Final Report of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition Commission

by Louisiana Purchase Exposition Commission

While the exhibits of mining and building materials were kept separate financially, they were practically combined in one exhibit in the Palace of Mines and Metallurgy. No scientific display was attempted, and the plan of installation was severely simple.

Minnesota has but one mineral in such abundance as to be a great financial asset, but in that one—iron—it produces over half the output of the Lake Superior region, which alone of the United States iron fields produces any considerable quantity of ore of a quality required for manufacturing Bessemer steel. The analysis of the ores and names of the mines were given on the samples, which were shown in nearly 100 large glass jars. A chart of the Mesaba range; a large map of the State, showing the location of the mineral lands; two groups of photographic views of working mines and mining methods, in frames 3 by 10 feet in size, with statistical charts. These constituted the wall display. On the floor was a model, 11 feet square, of the Fayal, the greatest producing mine in the world. This showed all the mining processes and every detail of shaft house, ore dumps, cars, tracks, steam shovels, telegraph lines, etc., in and about the mines.

The stone exhibit was also a practical one. It showed the more marketable varieties as they appear in actual use. There were five large wall pieces of granite, one of Winona stone, one of pipestone, and one of Frontenac stone. Inclosing two sides of the floor space, which was 36 by 54 feet, was a low wall of stone, with two entrances. The shorter wall was of polished granite from the St. Cloud quarries, showing all the more distinct varieties—gray, mottled, black, red, and brown. The wall on the longer side, beginning with a corner post and extending to the entrances, was of polished red granite, with a panel of Minnesota marble. On either side of the side entrance, were high posts of Kettle River sandstone, handsomely carved, and the rest of the wall was of this stone combined in part with the Twin City brick.

An elaborate game and fish display was determined upon in the Game and Fisheries Building. Every inducement was held out by the company, and an especial effort was made for this exhibit. It pledged, among other things, that pure refrigerated water would be furnished for the fish. The board consulted in this department the State game and fish chief, Mr. Samuel Fullerton, who extended all the assistance possible. Eighty-four feet of aquaria were put in, and it is indisputable that they were the best built, most practical, and best arranged in the building. At the close of the fair the Pacific Coast Association offered $1,000 in cash for them where they were, or nearly one-third of their cost. They were planned to show not only the State's trout and small fish, but the large game fish that are found there. As it was, splendid specimens were shipped to St. Louis in the fish car of the Pennsylvania commission, loaned without charge for that purpose. The fish arrived on Minnesota Day under the personal care of Mr. Fullerton and one of his wardens and of three Pennsylvanians, expert in such work. The fish were in splendid condition, and they included wall-eyed pike, pickerel, muskellunge, bass of all varieties, and great northern pike that experts said were larger than had ever before been sent anywhere for exhibition purposes. There were also rare specimens of trout, including the white trout that are a Minnesota specialty. The fish, except the trout, were successfully transferred to the State's tank that evening. By morning only three were alive, and these died during the day. The trout were not tanked at all, but were turned over to the United States authorities, who were glad to get them because of their rarity. The responsibility for this failure rests with the Exposition Company. The water supplied was not from wells, but was the muddy Missouri River water clarified by the alum process, which is fatal to fish. It was also entirely too warm, no attempt to keep the promise of refrigeration having been made. After this disaster the board refused to bring more fish until the company should fulfill its pledge, which it never did. Minnesota's experience was shared by Pennsylvania and Missouri, the only other States prepared to make large live fish displays.

The failure of the St. Louis Fair officials to provide proper water caused a difference in the board finances of nearly $2,000. The board had secured subscriptions from six different towns in the fishing regions of the State toward the payment for the aquaria, the idea being to stock the aquaria with fish from the lakes near the towns that subscribed, and to give them proper individual credit. When the possibility of keeping the fish alive was realized the board promptly released them from their obligations, but it was too late to save the appropriation made through reliance upon the plans and promises of the exposition.

The game exhibit had a large space adjoining that occupied by the aquarium. It was at the principal entrance to the building. The larger part of the space was covered by a realistic scene from the northern woods—the State game region. A pine forest was shown with a rocky embankment at the side, while opposite was a birch opening. Breaking through this opening and represented as scenting danger were three moose—two bucks and a cow—that were the finest specimens of the great game animals in the building. Elsewhere in the scene was a family of three red deer; also very handsome caribou, black bears, wolves, foxes, porcupines, grouse, prairie chicken, owls, etc. The background of the scene was a distant lake view, and with effective lighting it was conceded to be among the most novel exhibits in the building. No other scenic reproduction was more complete. Adjoining this scene was a smaller space filled with moose and deer heads and mounted fish. The walls were draped with fish nets, and a large map of the State showed the railroads, summer resorts, and lakes.

MISSISSIPPI.

In compliance with the very general demand of the press and people, the legislature of Mississippi, in 1902, appropriated $50,000 for the purpose of securing and installing the products, resources, industries, and enterprises of the State at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition. This was the first appropriation ever made by Mississippi for a World's Fair. The bill providing for the State exhibits created a State exposition bureau of five members, specifying that the governor should be ex officio president and name his four associates, the following being the personnel of the bureau: J.K. Vardaman, ex officio chairman; Dr. O.B. Quinn, chairman; Frank Burkitt, secretary; L.H. Enochs; V.P. Still.

At the first meeting of the bureau Col. R.H. Henry, of Jackson, was elected executive commissioner, and was charged with the duty of canvassing the State, with a view of procuring the exhibits. He visited all parts of Mississippi, delivered exposition addresses in the different counties, and urged upon the people the importance of making the best exhibit possible at the exposition. He devoted two years to the work.

The legislature of 1904 made an additional appropriation of $10,000 under the administration of Governor James K. Vardaman, who succeeded Governor Longino as president of the exposition bureau. Several counties also made appropriations, as did some of the factories and mills of the State, the total appropriation aggregating about $62,000.