The Helena independent., 1893-07-01
MONTANA At The FAIR.
The Mineral Exhibit Is Ahead Of
Every Other on the
Grounds.
Nuggets, Crystals, Bars and Quartz
that Attract Alton
tion.
A. to the Agricultural Exhibit. tho Ra'
tonisal Display and the Excellcnt
Educational Show.

OF tho Worlds fair the Montana exhibit is
mainly in the mines building. The stats
building is said TO be noted for tts original
ity. Beyond this and reference to the
silver statue, there is no suggestion - to
the erent interest the display OF this young
state is attracting and is bound 10 attract
In the official catalogue. Every day and
every hour in the day crowds OF Interested
visitors hang about this exhibit and upon
the words of any who can give information
in relation to 1t. Experts pronounce the
mining exhibit by far the best on tho
q, ounds, though that from New South Wales
covers much greater space. Tho Australian
exhibit is in some respects more elaborate.
and ia intensely interesting. but no suoh
wealth of mines Ia shown as in the Montana
pavilion.
The Rehan statue is, OF course. the lead
ing attraction, and it was thought for .
time that it would so completely over
shadow the mineral exhibit as to take from
II, but that fear proved to be unfoundsd.
and there is no longer tnlk of moving the
statue to the state building. The curious
rive the statue glance and pass on, while
the interested visitor finds $15O.OO0 In gold
nuggets and free gold, and much else to
admire. There are two nuggets containing
81, 200 each, one $1,040. one $500, another
$500. and very many smaller ones. There
Is one lot Of quartz weighing perhaps 800
pounds. containing $4,000 free gold; an
other lot Of gold dust worth 81. GOO. There
ia a crystal of gold worth $500, and fern
like crystais or silver clinging to the rocks
like the branches of delicate moss pro-
pounced by all to be the finest thing on
the ground. The attention of jewellers, who
realize that it il impossible for art to imi-
tate. has been especially attracted to these
specimens. These crystals of gold and
silver are valued at 100000 but not for sale
At any price. There are specimens OF horn
ana nests of wire silver in endless variety,
and great blocks of rock with free gold
sticking out all over them. The beat Of
those are from the Gable mino at Deer
Lodge. The specimens are valued at $40. :
600. There is also an endless variety OF cut
and uncrt Montana diamonds. sapphires
and rubiea. There are quartz specimens
assayin. 5000 to $1,000 per ton and here a
block taat yields $1,000 to $1,000 per ton.
There are fine quartz crystals and here
specim ms of tin ore and block OF tin
made ~ students from stream sir weighing
210 pounds. and copper in every possible
form. The pigs of pure copper and the
coils of wire and rope weigh over forty
that Montana's output of copper is greater
than twice that of all of the rest of the
United States. The total output of the
United States was 1926. 10000 pounds fol
1882; Montana's, 164,000,000 pounds
There are half score Of silver brick
fine. Ruby silver ore yielding $1,000 tt
the ton. and the largest known crysta
rhodoohrosite, excellent specimens of as
bestos. A tin bucket left in the mines
some years ago is cove ed with fuzz o.
gelinite crystals as thick as the hair on {
doc's back. There are also Dyrite and ba-
rite specimens. oaloite and spar, quartz ga
amethyst and many other things deserving
special mention. including coal, coke, iron
brick and building stone. There are sew
eral interesting paintings by noted artist
or by local talent which b ing out mining
in all of its phases in most interesting light
John L. Callahan is custodian of the fte,
gold exhibit and to him l am specially in
debted for bringing to my attention many
points of interest which might have passed
unnoticed. The exhibit has just beer
placed in new cases. adding much to III
beaatY.
The exhibit in the agricultural buildin,
covers 26x83 feet space and is in charge o.
Husbundman. and DIR. Pease. Of Madison
Tho grains and grasses of the state are dis
played to most excellent advantage. Ther'
are pyramids of such made from specimen
furnished by over 200 exhibitors. Th'
bunch and buffalo grass, alfalfa, blue joint
timothy. clover and other varieties ar
shown not only III their natural state. bu
growing. A crown shaped stand. arrange!
with shelves, shows specimens of the shellet
or threshed grain, and the comm on yield
per acre are stated to be: Wheat 6S bushels
rye ~, oats IT, barley AZ, COIN 40, potatoe
760. This is on irrigated land, however
A special pyramid is devoted to oats ant
and heavy and is admitted to have quail
ties Of special excellence. The oats weig
fully 25 per cent more than the oats of til
eastern states. There is a special pavilion
thatohed with barley and many othe
special features of interest. The exhibit
not crowded in the least. and is in goo
taste IN all Of its parts.
Montana ia rich in its gold and othe
precious metals, it is great. in it's wealth O
soil and its capacity to produce grain. bu
even greater in Its cattle and sheep inter
est. which will be shown more fully il
August. ltnow has q fine wool exhibit i
its proper place in the agricultural build
ing.
In the botanical exhibit in the horticu
tural builainR there are $50 specimens Co
lected by Rev. DIR. Kelsey, who was rocsntl
called to n chair in Oberlin college.
Of the 200 ia g of fruit. owing 10 an errc
In the preparation Of the fluids used i
their preser vatior, but siXty-six were savet
The formula was right for California. ct
not adapted to Montana, where the specif
gravity of the juices Of the fruit was di
terent. The display consists of grape
berries of all kinds, plums. apples. etc.
The educational exhibit is specially cree
liable to the state. 1t is in charge of
G. Young. of Helena. 1t shows cuts of IL
important school buildings of the larg'
cities. work of the several Departments
the schools methods of instruction, ct
A lelief map of the state brings out mar
interesting features. Miles City appears
be 8,OO0 feet above the level of the Sc
Helena 4. 200, Butte 6,000 Granite 5000. ar
come of the peaks II 900. and yet the vii
ters are as mild and moderate as thoss
climates several hundred miles sout
There Is little difference between Il
weather at Helena and Santa Fe, New Me
leo, in winter. The higher altitude
Santa Fe gives them if anything oold
weather much of the winter than Helena.
In 1880 the population of Helena vi
$500; in 1892. 16. 600. The city has MI
public school buildings. ranging in val
from $4,000 to $130.00O. Tho aggregn
cost was S432, 800. The high schoo! bull
ing is a model. 1t is of e. ey stone. and
its external symmetry and beauty, its i
terror arrangement and exquisite finish, I
gether with its equipment Tor the prosec
tion of ell lines of high school work, il
States. Butte's school interests are al
splendidly presented. There are phot
graphs of the buildings and specimens
the work. Livingston. Marysville, De
Lodge. Missoula and Miles City are also
leading positions. illustrated history al