The morning call., 1894-05-13
MITCHELL is OUT.
Robert Leaves the Fair to
It's Fate.
HE FILES HIS RESIGNATION.
Not a Member of the Executive
Committee.
PREFERS TO BE IT'S ATTORNEY.
The Thrifty Lawyer Writes a Touch
ing VaIedictory to His As
sociates.
HE FILES HIS RESIGNATION.
PREFERS TO BE IT'S ATTORNEY

During the remaining weeks OF ltS eX-
istence the executive committee OF the
Midwinter Fair will try to worry along
without Robert Mitchell, who has been one
OF its members.
Mitchell has frequently talked Of send
ing in his resignation to his associates.
The latter often referred to him as 'the
kicker" and it got to be standing joke
about the Administration building when
ever the corpulent attorney was overruled
that Bob Mitchell is going to resign
again."
These threats were never carried out
however, although the story went that
once when one Of his designations had been
pettishly made, Drector-General de Young
remarked so quickly that it made MIR.
MitchelPs head swim: 'All right resign
then; sorry to lose you"
There was marked diminution in the
frequency of these bluffs after that. al
though the resignng member did not
always have his own way. This time the
resignation has been made in writing,
over Mr.. Mitchel's signature. and some
of his associates have asserted that there
Will be no opportunity for its withdrawal.
Mr.. Mitchell spent some time in COM
posing valedictory address to tine exec
utive committee. in W hich he refers to his
services to the exposition in terms not
un1lattering to himself. He sounds
bugIe-note in the concluding paragraph of
this epstle. wherein he gives an explana-
tiOn of his resignation by naively remark
ing:
Il do not think the services of COM
mitteeman will be so much required in
closing up the affairs of the exposition as
the advice and services OF an Attorney.
Then Mr.. Mitchell states that "fOrtu-
Dately, the financial condition of the eX-
position is such that the employment and
payment Of competent attorney" can be
easily provided by the exchequer. In an
earlier paragraph of his farewell, he mod
estly referred to the services he had rem
dered to the exposition ''as its attorney.
free of all charge" The Inference of his
concluding suggestion is thus made COM
paratively obvious.
Although not on the exposition payroll.
Brer Mitchell was granted $1,000 for
making hurried trip to Washington and
drawing up a brief bill. which Congress
promptly passed, cons tituting the Midwin-
ter Fair an international exposition. But
1t must not be supposed that his connec-
tiOn with the management of the big show
was devoid OF all financial reward.
With remarkable thrift, Mitchell, the
committeeman, was often reasoned with
and cajoled by Mitchell, the attorney for
various concessionaires on the grounds.
The former was reported to be specially
susceptible to the arguments of the latter.
1t was considered rather clever move
for con cesslonaire desiring favor from
the executive comnlttee. to retain Mitchell
for the proper presentation uf his plea.
Fees for these services were said to have
been collected by the attorney committee
man.
"Such a clever combination of legal
acumen and commercial instinct" was
the Sunset City verdict of Major Mitchell,
when he had examined the contracts made
by Assistant Director General Cornely in
Chicago with exhibitors and concession
aires.
The legal member of the management
pronounced these contracts unSatisfac-
tory. so he proceeded to draft new bar
gains. charging therefor each concession
aire the sum of S25 The net result of
this 'astuteness was 80 gratifying that
Major Mitchell has never been seen since,
except under a top hat and wearing a
Willie-boy coat with satin lining.
He acted as Cornely's attorney. too. and
taking one thing with another has man.
aged to keep the wolf from the door.
despite his statement of the injury to his
practice from such close application to the
interests OF the fair.
Serious differences are said to have oe-
Cured between the directOr-general and
Mitchell, and some of the formers friends
have often questioned Mitcheli's loyalty to
the chief executive officer of the exposi-
tion. When De Young was in Chicago
last fall Mitchell asted as president of the
committee in his absence and was credited
with an aspiration to succeed DE oung.
When questioned about these matters
yesterday Director. General de Young
passed over the matter of these differences
lightly. He said that Mitchell preferred
to act as attorney for the committee to con-
iinuing as a member. De Young added
that it would be necessary for represeD-
tative o the fair TO appear in court from
time to time. concluding with the signiti-
cant remark that Mitchell could not draw
a salary as attorney for the executive CON-
mittee and remain a member at the same
inn