Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1867-07-31
The Paris Exhibition.
AcrIoN OF TIE [. ). CoMM1ssIoNERS-VE Err


ACTION OF TIE L = OuMMISSIoNERS-\ ER-
MONT AND HER Prizes
Mr. Hager writes to the Rutland Herald as
follows
The world never witnessed such display
and probably many years will elapse before
anything Of the kind will be attempted again
Americans who have attended this Will not
feel like entering the contest again. The
memory of the stages Of hope, fear, NORTH
cation. anger and pride through which they
have passed Will suggest the propriety and
desirableness of keeping upon their own side
Of the water in future, Notwithstanding we
were in the end in many respects victors in
the contest.
Our English cousins, | understand. feel
greatly grieyed at the result. Their medals
like angels visits, are few and far between
They were sanguine of success, which makes
their disappointment the greater. Had Mr.
Beckwith, the United States Commissioner
proved to be competent. faithful and eff
cicnt agent for us, our prizes would. in my
opinion, have been increased in number and
Of a higher grade. As it was, many of the
contributors were never seen or properly ex-
amined by the .juries. Very few Of the ex-
hibitors felt like going To the Office of the
Imperial Commissioners or to the Jurics and
inviting them to visit the articles they had
on exhibition. 1t was easy task to do So
Policemen guarded these august bodies when
in their offices as they do the members of the
royal family and none but officials or
those having special business could enter their
rooms If an exhibitor was fortunate enough
to pass the guard and reach the Jury of what
benefit would it be to him if he could not
speak French, German or Italian? Again
tire - red tape dignity of these iuries would
not in all cases allow them to listen to the
appeals of a contributor or his agent
called upon Jury class 40 and desired them
to examine some marble nantes made of
Vermont Tennessee and California marble.
manufactured by John Shuster of BROOKLYN,
y. Y They replied that our commissioner
had not notified them that he was ready. and
until he did they did not feel like making the
examination. | Immediately notified MIR
Beckwlth that our marble products were
ready. He said it was not his business to
notify them, and the result was that Mr..
Shuster's beautiful NANTES, that had cost
him over SO 1000, were neglected and d id not
receive even favorable mention by the Jury.
am not aware that they ever saw the man.
ties. Unless exhibitors watched carefully
and secured the attention of the Judges their
articles were passed by unnoticed. / am not
aware that Mr.. Beckwith ever showed in
ry an article from America. He certainly
never did contribution from Vermont But
AmerlciHS worked Tor themselves and for
one another. Although strong com petitors
in many instances, yet the national pride that
burned IN their bosoms prompted them to
abandon all selfish considerations and do no.
BILE deeds. | will cite one of the manv in
stances of this kind. Col. James t. Griffin.
the agent for McCormick's reaper, seeing a
reaper from the manufactorv of
Messrs. Seymore & Morgan and no one to nut
it up, suggested that l take hold with him |
and put it together before the judges came
round. cheerfully accepted the proposition.
and we labored hard to put up the machine
which by a hard contested lawsuit some
years since, had been proved to be an infringe
nent on McCormick's patent But all these
Inference and Jealousies of the past were set
side or smothercd by the colonel and a more
spirit substituted in it's stead.
But by union, cooperation and persevere-
nee we have done well-better than anv 9TH
T nation. think gave you hasty notice
f the result, but as an error or two occurred
:, that report l will give it again briefly.
he whole number of contributions is over :
1000. About five thousand prizes were |
warded, making about one medal to eyerv