Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1892-12-15
MISSOURI AT THE FAIR.
What is Being Done to Represent
the State at Chicago.
Under Intelligent Supervision Every Re-
source OF Missouri VIII BE In.
tellfSently and Artisttcally
Shown to the World

ST. LOUIS. Dec 12.-Missouri is pre-
| pairing to astonish the world with the
! display of her natural endowments at
Tie Columbian exposition in 1898 In
that material wealth which constitutes
the sinews of civilization she will rival
the richest of her sister states and chal-
lenge the resources of foreign nations.
Nature was in prodigal mood when
Missouri was made. but circumstances
have conspired to keep the knowledge
of this from people far away. In the
| searching light of the Columbian e.-
/; position, where citizens of the
hemispheres will jostle elbows. the
| state will be advertised to all the earth,
and the natural products of Missouri
will secure for her a lasting and wide
| spread reputation.
! These are not idle words. They are
| prompted by the knowledge of what
| Missouri's exhibit viii! he, .n,i it is the
object of this article to demonstrate
their truth. Ocular proof will not be
| wanting later. just at present it may
| prove interesting to present = brief but
! accurate statement of facts drawn both
| from personal observation and from Of
| fetal information of what has been
| actually done.
| At the outset. three illustrations of
! MiSsouris eminence and dignity and
their authoritative recognition are
| offered:
| In the Mines and Mining building
| two main aisles intersect at the center
of the structure. forming four conspicu-
! Gus and most desirabl corners Mis-
! souri, has been allotted one of these; the
| other three fall to her distinguished
F., competitors-Great Britain, Germany
| and Michigan.
| In the Agricultural building the
| largest space assigned to any state in
! the Union. and also one of the most
coveted. has been reserved for Missouri.
| In the horticultural building Execu-
| tive Commissioner Gwynn was permit
| ted to select the space for Missouri's
| fruit exhibit. and it i, needless to say
! that ne made the most OF his opportu-
nifty.
| This fattering recognition of Mis-
! souri, by the exposition management
| was. OF course. obtained through posi-
! tive information of what the state was
| prepared to do. Such things do not go
! by favor. Naturally. the heads of de-
| par.nents of the Worlds fair do not
| propose to be Inundated by the i'm
| proper or inadequate uses of the spaces
set apart for the different states, and it
goes without saying that the most de-
| sirablc locations are awarded strictly
| with reference TO the known ability of
| the exhibitors to justify the official
! Judgment and discretion.
INCEPTION OF THE WORK.
! It will be remembered that the gen
erai assem- bly,, ON the recommendation
| of Gov. Francis. passed an act crea ting
| the state board of managers fer Mis-
| souri,. and appropriating for their use
| $50. 900. to be spent in collecting and
arranging suita BILE exhibits. In making
| this recommendation Gov. Francis was
mindful of the good work accomplished
| by the Southwest Missouri Immigra ton
| society. organized in February. 1887,
while he was mayor OF St. Louis. The
president of that organization was Hon.
| Harvey W. Salmon and Mr.. j. K.
/ Gwynn was it's secretary.
The people of Missouri. representing
all lines of industry, SO thoroughly APP
! preciate the opportunity afforded by
| the Worlds fair that they have. as Il
rule, cordially responded to every re-
quest for corporation in making the
| display eminentiy creditable. cit
must be borne in mind" said Commits
sioner Gwynn to a st. Louis Republic
reporter Investigating the subject.
that each state viii have a dual rep
! resentation at the exposition. That IS
| to say. each state of the Union an
each foreign country will be assigned
certain space proportioaed to its i'm
-, portance in the departmental buildings
| such as the agricultural and mines
and mining, and apart from the
exhibits in these buildings location
has been assigned for the erection
! of the various state structures.
Now. my business primarily is the work
of collecting, preparing. transporting
and installing the exhibits of Missouri
| in the several department of agricul-
ture. horticulture, live stocl-, mines
! and mining. forestry. and so forth, and
while / am necessarily interested in
| slch matters as the erection and fur
! n:shing of the state building. We. the
| board has kindly relieved me of that
much responsibility, and it is simply
| my duty to insure Il faithful repre-
| sentation of Missouri's products and
| development along the lines Indicated
There IS no better way in which | can
| give you clear insight into the prac-
! teal working of the Office and the re-
| suits thereof than to show you our
| records and through our warerooms.
! Here is a large record book prepared
| especially for this Office. in which.
under appropriate headings. a list Of all
! the products secured for exhibition is
kept. H,r reference to this we ascertain
/ at glance the name of the contributor.
| the date the contribution was received
| and its present location. Corresponding
! to the entry in this book we have here
on file, as you see. q descriptive ieafiet
| giving the name of the individual con-
| tribu tor, the county, post Office address,
| character of soil, the time of planting
| and harvesting. average temperature
| and the amount of rainfall, the length
! OF time the land has been in cultivation
! and other facts. In the case of tim Der
specimens you will observe that
| we give the height of the tree, the
height above ground that the log
section was cut, the character of
the soil, the elevation above sea level,
| and much other useful information. In
| the case of mineral specimens, the
! name of :hc con tributor. the kind of
mineral, the locality where it was Sc
cured. its adaptability to economic
| uses and other important information
| is recorded"