Final Report of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition Commission Part 49

Cator, H.J. McGrath; Samuel K. Dennis, secretary.

A further appropriation of $40,000 was made, giving the commission a total of $65,000. Through the systematic, scientific work of the Maryland geological survey the commission had at hand the basis of an excellent exhibit for the Palace of Mines. After vicissitudes of various kinds, chiefly those occasioned by the great fire in Baltimore, the Maryland Building was finished and opened on June 8. The total cost of the building was $18,402.70. It was of a modern cla.s.sic design, very boldly treated. In plan it was a parallelogram 100 feet long by 40 feet wide, with a recess on the front 10 by 55 feet, forming a loggia, which was richly decorated in color (the only such external color scheme on the grounds), supported by six columns of the composite order 25 feet high, carrying a cornice and bal.u.s.trade above. The Maryland State arms were the central feature over the main entrance. At either end there were large semicircular porches, supported on Ionic columns, which made the total length of the building over all 140 feet. The site was an ideal one, close to the New York and other State buildings and on the direct route from the Inside Inn to the center of the grounds. The building was surrounded by a beautiful oak grove, and was on gently rising ground. Inside the cla.s.sic feeling was maintained. On entering through the loggia one found an imposing hall 55 feet long by 25 feet high. The color scheme of this room was golden brown, with a lighter shade of the same for the vaulted ceiling. Portraits of great value, taken from the statehouse at Annapolis, as well as one of his eminence Cardinal Gibbons, lent an air of dignity. Other rooms on the ground floor were: On the left a picture room, where a large number of framed photographs of Maryland scenery, buildings, and objects of interest were hung, and back of this a lunch room and pantry, for use on reception days. At the other end of the building there was a drawing room, with a room at the back which was used as a men's smoking room, with toilet attached. A stairway led from this part of the building to the ladies'

boudoir, which also had toilet attached, and to a ladies' drawing-room.

The second story, at the other end of the building, had a good room fitted up for the gentleman in charge of the building. Mr. Albert Jones, of Baltimore, and Mrs. Parks Fisher, of Baltimore, dispensed hospitality in true Maryland style, and made many friends for the State among the many visitors who came daily to the building. Upon Mrs. Fisher devolved much of the responsibility of making the building popular, and she was careful to have a few representative ladies of old Maryland families established in St. Louis to a.s.sist her in entertaining those who came.

To Mrs. Fisher is due much of the credit for the taste and judgment used in furnis.h.i.+ng the building.

The exhibit of Maryland's mineral resources in the Mines and Metallurgy Building covered an area of nearly 3,000 square feet of floor s.p.a.ce, together with about 4,000 square feet of wall and window s.p.a.ce. The mineral products were as follows:

Coals, building and decorative stones, ores, clays and clay products (including pottery, tile, terra cotta, fancy and common brick, fire brick, enameled brick, retorts and stove linings), limestones, sands, cement rocks, flints, feldspars, marls, tripoli, barites, soapstones, etc. All of the leading operators and manufacturers in the State took part in the display, some of them supplying large collections of materials. In addition to the exhibit of mineral products there was an extensive systematic collection representing the geology, mineralogy, and paleontology of the State, displayed in a series of plate-gla.s.s, cases on the walls. In this exhibit the numerous materials found at the various geological horizons were displayed, the object of the exhibit being to show the great variety of geological formations represented in Maryland.

The Maryland agricultural exhibit occupied a s.p.a.ce 90 by 20 feet. A feature intended to ill.u.s.trate the varied conditions, crops, and methods found in the northern and southern sections of the State, quite foreign to each other, were the two barn scenes, located at each end and on the wall side of the block. The corn exhibit, consisting of samples of ten ears each, was displayed in a handsome case 4 by 12 feet, protected by plate gla.s.s. Each sample was tied with orange and black ribbon, with the names and addresses of the growers attached. A second corn exhibit was made in a special exhibit in the, middle aisle of this mammoth building.

Here were displayed the four staples--tobacco, sugar, cotton, and corn.

The tobacco exhibit was displayed in a case of like construction and proportions to that occupied by the corn, and located at the opposite end and in front of the "Southern Maryland Barn." It made an attractive showing of the planters' tobacco from both southern Maryland and Frederick County. A special tobacco exhibit was also made in the middle aisle on a s.p.a.ce 20 feet square. In the center stood a giant Indian on a pedestal over 7 feet high, with a long-stemmed pipe in his mouth and a horn of plenty on his left arm, from which the manufactured products of the weed fell to the ground. The whole was apparently built of tobacco.

The canned-goods industry was in evidence in this section to the right and left of the "Springhouse." Placed against the wall, which was covered with black cloth, were three pyramids of cans of peas, corn, and tomatoes.

Ma.s.sACHUSETTS.

That Ma.s.sachusetts might be creditably represented at the St. Louis Exposition the Commonwealth appropriated $100,000.

