Griggs courier., 1893-05-26
NORTH DAKOTA'S HOME.
An Attractive and Interesting
Building at Worlds Fair.
The State Building Of the Wheat State Is
Conceded by the Chicago Papers
TO BE One Of the
Finest.


Conceded by the Chicago Papers
70 BE One Of the
Finest.
At the worlds fair, almost directly
opposite Minnesota's state building, is
North Dakota's headquarters, seen first
as you cross the bridge over the lagoon
at 57th street, and to better advantage
from the street front. It is called the
white house by many, because the style
OF its architecture SO much resembles
the entrance to the executive mansion
at Washington. It shows large white
columns, verandas and balconies, both
front and rear, and is between Nebras-
ka and Kansas. The entire lower floor,
S5x70 feet, is given up to an exhibition
room, and On entering you are at once
imbued with the idea that North Da-
kota is a wheat state. The walls and
ceilings are covered with this cereal, to
represent artistically designed wall
paper, and you are Immediately ap-
prised Of the fact that artists have exc
cuted the work. Beautifully arranged
pyramids of grains and grasses occupy
different positions, but the wall deco
rations will attract most of your atten-
ton. Here is shown what an artist can
do with wheat, oats, barley, corn, mill
let and field grasses. The most strik-
ing object is probably the head and
shoulders of Shorthorn bull, standing
out bold relief in one of the bow vim
dows. This is built entirely of grains
md ovsfS.
fetal coloring to make it life-like. 1t
sits in frame made of heads of wheat.
just to the left of this is full sized
Shorthorn cow, also constructed of the
same material and in the same manner,
while on the opposite panel is a scene
containing two sheep built upon the
wall of wool and banked in with grain.
Over in the opposite bow window is
shown the head and shoulders of q
horse. constructed of wheat, while
above this is given a glimpse into q
prairie slough, out of which is rising a
frightened flock of ducks. The water,
lilies, flags and grasses are shown SO
realistically that the visitor must be
told that nothing but products of the
soil have been used. In the arch of the
window, over the bulls head, is covey
of prairie chickens. Some are hover
ing in the grass, others in fight, others
standing in startled position, and, as
q well known sportsman remarked in
viewing them the other day, "a dog
would stand them at first sight"
Passing up the double winding stair
case, above the first landing is placed
Carl Guthrez' famous Paris exposition
painting of scene on a North Dakota
wheat farm. This canvas received a
medal at Paris and was afterwards pur-
chased by the United States govern
ment for the agricultural department
1T Washington. The scene having been
located in North Dakota, it was sent by
the government for exhibition in this
building. 1t gives a good idea of the
vastness of the prairies of the state,
shows 43 gang plows turning over the
soil, and tells with brush and paint
more than words can do, the extensive
scale upon which wheat is grown in
the great northwest. The canvas is
6<x13 feet, and the painting promises
to attract much attention.
North Dakota's exhibit at the state
building has proven so extensive that
it has become necessary to inclose the
rear veranda, and in this will be dis
played various specimens of mounted
game, such as elk, deer. antelope,
moose and field birds of every kind ma.
tive to the state.
Executive Manager Dickey, backed
up by a board composed of four of the
most successful business men of the
state, promises to give North Dakota
an exhibit which will be at least as at
tractive as that presented by any of the
purely agricultural states, although
the states appropriation for the pur
pose was curtailed to the minimum
nAfter gathering the grains and grasses
and selecting the artists to do his work
he encountered new difficulty and one
entirely. unforeseen until he was com.
PEELED to stare it in the face. 1t was
this: As soon as it became noised abou,
the fair grounds that the North De
kota people were displaying the vari
GUS branches of the animal industry in
objects made entirely from grains ant
grasses, other states, and even foreign
cOuntrleS, made desperate efforts to in
duce his decorators to leave him and ac
cept higher wages with them. But the
work has been completed by the orig
inally engaged artists, with one or two
exceptions.
It is generally conceded among thos<
interested in the exhibits of what is here
termed the agricultural states that
North Dakota will carry off the pain
on wheat. 1t was thought at first tha
the states where irrigation has bee,
extensively resorted to would make
such fine displays of wheat that the sec
tions which receive their water supply
from natural sources could not success
fully compete. The North Dakota com
lnissioners started out on the theor,
that theirs was a wheat state. Tha
this was demonstrated fact, while tn,
various branches of the animal indus
fv~y xv,oro -, Tho snfo <~k 4 =.