The herald., 1893-06-18
WIGG|AS' VERY FRANK LETTER.
He Tells All About the Fair
Situation.
The Way Southern California Got
in its Work.
An Explanation of Some Criticisms
Facts About Pomona's Exhibit
The Matter of Laborers Em-
ployed In the Exhibit.

manager of the Los Angeles county ex-
hibit at the worlds fair, describing the
condition OF affairs. 1t is an interesting
and frank letter. and the greater portion
of it is reproduced, as follows:
/ have withheld replying to your last
In order to give you some idea OF how
we were installed. This morning at
II 80 we placed our last exhibit in posi-
tion In the California building, and all
that 1t now requires is few finishing
touches to complete the entire installa-
tiou. The work has been very tedious,
discouraging and not as complimentary
as l could have wished.
The miscellaneous character OF the ex-
hibits from the various sections made it
nearly an impossibility to establish any
systematic rules for installation. How
ever, we have succeeded in placing upon
the main floor six distinctive features
that illustrate the leading productions
of our various sections, and I must say
they attract universal attention from
the throngs that are daily passing
through the California building.
Our installation features are not as
elaborate as are many of the
others, but the productions
placed on them counteract
any deficiency here. The average visi-
tor enters the building with the impress
sion that he is here for the purpose Of
looking at California as q state and
seems to have no special idea Of the dif-
ferent localities, consequently when he
runs against a striking feature he natur-
ally inquiries the locality from which it
came; then is when the Southern Cali
fornis people get in their work, as every
feature we have is more or less striking
in it's arrangement. The oil, the fruit,
the beans, the raisins, the citrus indus
try, the nuts, miscellaneous fruits and
the grasses are all separately arranged
30 that any one interested can easily be
convinced of the magnitude OF our pro-
ductions in each of these various lines.
Our own people, however, are complain
ing at the manner in which many Of
the exhibits are installed, but could
they remain here few days they would
find out that it is the product that the
visitor wishes to see and not woodwork,
glass-cases, etc. Had the financial
standing of the association permitted my
carrying out the ideas | had of the in
stallation, am sure / could have salts
fed the most enthusiastic citizen. Un-
der the existing circumstances | have
done the best in my power.
If fresh material is continually sup
piled US. we will be able to keep up our
end of the building. The biggest kick
ers we have from, California are those
who have contributed nothing to the ex--
hibit. The papers, | notice, are COM
planning that exhibits from certain
localities are hard to find. Po-
mona, 1 believe, is growing somewhat
in consequence OF the measly appear
ance OF some of their citrus fruit. |
opened up several boxes in the presence
of some of their citizens, and they will
vouch for the unsatisfactory condition
in which the fruit was presented. From
this fruit made the beat selection pos
sible, and placed ten plates on the
tables and put the rest on the tower. 1t
was the understanding when we started
into this exhibition that we were to
make an exhibition as county and not
as any one locality. | begged Pomona
to take a space and make Eeperate ex-
hibit of her citrus fruita. She tailed to
do so, and see no reason why / should
be criticized for the lack OF interest that
they took in the matter. Her treeH are
displayed in the horticultural court and
the Midway Plaisance, and are all prop
erly labeled. Her fruit in display Jars
occupy positions on the large pyramid
of fruit and in the Palace of plenty
each donator receiving due credit for
such varieties as arrived here in good
condition. Her samples of wheat and
barley are also labeled and placed
where they belong. Howlsnd's olive
oil is placed on the same shelf with
Kimball and others in fact it is ex-
hibited IN three localities on the
grounds; the same way with the dried
fruit. [ don't see that Pomona has any
kick coming whatever.
Los Angeles county is represented
with three OF the largest citrus exhibits
on the ground; the largest walnut dis
play, in two buildings, and more fruit in
glass in the Horticultural building than
any other county in the state. She
also has g creditable exhibit in
the state classification in the Hor-
ticultural building, and occupies one
third of the space in the states exhibit
in the agricultural building; in the Cali
fornia building she has the credit of
making the Psmpas palace, in conse-
quence of the plumes being raised in
that county her fruits in glass, with the
balance of the counties, are exhibited in
the palace of plenty and on the pyramid
OF lrulF, winch CONTAINS llUU Jars, n6r
grains and nuts and woods are also ex-
hibited in the booths, jointly with the
other localities her name also appears
in the other parts Of the building where
the state classified exhibit is made
while in the front of the building her
name appears on ninety trees and plants;
on the roof garden her name is attached
to So plants, and in the horticultural
court che flls one-third of the space
in the midway plaissnce about one-third
of the trees there carry her label. fail
TO see where the averge citizen of our
county has any complaint to make at
not finding Los Angeles county's
exhibit. To be sure she has no palace
of her own wherein nickle-plated show
cases, polished redwoods and silk por-
there's predominate; her products show
up to better advantage than many of
the other counties that are installed
after the fashion mentioned above.
Mr.. Hay, on his visit here, seemed at
first to be somewhat dissatisfied, but
after taking in the situation and visiting
the other buildings on the ground, left
fully convinced that we we're doing as
well SIS could be expected under the
circumstances, and gave me to under
stand that he fully appreciated the con-
ditions under which we were laboring
and had no complaint to enter. He
gave me to understgnd the position that