Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1893-07-29
IMPORTANT TASK.
The Jurors Of Awards at the
Columbian Exposition.
The New System---Change in Plan
Of Giving Medals.
A csmparissn Between The Old and tAs hsw
Way Of IsdsisS.

Of the commercial world ara now fixed
The result of their labors means great
deal to all the arts and industries repre-
sented here, 10 the sixty thousand or mort
exhibitors and the vast interests which
lie behind them.
It IS tremendous task which thess
men have undertaken. Their business il
is to examine carefully and critically
every article here exhibited. They must
slight nothing. must deem nothing too
trivial for their attention. These are thu
men upon whom devolves the responsible
ity of summing up the achievements of ths
artisans, artists, mechanics, farmers and
manufacturers of the whole world as mi
rored in this most thorough and compre
hensive OF universal expositions. They
will he weeks at their task, and after they
shall have completed their rounds Of eS
animation they Will have weeks more o.
labor in reducing their findings to foIu
and IN writing out their reports. NheI
these reports are published, as they vii
be some iimeduring thee coming winter, We
shall have the best critical judgment OF
the achievements Of man in the world O;
art and fabrication that was ever formet
or set down In words.
Ii is with a genuine feeling of satisfac
ton that l record a noteworthy fact in thu
history Of this exposition. IL is not only
the greatest of all known expositions, but
it has marked a distinct step forward il
the all-important matter of granting
medals or awards to exhibits and exhibit
ors. 1t was not enough for the Columbia
exposition to follow the beaten track il
thts mar fFbpusltri, ba nd this
energy of single individual, John Boyd
Thacher, Of Albany, n. u, a revolution
has been effected which promises toenable
this exposition TO accomplish more that il
really valuable TO civilization and to the
arts than all the expositions that have pre-
Ceded it. Mr. Ihachfr is entitled 10 more
credit because in order to effect this reyo
luton he has been compelled to fight
bitter battle single handed and alone.
The representatives of foreign nation,
did not like his new system, for reasons
which will explain. They rehelled, and
made so much ado over their dissatisfao
tion that they alarmed the managers Of
the fair and Mr.. Thacher soon found not
only all the representatives of foreign na
tions and exhibitors but the very men
who should have been with him up in
arms against him. To add 10 the diiHcul
ty, the press OF Chicago maligned and mis-
represented him. They lied about his
plan, and ridicuied him personally. With
0ut ever understanding what it WAS that
Mr. Thacher was trying 10 accomplish
without ever taking the trouble TO look
into his work and ascertain If there was
not some good in it, the newspaper men of
Chicago bounded him in manner which
was disoreiitable to their profession anC
to the city of the exposition. Mr.. ThacheI
WAS not working for glory or profit. a
cultured, broad-nlinded, progressive man
he had seen AN Opportunity to mark dis
tiuct advancement i'll the method of award
ing prizes to exhibitors, and like the mar
of courage and persistency that ne is hs
fought it out on that line with all thest
allies against him. He won his fight, too
and that is why / am writing this letter
He gave his time and his energies to tbs
cause without a dollar Of pay, to the neg
lect OF his private affairs, and amid per
spnal discomfOrts and annoyances which
would have driven almost any man from
the field. When the history of the CoIum
hian exposition is written as it deserves te
be written / predict that no name viii
stand higher on its roll of honor than thai
Of John Boyd Thacher.
llHt ltb HAt tfAi ycu HHdS bHC pil HOs
tenn was, the system of awards that had
been followed at every international expo
sition up to this time. IL was a system ir
which there were iuries of awards. j
jury was selected for each line of exhibits
and consisted of three. five or seven men
sometimes more They went about among
the exhibits, attended by secretary. anc
each man marked on card his estimat,
of the artistic or commercial value of eacf
article. For example, let us suppose w,
are with the committee on pianos. Mr.. A
thinks certain piano is worth 95, Mr.. Il
thinks it is worth only 80, while Mr.. G
puts the yalue at ae An average of thes,
three estimates is made by the clerk witt
the aid OF a lead pencil and a few figures
and the official finding of the valuation o
this piano comes out as ~ i-3. Mr.. i. ii
sure that his judgment of % WAS all tha
instrument Was fairly entitled to, whilt
Mr. c. is just as sure that the piano shouls
he marked 9s The only man whose judg
ment has been supported by the lead pen
ell method is Mr.. A. who has been en-
dorsed because he happened to he about
midway between the figures OF his col
leagues.
This method of ascertaining values OF
merits goes on through the entire exposi
tion. When all the pianos have beef
marked the one which has the higheS-
value is adjudged winner Of the golt
medal. The next highest gets the silve
medal, and the third the bronze medal
Now what is the effect of this awaril Thi
manufacturer who gets the gold media
the only one that amounts to much CON
mercially) may be richer by half a million
dollars than he was before be got it. Thi
award is worth 10 him, for the purpose o
advertising his instrument and extendiu,
his trade, fully that sum. Ii he couit
have gotten the award in no other way
and could have done so without being dis
covered, he might have been willing to pa,
several hundred thousand dollars in casI
for it, The jury Of awards has helpesi
him nightly in his eDdeavor to amass >
great fortune. Ii is good scheme foE
him, bu. how about the other piano max
ers' How do they fare9 Excepting the
two who have received consolation awards
of silver and bronze medals gil are un-
happy They have been handicapped in
the race for trade. They have entered
competition only to see their enemy gain
| IN immense advantage over them. which
you may he SIRE he will make the most of
In other words, the exposition has re-
solved itself iGto huge advertising aux-
| Hilary. II pre~nmes toset one man up in
| fortune MAJ ing, and to hold another man
down Il presents one man with n piece
of metal worth half million dollars 10
him. and hurts all his competitors. II this
conl2 , done On absolute lines Of accuracy
and infalIble judgment there would not
be 30 much objection to it. 1t would he
| still oSjectfeE.a bic, but not 50 grieyously
50. But it cannot be done and has never
/ been done on any iHfallible plan. In fact,
! the selection Of g piano justly entitled to
I grand p-ize in this exposition would be al
| together a work of fancy, of taste, of fa-
| vorit.srn or Of prejudice. It would take in
! fiTste intelligence TO do that. One piano
/ excels in tone, perhaps, another in touch,
I third in durability. fourth in some
1 other quality. TIE differences between
/, them On each of these lines is 50 slight that
/ not eTen an expert can estimate them
! with certainty. His Judgment must he
more or less arbitrary, dependent upon his
education, his tastes, his surroundings
In fact, the making of these awards a
+. hrsr- second aal fi.4fa pf11cs II Ia zriy y
| fossoyr and hss af~ara baau A IA ahov n