The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-11-27
The MONTANA EXHIBITS.
Executive Commissioner Bickford
Tells What Disposition Has
Been Made Of Them.
Awards Given tho State In the
Mines and Mining
Building.
Montana Ladies' this Only Onss Whs Cap.
tursd Two Gold Medals In b
women's Department.

In an interview a. Missoula Hen. W. IL
Bickford, executive commissioner OF ths
Worlds fair board, told = Wsstsrn Demo
cyat reporter about the Montana exhiblsa
and their disposition after shs closing Of
the faiy.
..Befors I left Chicago" said Mr.. Bick'
ford, '.the state board had decided to SEND
everything in the way of furniture, and
pertion OF the state exhibit. home to Gov
srnor Richards. TO be left 81 his disposai.
Contracts had beeA lot n all arrange
uents made for packing aud Shipping the
exhibit, Much progress had already been
made in this direction previous to my de-
psrtuYs for Montana. The gold nuggets
amounting ia all to over $a0O0O-toRsshsz
with the display OF silver bars. valued 81
AZ 600. had been returned to the persons "a
whom they belonged.
Much Of the mineral exhibit was given
20 the colleges Of the east. The agrioul-
tural college At Boasman was given tn
Hrst choice Of minerals for ito museum
Tho remainder was distributed a. seemed
most desirable and in places whore thu
most peopls would see them and know
that they Game from Montana.
eve distributed 174,OcO pamphlets de-
ssriptivs Of Montana and its xesouress. and
An estimate based on actual counts made
a diffsrens periods during the oon5se Of
ths fair shows that Z, 200, 600 people We've
Nha Montana exhibit made in the respective
DEPARTMENT.. The general consensus OF
opinion was that Montana had made the
best minsral display OF any state, and mis-
MT fall of 4 single day. The booth was
..o.a.d vi<h ~visitOrs from the beginning
10 the end Of the fair.
..Much interest has undoubtedly been
aYoused over the question of awards In the
different departments. When l left chi
ssgo there had been thirsy-ei2ht awards
made 10 the state OF Montana, and there
vere nineteen others shat the committees
had promised would be passed apo favor
ABLY by spccial request. This included an
avard OF eight 10 the different counties in
the state a. large for its exhibit. and an
award Of merit for the silver statue of jus
1ise. as manufactured silver. The oshe-
parts of the state. Montana resolved q
larger number OF awards than n other
state in the union.
..In shs agricultural department We re-
osiyed fifteen awards. The highest award
was on oats and came to q Missoula county
man whose name I have forgotten. Inc
Yield was 113 bushels to the acre, weighing
Montana took tho highest award on barley
raised by irrigation. This went to the
Nanhattan company of Gallatin valley.
''The educational exhibit was very favor
ably commented upon and eonside ed TO be
the most Hastily arranged of any OF the
various state exhibits. For this the ereai'
il largely due Prof. r. g.. Young. OF Hell
eua, Who has been untiring in his energies
and has ct all times manifested the great
est amount of interest In tho work.
I'm the womsn's building the success OF
Montana ladies was very marked. inasmuoh
% shev captured two gold medals IN one
case which was 1 svoted to the art league of
Of Helona, was successful. and in the other
whs:e Mrs. Botkin, OF Helena. carried off a
medal. In no other state did the ladies
secure more than ore gold medal.
ION Chicago day the boys at the Mon
tena mineral booth anticipated q great
rush. Bat they ves. prepared for 1t.
hopes wore arranged in guoh a manner az
TO form an entrance at ono end nm exit at
the otuer. This would permit of three
people walking abreast. In the course OF
she day 221. 800 people by actual count Wis
tied the exhibit, or nsar.y one-thlTd OF the
total paid admissions to the grounds. Fully
one third Of all the psopls who visited
she Worlds fair during the entire six
months. view ed the mineral exhibit. Tho
greatest possible interest was displayed in
1he Mccormick and Savery collections of
gold nuggets. The Parrot company's cop
Der display was also q particular feature.
THE exhibit Of Indian eutios and ta1id-
e-my By DR.. Parsons, of Nissouia. at the
state headquarters attrao ted widespread at
tention. This exhibit has been packed and
stored for the present.
Tho silver statute of Justice. which was
the leading attraction Of the fair. has been
shipped to Now YORK, whore 1t is now on
exhibition. The ~lessess have a contract
covering sixty weeks and will exhibit the
statue in all Of ths prominent cities of the
county,"