The Dillon tribune., 1885-10-17
COMMISSIONERS REPORT.
Commissioners Clark and Harris Make I,
Report Upon Their Action at
New Orleans.

On the 9TH inst. Commissioners Clark
md Harris called upon Governor Hauser
md made the following report:
Hon. Samuel r. Hamscy, Governor Of
Montana: I'VE have the honor to
make the following report respecting the
Montana Exhibits at the Worlds Indus.
rial and Cotton Centennial Exposition at
New Orleans, and of our action as Com.
nissioners for Montana.
W. were appointed by the President of
the United States as Commissioners to col. |
ect the exhibits and to represent the Ter.
ritorv Of Montana at the Exposition.
Being without money to begin operations
We made an appeal to the citizens Of the
Territory who subscribed $l,7oo with the
that such subscriptions
would be returned should the Legislative
Assembly make an appropriation to pro-
vide for the expenses Of the exhibition. a
Legislative appropriation Of $1,000 having
been made, we returned these subscrip.
tions.
From the managers Of the Exposition
we received an apportionment Of $1,000
towards expenses and ST. 900 to be expend-
ed in fitting up the space assigned for the
Montana Exhibit and Headquarters.
We collected gold, silver, copper, lead
and other mineral specimens from almost
every paying thine in the Territory. Many
of these specimens were large, weighing
from 1000 to 1900 lbs. 1t was universall.
conceded that Montana had the most com.
rlete and interesting exhibit at the Expo.
sition.
We made an exhibit Of gold nuggets
valued (nostly by assays) at $4,000, which
was by far the best and most valuable col.
lection Of the kind and attracted more at
:ention than any other in the building.
We also collected specimens Of coal
from nearly all the mines opened in the
Territory. One Of these specimens ex.
ceeded a ton in weight:
OF Agricultural products we made a
creditable display - wheat, oats, barley,
pease, corn, potatoes, turnips, beets, onions,
cabbages and apples. Wheat and oats
were exhibited in sheaves and we had more
than hundred specimens in glass jars Of
the different kinds OF cereals. Of potatoes
we made the largest and finest exhibit of
any in the building.
Our taxidermic display, comprising the
following animals: Wildcat, deer, antelope,
buffalo, mountain sheep, elk, moose, beaver,
lynx, and almost every species Of birds
found in Montana, reflected great credit
on the Territory.
Mr.. Albert Bierstadt, the greatest OF our
American artists, loaned US three Of his
celebrated paintings, "Old Faithful Gey'
scr,""A Hunting Scene and IA Rocky
Mountain Sheep" which contributed mate
rally to the interest of our exhibit, and at
tracted many admirers.
We also displayed many photographs OF
mills, smelling works, mines, public build
ings, and of the principal cities and towns
in the Territory. Also very large picture
of the "Shoshone Falls of Snake river
These paintings and all other articles
loaned to the exhibi, were returned at the
expense of the commissioners. We sold
some furniture, fittings, etc, to the amount
OF S13o.5o, of which $40 was for account
of an exhibitor. The remainder of The cx-
hibit comprising nearly all of the mineral
specimens, were stored subject to the order
of the Governor of Montana, with 6. H.
Beck, corner Delordc and Magazine streets,
New Orleans, at charge of $50 per an
mum, the first wears storage charge bein.
paid in advance.
The visitors register has hccr deposited
with the Historical Society OF Montana
We prepared with such assistance is we
could enlist or command, material for the
printing and publishing of an edition of
10000 copies of a pamphlet of II pages on
the mining, stock raising, agricultural and
other resources of Montana, and distril,.
uted the same with the exception OF a few
hundred copies reserved for future calls.
We have rendered to the Auditor of the
Territory an itcmized account of our re-
ceipts and disbursements and have paid to
the Treasurer of the Territory an uncx-
pended balance of S3cS.o1. X. ". Furnas,
the /. S. special agent OF the agricultural
department, owes us sos for the expenses
Of collecting trees, but he has recently ad.
vised us that it cannot probably be paid.
The Territory is under great obligation
to the Northern Pacific and Union Pacific
railways, and to connecting lines for the
free transportation of our entire exhibit to