The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1885-10-14
MONTANA AT NV ORLEANS.
Official Report of the Montana Com.
missioners to the Governor.

Below is given the full text OF the report
OF MesSrs. w. A. Clark and John 5. Harris.
| Montaua's Commissioners to the World
Exposition at New Orleans. last year. 1t
is a interesting document and demon
| strates that no mistake was made when
| Messrs. Clark and Harris were chosen to
| represent Montana at that important ex-
| position. The report reads as FLOWS
Hon. .Samue! T. Hauser, Governor of
NontanA G1u. We have the honor to
make the following report respecting the
Montana Exhibit at the Worlds indus
trial and Cotton Centennial Exposition at
New Orleans" and OF our action as Conn
missioners for Montana.
We were appointed by the President Of
the United States as Commissioners to col
lect the exhibit and to represent the Terri
tory of Montana at the Exposition.
Being without money to begin operations
we made an appeal to the citizens Of the
Territory. who subscribed Sl.7OO with the
understanding 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 5000 having
been made We returned these u~bscripti..i.s.
From the managers OF the Exposition we
received an a~pportionment OF $4,000 to-
"aEuS tApciSeS dlu p1 ,OOO W Dc ca DcIlucu
in the fitting up OF the space assigned for
the Montana exhibit and headquarters.
We collected gold, silver. copper, lead and
other mineral specimens from almost every
paying mine in the Territory. Many of
these specimens were large. weighing from
1000 to 1900 pounds. 1t was universally
conceded that Montana had the most COM
plete and interesting mineral exhibit at the
exposition.
We made an exhibit OF gold nuggets val
ued (mostly by assiys) at $4,000, which
was by far the best and most valuable
collection OF the kind. and attracted more
attention than any other in the building.
We also collected specimens of coal from
nearly all the mines opened in the Terri
tory. One Of these specimens exceeded a
ton in weight.
OF agricultural products we made a cred
liable display-wheat, oats, barley, peas,
cora, potatoes, turnips, beets, onions, cab
bases and apples. Wheat and oats were
exhibited in sheaves, and we had more han
a hundred specimens i'll glass jars OF the
different kinds of cereals. OF potatoes we
made the largest and finest exhibit of any
in the building.
Our taxiderlnic display co,nprised the
following animals: wild cat, deer, antelope,
buffalo, mountain sheep, elk, moose, bea-
Yer, lynx and almost every specimen OF
birds found in Montana. 1t reflected great
credit on the Territory.
Mr.. Albert Bierstadt. tine greatest Of our
American artists, oaned US three Of his Gel
ebrated paintings, "Oid Faithful Geyser,"
"A Hunting Scene" and "a Rocky Noun
tain Sheep which contributed materially
to the interest OF our exhibit and attracted
many admirers.
We also displayed many photographs of
mills, s.Helting works, mines, public build
ings and of the principal cities and towns in
tn Tsrrlt Try. Also Il very large picture OF
Sn"~h,ne Falls OF Snake River.
These paintings and all other articles
loaned to the Exhibit were returned at the
expense OF the commissioners. We sold
some furniture, fittings. etc. to the amount
OF Sl39.o0, Of which sixteen dollars was for
account OF an exhibitor. The remainder
OF the exhibit, comprising nearly all the
mineral specimens were stored subject to
the order Of the Governor OF montana. with
{. II. Beck. corner Delorde and Magazine
streets. New Orleans, at a charge Of thirty
dollars per annuin, the first years storage
being paid in advance.
The Visitors Register has been deposited
with the Historical Society OF Montana.
We prepared, with such assistance as we
co Id enlist or command, material for the
printing and publishing Of an edition of
Ao'OOc Cotlto vi d pam pH!eG Vi seventy |
four pages on the mining, stockraising.
agricultural and other resources of Mon
tana, and distributed the saline, with the
exception OF a few hundred copies reserved
Tor future calls.
We have rendered to the Auditor Of the
an itenized account OF our re-
ceipts and disbursements. and have paid
to the Treasurer OF the Territory an unex-
pended balance OF S32S.91. r. W. Fumas,
q. S. special agent OF the Agricultural De-
partInent, owes us S195 for expense OF col
Letting trees, but he has recently advised us
that it cannot probably be paid.
The Territory is under great obligation
to the Northern Pacific and the Union Pa
cific Railways and to connecting lines for
the free transportation Of our entire ex-
hibit to New Orleans.
We nave to return thanks to the many
who aided materially in so many
ways to creditably represent the Territory
at the Exposition.
We have also to earnestly thank the en-
press Of the Territory for their kind
and for copies OF their papers
forwarded gratuitously to our head
quarters during the term OF the Exposition.
were placed on file and added much
% the interest and pleasure OF visitors.
Upon the whole the Montana exhibit,
while not SO complete as we could have
attracted a great deal Of attention
md elected many earnest inquiries concern
ng the Territory, and we confidently be-
ieve will result in much benefit.