The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-01-20
A Montanian Believes 1t Is the Best
Advertising the State Could
Have.
It Has Attracted the Attention OF
tho World to Our Mineral
Resources.
he Only Exhibit That Has Caused More
Than Passing Notice-The star OF
tho Show.

silver obAbub0 " SAo NoAAN "a -
scarcely n line in its favor. which prompts
an inquiry into this attitude of the Mon
tana newspapers. When the press OF the
country, or of n state unite on any prop
~osition, IL is almost invariably right and
am strongly inclined TO the belief that this
silver statue matter constitutes the excep-
ton to prove the rule 80 far as the press OF
Montana 10 concerned. When the PROPOSE
tion was first made by Commissions Bick-
ford 80 have. as one Of the chief attractions
al the Worlds fair, q statue of Justice cast
In the white metal which ribs out noun
tains. the idea was received with universal
favor. Tho members of the Worlds fair
commission generally assented TO II; the
press regarded il - . novel and attractive
feature. and from no quarter was epposi-
ton manifested. Jul silver kings, when
interviewed on the subject, were found
ready and willing to supply the precious
metals required on the basis proposed by
the commissioner, and everything was
going along smoothly and harmoniously
every other state In the union in due
particular at least-until the goddess OF
in the person Of tho fair and buxom
Lillian Russell, shisd the raneorous apple
into the ring, whom 10 and behold! the very
deuce was to pay! II great Jupiter had had
q free and untrammelsd press ON high
Olympus whom the disdsinful female Ina
mortals were contssting for the bolt OF
beauty and the apple Of discord was used
with DISASTROUS effect. ! doubt II such .
racket would have been raised in it, BREWER
oolumus a. wal over the matter of posing
for the Montana statue Of justice.
Jealousy and ian9ling ran rife among we
Queens Of the stage and the columns OF sne
PRESS were burdeAsd with the stery OF tns'f
1ivaly. Miss Ada Rehan. who was chosen
the model for the statue, was jealousy up
braided by an hundred claimants OF = bet
ter form and figure and the merry Wal won't
on in the until Montana had
received an amount Of advertising. which.
il gagged by cash, At schedule rates, would
amount to At least 100000
that Montana journals of influence seemed
to lose patience and declared in 30 many
words that the proposed silver statue was q
fake and calculated mainly TO make the
state . laughing stock for the world-an
because Of the racket raised by the act
rsssss. actual and alleged. who thought
Montana silver.
Now I take IL this is not just 10 the
Worlds fair commission OF the state. l
mean The criticism Of the statue scheme BY
our press. The clsnor OF the artists Of
shape WAS not q sufficient cause to condemn
q proposition otherwise Legitimate and
meritorious, and besides, II there is efficacy
in advertising the state 10 an Immense
gamer. Nearly every paper, great and
small, In the United States has made refer
enc to the statue, and many foreign pub
locations have discussed and described IL
n@r 0Aaa SInAntIv has
brought the name Of Montana.
and naturally coupled with tho
idea of mineral greatness, into wider cir
onlation, than has any other event In the
annals of the territory and state. and how
anything but good can result from that
can understand. II the Worlds fair were
to be declared ''of'' and NO other benefits
could possibly accrue. in my judgment the
state would now stand better than even in
the cost to IL Of the silver statue. News
paper Advertising pays and the proposed
statue has already brought forth prodiRl-
GUS results in that direction.
But We have had as yet only the prelude
and Judging by tho STIR 1t has made what
may not be expected of the play itself.
Save this very silver statue not = single
article has bsen offered to or collected by
tho Montana board of Worlds fair ON
missionsrs. or in any tanner proposed for
exhibition, that has excited particular com.
msnt or that would in any marked way at
tract the attention of the millions Of poo
pie who will attend the Worlds fair.
II may be true, n doubtless 10, that the
exhibit of mineral specimens wiz be = cred.
table one; that the display Of the 1sra OF
the state will DO both interesting and At
tractives that the agricultural. horticultural
n live stock exhibits will be creditabls ts
the state. and that in each of the depart
msnts the wonderful resources of ou'
mountain empire will BE- faithfully repre
ssnted. The industrious work of the board
and its officers il q guarantee of this much,
But 10 there any asspranoe OF greater excel.
lence in these particulars than may b.
achieved by other mineral, agricultural ane
stookgrowing statesI
California, Colorado, Washington. Wy
oming and other mountain states, in add
tion to tho general display, will each have
something distinctive and representative
something to command special attention
in their departments. The mammoth
trees, grand panorama OF tho wonders O
the National park, and collections OF fruits
and precious metals, unsurpassed. will IL
part serve these purpOses-and, in keeping
with the same idea, | do not see what Mon
tRna could better offer as 4 special and at
t~ractive feature than the proposed silvel
statue of ~iuatioe.
1t ia & grand idea, happy in its conception
and complete in its fultllmsnt. All VIII
Jaw ~ JSAA !" baO opihAoh bahb VA
mode is perfection. The work is in til
hands of artists and the statue promises t
be "a thing OF beauty and A JOY forever.
or at least until the silver is recast int
pigs" for sale to the government undo
the Sherman act. There never was bsfor
SO large a statue of the precious metals g
this, nor one SO complete and true to th
ideal. 1t will stand forth in the Montan
department as something unique, SOME
thing distinctive-Rs the capitol at Wasi
inQton towers above its mates-while at IL
same time it will symbolic one of II
the greatest resources of cur state and pre-
Slain to the millions att acted to it. mol
effectively than could pamphlet. or plaoar'
that Montana il the Lending silver produ'
ing state of the union.
AS | view the matter now, with the q
rangements for the exhibit from this sta
At Chicago aim ost com plsted, Hamlet vii
Hamlet left out would be a tremendous gu
cess compared with Montana's display
the fur without the silver statue of Justic
JERRY COLLINS.