Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1885-01-13

An tafsresfinR Letter Frsm ,hs see.
resary Of the Territorial
Gem n,tssfan

retsry Of the Territorial
essnrBissiea.
hEv OsLsAss, Dec. q, 1854.
kDrreE PosT-IErK1-Isxxcxa:
shortly before my leaving horus In q.
Tend the orld's kxpositiou in the o,Fic
hai capacity Of secretary Z, the Con,sBis
slones from Warrington Terri,orv
there appsared al item in vour nm,
stAilnR thAs thsre zss an approprtat,on
of over $500 made BY ths e.nsr,I 0oy
eminent for the placing Of sxhlhi,s Of
our natural resources and sQricnltnraI 1
products: and. II | remember riOhtlv
Il Vas tntirnsted that snen an amonnt
was amply safioient TO give oar sAc,ion
OF the Northwest more than a fair rem
rsssntliion, and that il this should un.
prove To be the case. the inouiry voaId
be IN order a. 70 what disposition had
been made of the funds By those who
had been entrusted With them.
AZ that time, A. +. ShArpsteiu, Of
WA&A Walls, the alternate Commits
slpnsr. was ia Neu Orleans alone. act
ing Tor the Commissioner. z. G. Fsron-
SOD, Of Snohomish. who had been de-
talnsd at home By severe illness.
AS soon, however, - Mr.. Ferguson,
With Mrs. Watson ~ lady Commission
es, and nyssif arrived in the Crescent
City and entered upon ouF work, the
Item above mentioned seemed 20 me 70
bear npon us ali, and shat the Quicker
III correctoess Was tested the better IL
voald be for all parties CONCERNED. The
resoit of my Investigation GO 20 date
enables me 20 state that tbs appFopia-
uon for the placing Of exhibits and eI-
penses OF the osmmission is not over
5000. bat 5000. with a possible pro-
vIsion of an additional 5000 for the
sole purpose Of fitting up headQuarter.
"A sum which mas not bseu received AZ
yet, and which other commissioners,
fear may never be received. The error
vas made by the management here in .
d'spatoh 70 Governor Squire. OF the
ssid 5000. Mr.. Snarpsssin vas entrust-
cd IN October With the use Of f3666 So,
and Mr.. FefRusou. in Deoember, with
the balance Of fl333.3i. Mr.. Sharpstein
has given me the following memoranda
Of his account:
Expense of collecting exhibits
"a ooAttio .-..........*f *fl0 20
Coliecting exhibits in Tacoma. 100 90
CoileetinR exhibits in Columbia
River counties. s.............. 100 90
Ieiegfams, mail, expressaga, etc. 50 90
Purchase OF Puget Soand trees. Is 90
Expenses OF Mr.. Sharpsteiu on
west side during Mr.. FsrRu-
son Illness. H8............... 800 90
Expensss of clerk, collecting en-
east side while Mr.. Sharpssein
Yrs on west side l5O 90
iotsi xblb 90
MIR. Sharpstein has given no itemized
statement Of his personal expenses since
taking charge Of the work. but has ssid
that he would do 30 "to the proper per-
son AZ the proper time" He had sx-
pended from the funds in hand on
November 18th, s2ls in fi,ting up the
exhibit space, other amou2ts fof freight
At Nalls Walls, for trees and expense
0t hsadquarter Office and general work,
and has today about $1,000 for future
use.
OF the $ia3333 drawn By Mr.. Fsr2u.
son, after dsduotia9 the expense of
travel for his party Of three (full passes
being RraHted ouly by ths Northern
Pacific RsilrO d aud Oregon Railway
and NavlgatiOa oompznies) }, there 70,
mains about 500, which ia rapidly
being expended In paying high wages
for placing our space IN mertl, decent
condition and for meeting the cost Of
living. 10 will be remembered in this
o0nnsotioa that Mr.. FerAuson has no
control over the fl0o0 in Mr.. sharp
stsltls hands, except that Mr. b. has
slRulfied his Willingness to bear his
share Of future expense in fitting ny
our department..
think il will be seen from the fore
going. Mr. Editor. that your representa-.
liyes ara not living In prodisal splsndor
nor sqaandeiing Government fuads.
Other Territories have, through their
pubiic men, raised Lsidsrable sums Of
money 10 carry the work properly on.
trusting TO their legislatures TO refund
the same and hence our nsiehbors,
Idaho and Montana, on either hand, are
apt to outssrip Us Ia their display and In
providing iairiy for employees TO place
and exhieit the same.
Where this is not done, homely eosn.
omy must be the order OF the day, and
such State or Territory must necessarily
suffer IN comparison with those about
10.
Pardon my length OF explanation,
and bslieve me very truly yours.
Gro. II. WATSON,
Secretary Of Commission.