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 a.s.signed 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 furnis.h.i.+ngs 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 Ma.s.sachusetts 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 Ma.s.sachusetts'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 a.s.sisted by Miss Helen A.

Whittier, of Lowell, had charge of this exhibit. There were no other exhibits in the State Building, but Ma.s.sachusetts 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, a.s.sistant 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 a.s.sembly hall an imposing staircase was raised to a landing and then to the second floor. The second floor was arranged in a large a.s.sembly 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.

The agricultural exhibit comprised an extensive collection of samples of different varieties of pease and beans; a large exhibit of seeds; an exhibit of grains in stalk, tastefully arranged; an exhibit of grains and corn; also a cabinet of pickled goods; a large exhibit of salt; condensed-milk products; a complete exhibit in season of vegetables from different counties of Michigan. The sugar-beet industry was represented by samples of beets and of sugar in its various processes. The maple-sirup industry of Michigan and the pepper industry were likewise represented by cabinets containing samples of the products. This exhibit was installed, complete, on a s.p.a.ce 40 by 40 feet.

The horticultural exhibit comprised a s.p.a.ce covering 2,500 square feet of tables. For its first installation there were used 100 bushels of apples grown in 1903, which had been kept in cold storage for this, purpose. It comprised a collection of over 100 varieties of Michigan fruit. With the coming of 1904 fruit, a complete exhibit of fresh apples was installed from time to time, comprising over 150 varieties of apples, requiring as many as 1,500 plates at one time, with many varieties of grapes, peaches, plums, pears, quinces, and cherries. A.

large exhibit was also made of small fruit, raspberries, strawberries, currants, and huckleberries. The exhibits were made by individuals, by counties, and by local fair a.s.sociations of the State.

The forestry exhibit was collected through the generosity and contributions of a committee. It was a complete exhibit of Michigan lumber, showing the rough log and the finished board, both in lumber and in transverse sections. There were also displayed samples of the different products which are manufactured from the log, such as shoe-last blocks, wooden utensils, paper, paper pulp, etc., and there was also an extensive collection of photographs of forestry scenes and lumber camps, together with a complete collection of blueprints for the construction of lumber mills. It was installed in a s.p.a.ce 50 by 20 feet, and was surrounded by natural cedar railings.

The mines and metallurgy exhibit comprised exhibits of the iron, copper, and salt products, cement, manufactures of lime and sand, brick, and an extensive collection of specimens of various minerals found in Michigan.

The copper mines were represented by samples of rock, minerals, and tailings, models of shaft houses, and manufactured copper. The iron industry was represented by upward of 100 samples of ore of various ranges. These were cla.s.sified and shown in the various ranges and stages of their production from the rock to the finished product. The cement industry was well represented. Coal of the Saginaw Valley was installed in a 6-foot wall in the booth. An extensive and very valuable collection of over 1,500 specimens were shown in cases. Three large geographical maps showed the location of the different ranges, and photographs of mining scenes supplemented the exhibit.

In the educational exhibit the University of Michigan was represented by a main exhibit in the Education Building and by a small exhibit of the physical-culture work of women in the Physical Science Building. In the Educational Building a s.p.a.ce 22 1/4 by 30 feet was a.s.signed to the university, having frontage on two aisles. On this s.p.a.ce a booth was erected, built of cypress and stained to resemble weathered oak. Within the booth the floor was stained a dark color, and upon it were spread carefully selected oriental rugs of strong coloring. The furniture was of the "arts and crafts" style. It may be said that the chief motive of the committee having charge of the exhibit was to provide a rest room or social headquarters for the alumni and students of the university and their friends.

There were placed upon exhibition several hundred volumes containing the chief publications of members of the various faculties, also reprints of scientific articles, these and a series of books showing the work of the university bindery.

The engineering department was represented by numerous rolls of large-scale blueprints, by an alb.u.m of photographs specially prepared, and by a large and attractive sample board of student shop-work. To ill.u.s.trate the equipment in marine engineering there were presented two models of vessels and a model of the large marine tank which is now in process of completion.

In the Educational Building could also be found cabinets showing the method of collecting vital statistics of the department of the State of Michigan and cabinets exhibiting the work of the School for the Feeble-Minded, of Kalamazoo, and a cabinet of the School for the Deaf and Dumb, of Flint.

A Michigan furniture company, interested in the exposition through the efforts of the commission, expended over $25,000 in the installation of a magnificent exhibit of furniture in the Department of Varied Industries, making the most complete collection of furniture shown by any American firm.

MINNESOTA.

The matter of the partic.i.p.ation of Minnesota at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition was brought to the attention of the State legislature at a special session in 1902, and it responded with an appropriation of $50,000. This bill was chapter 87, and was approved March 11, 1902. In January, 1903, Governor Samuel R. Van Sant appointed as the board of three managers authorized by the law Mr. Conde Hamlin, of St. Paul, Mr.

Theo. L. Hays, of Minneapolis, and Mr. J.M. Underwood, of Lake City.

