furniture in the building was secured from the statehouse by Senator Fairbank, to whom a large part of Massachusetts's success at the fair was due.
In the historical room of the building was a very fine collection of historical relics. Mrs. Ward, who was assisted by Miss Helen A. Whittier, of Lowell, had charge of this exhibit. There were no other exhibits in the State Building, but Massachusetts was well represented in the different exhibit palaces, and in the Educational Building had an exhibit that cost $30,000.
MICHIGAN.
The governor of the State of Michigan appointed the following named persons as commissioners to the Louisiana Purchase Exposition:
Governor Aaron T. Bliss, ex officio member; Frederick B. Smith,
president; Austin Farrell, vice-president; Roy S. Barnhart, treasurer;
Hal H. Smith, secretary; William A. Hurst, assistant secretary; D. Aaron
R. Ingram, Charles P. Downey.
The act which authorized the governor to appoint the commission authorized also the expenditure of $50,000 for the purpose of Michigan's representation at the exposition.
The Michigan State Building was situated at the corner of Federal avenue and Government terrace. The building occupied 80 by 130 feet, and was of colonial renaissance architecture. It rose to the height of two stories and was surrounded by wide porches and terraces. Immediately in front and center four fluted stately columns supported the porch around the entire building. French windows were used on both floors, and their effect was emphasized and enhanced by the use of arches on the lower porch. The whole was painted white and colonial cream.
The interior of the building was divided into a large reception hall, which was flanked on either side by double parlors. The decorations were of green and yellow in quiet tints. From the center of the main assembly hall an imposing staircase was raised to a landing and then to the second floor. The second floor was arranged in a large assembly room, which was decorated with scenes in green and filled with light wicker furniture. At the one side was a writing room, finished in weathered or mission furniture, and decorated with scenes of the resort sections of Michigan; on the other side were the private apartments of the commissioners.
The hangings of the rooms were in quiet tones, harmonizing with the wall tints. The floors were of hard maple throughout, and were covered with attractive and beautiful rugs. The building was erected at a cost of $14,000. The furniture and fittings cost approximately $5,000.