At the time of the appropriation it was expected that the exposition would be held in 1903. It, however, grew in magnitude and scope far beyond the original designs of its projectors. The board organized by the election of Mr. Hamlin as president, Mr. Underwood as vice-president, and Mr. Hays as secretary. Charles S. Mitch.e.l.l, of Alexandria, was elected superintendent and executive officer, to have immediate charge of exhibits and to carry out the plans of the board.

A site for Minnesota's building was selected, and s.p.a.ce was reserved in the great exhibit palaces of Mines and Metallurgy, Education, Agriculture, Horticulture, and Forestry, Game, and Fish.

Subsequently, on April 1, 1903, a further appropriation of $100,000 was voted by the Minnesota legislature.

The style of the Minnesota State Building resembled the Byzantine. It was designed for a southern climate. The entire lower floor could be thrown open by means of large gla.s.s doors opening upon corridors and a wide promenade, which was protected by awnings. A low wall surmounted this promenade, broken at intervals by abutments, on which were placed large vases of flowering plants. This added color, and with the beds of cannas, which extended along the base of this wall, and large beds of brilliant scarlet geraniums on the lawn, made a handsome setting for the building. These plants were Minnesota grown. The cannas grew to huge proportions, and at the height of the season there were few landscapes on the Plateau of States more effective than that of Minnesota.

The building was ample for its uses. There was a reception room 30 by 50 feet in size, with reading tables, the files of the State papers, a post-office, check room, and superintendent's office. A men's room and a women's room, each 20 by 20 feet, opened from the reception room. Two pianos were free for the use of guests, and were a much-appreciated feature. Every possible convenience was afforded to visitors. That the general public, as well as visitors from Minnesota, appreciated the building was shown by the hundreds who visited it daily and the many who came day after day to write letters, read the papers, or merely to rest and enjoy its coolness. The location gave it added prominence, as it was near the southeast entrance, one of the most convenient for visitors, close to the Inside Inn, and with the Ma.s.sachusetts, New York, Iowa, and Kansas buildings as neighbors.

The financial statement shows that the construction of the building, with furnis.h.i.+ng, landscaping, maintenance, care, and salaries of employees, cost a total of less than $29,000.

In the agricultural display, while wheat was not neglected, especial stress was laid on Minnesota's gra.s.ses, both tame and wild, and its general forage crops. It was conceded by experts that no State made a better display in that line of products. Corn was also made prominent.

Two elaborate b.u.t.ter models were shown, one in this department and one in the exposition refrigerator.

The State was fortunate in the location secured. It was on one of the large central aisles and adjoining the great gla.s.s b.u.t.ter refrigerator, where were shown all the competing fancy b.u.t.ter exhibits from the various States. On the same aisle or near by were the most splendid exhibits in this building, those of States that expended from $30,000 to $100,000 in that department alone, the latter figure being the expenditure of Missouri. That Minnesota was able with $10,000 to make a showing that found credit and favor in comparison with these other much more elaborate and costly displays was surely commendable.

The central feature of the booth was a splendid piece of statuary in b.u.t.ter. On a platform was placed an eight-faced gla.s.s refrigerator; it was 8 by 10 feet on the floor and 15 feet high. The statue in b.u.t.ter filled this. The square pedestal had at the four corners figures representing Agriculture, Education, Mining, and Dairying. On the front face was the seal of Minnesota, and on the two side faces medallions of Alexander Ramsey and Samuel R. Van Sant. The crowning figure was that of a mother giving to her little boy, who stood at her side, a piece of bread and b.u.t.ter. Nearly a ton of the best creamery b.u.t.ter made in Minnesota was used in this model.

The b.u.t.ter refrigerator in the Agricultural Building was of triple-plate gla.s.s, and was 90 feet long. Minnesota's s.p.a.ce was 8 by 16 feet. The subject chosen for its model was historical--a representation of Father Hennepin discovering St. Anthonys Falls. The father, in his priestly garb, was shown in the act of stepping from an Indian canoe to the sh.o.r.e. An Indian was holding the canoe to the bank by grasping a small bush, while the boat was steadied by a French voyageur with his paddle.

The three types--the aborigine, the priest, and the French voyageur--were accurately reproduced in costume, expression, and features, and were practically life-size. The swift-flowing river, with a suggestion of the falls, completed the picture, in which nearly 1,500 pounds of b.u.t.ter were used.

In a s.p.a.ce just east of the b.u.t.ter refrigerator was the exposition refrigerator for displays of cheese. In this the board took a s.p.a.ce 8 by 8 feet.

The horticulture exhibit was placed in the hands of experts from the State Horticultural Society. Here were shown large and small fruits, preserved in many handsome jars. Apples which had been preserved in cold storage from the crop of 1903 kept that feature of the exhibit replenished, while the smaller fruits were shown as they matured, being s.h.i.+pped from the growers in the State almost daily.

In September, when the new apples became available, a second and larger s.p.a.ce was secured. Here was made a display which was one of the greatest attractions in the building. It represented a Dutch windmill and tower, done entirely in apples.