New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-02-24
EXHIBITORS STILL WAITING.
NEITHER DIPLOMAS NOR MEDALS TO
MARK AWARDS MADE AT CHICAGO.
WHILE THE BUREAU OF AWARDS DRAGS OH
PREcARIoUs EXISTENCE. ITS CHIEF MEAN
DERs IN POLITICAL BYPATH5 AND
LOSES HIMSELF IN EGYPT.

| LOSES HIMSELF IN EGYPT.
Washington, Feb. % Specialization Boyd Thacher
Is in Egypt studying the Sphinx and basking In the
sunny atmosphere OF the Ne-but the Bureau OF
Awards still lives moves imperceptib.y and has
! its tenS In Washington Were nobody Is e;er IN
! hurry. II Is said. when the Democracy, Including
David r. l. ]. turned down IN the newborn
elections thdt Mr.. Thacher, who was the aspiring
dark horse for Governor. turned his back on all
Worlds Fair ambitions, gathered up his shattered
! political. hopes and Immediately left the country.
Whether this be not. 1t Is quite certain that
John Boyd Thacher is abroad, and the Bureau OF
Awards is Jogging along without its former In
spirdton and of course. waiting for the still UNI
finished medals and diplomas. In the mean time.
to break the long delay. the text Of awards in
typewriter copies of the wording of diplomas have
been sent out to exhibitors, who also are waiting.
and, according letters pouring into the bureau,
not very patiently either. This text Is Il sort OF
guarantee that in the course of time exhibitors VIII
/ get something ese-a sort of promissory note Sc
| curity FOR the deferred payment Of awards IT is
! also A reasonable evidence that the Columbian EX
! position was not altogether a dream, but. on the
contrary. a good deal Of a commercial enterprise.
For advertising purposes the text Of diplomas meets
every want.
The Director Of the Mint says the medals Will
be ready for distribution about June l. The Super
ntendent OF the Bureau of Engraving and Print
Ing says the diplomas will be finished about The
end OF March. Though the diploma holds the spirit
and letter Of the ward. the medal Is the symbol
and the two must go together Therefore. allowing
A small margin OF time. which 1t Is always sa'e
to allow the Bureau OF Awards the sending ont
OF medals and diplomas will hardly begin before
July But It Is encouraging. after all the bother
and decy over The design, TO know that the med
ais really under way-up In Connecticut WheTe
artisdc work has a wide range. from n wooden
nutincy 70 a Waterbury watch. In fact, 1t Is
Waterbury firm that is turning out the medals
a,corDins 20 contract let by The Secretary OF the
Treasury not the highest bidder. but to this
particular firm. which is to furnish 2S"o bronze
medals for 5000 r. however. any exhibitor should
prc.cr 4 gold medal. he is authorized by the Con-
gross Of the United States to have one providing
he uays FOR the gold himself Otherwise. all the
medals viii be OF bronze, also authorized by con-
gross AID precisely alike except in the names OF
exhibitors inscribed on them.
Il IS a curious fact that though the medal OF
award for the Columbian Exposition was designed
by ST. Gaudens who received 5000 for the de-
sign there Is after all but One st. Gaudens medal
ani never will b. but This medal which was
struck as samrle work. shocked the Quadro-Cen-
tennill Committee Of the Senate, not entirely be-
cause on the reverse America was represented by
a nude figure, but because IT male instead Of
/ the ueual female figure heretofore representing
America The committee at objected to this
larng innovation. said tn design must be modified.
and brought its influence 10 bear on the secretary
OF the Treasury until the order went forth to change
7 the mccall 81. biNleNS Ul'tlltp tHe ur4S'' ANN
once but twice, bur neither effort was acceptable
20 IN, statesmen. who looked from their own
point OF view. and by this time were fully con-
WINGED that the 81 Gaudens medal would never
DO for tho home. the family and the freslde 1t
evalei nothing to argue that It was inconsistent
20 roec, the medal which. by several thousand
would b., tho award for the nude In art, exhibited
/ in sculpture and painting The committee was deaf
/ To ali such arguments. and the ST. Gaudens medal
had to g. Il was serious hitch. caused the
9elav - . year and haf. and the result is that
/ the only ST Gaudens medal In existence cost the
/ Gove,rrnsr, Just 5000. Not the least interesting
ua- Of this business that nobody in the Treasury
had anything 10 with the acceptance OF the -.
| Gauieus design. which. OF course. involved
the payment Of the 5000. Everybody bravery
shirks this responsibility. and II one were 10 scour
| the Treasury Department not an official could be
found vino .lgned The voucher or any other receipt
or verbally authoriz. Il the acceptance of the de-
Sign and pavgnent OF the 500 ore and all wash
their hands Of the affair, md the only cew would
seem - be in the inference that Mr.. ST Gaudcns
| must have hypnotized somebody. The rejected
| medal IL In the possession Of John BOYD ThacEer
who apprecIatcs ITS artistic beauty and values II
az a UNIQUE souvenir. declaring he Will never part
with it.
Tho now medal IL n partnership OF artistic
genius and mechanical skill, as 1t retains the
| diverse by s. Gauders. with the reverse oy
| Charles T. Barber designer In the United states
Mint Tho Quadro- Cen tennial Committee had no
| objection to the diverse as that was purely MS
,orical affording chance for innovation. but
simply the straight familiar story OF the lahdhis
~ columbus a design which pleased the states
mon After about fifteen months labor. MI Bar
be submitted two designs .or the reverse VI We
neal TO- he etary o, o,, ~, hy ne Director
OF the Mint Or by Mr.. Barber as the more 9eau,,-
f but the gns OF WHICH cFe Se secretary though
would be epabe 10 the coT mn Wor ana F enq
al has on
Old OH story OF Columbus and his followers Just
fanliar picture OF the globe hanked on either side
by a female figure that on the risht WIN ,aor'
Just below is a very small space or die for
the Of the eHhintor and "ncn : sVi ars,g 70
names that are as rule much 100 long TO ne
names Of Americans VINO are Ise1 70 , Joo rs
would hp no serious offence buy 10 CUT uo"h tne
Of foreign exh bitors will be far from agreeable to
their owners and much less nteIlisibie to ANYBODY
space and 81 irregular form, for the name But
with this little die. into which the letters must be
ddonbifui II the names win be visible TO the naked
names An must s' be done at the Mint after the Water
Gcr that the people at the Mint are already worry
ing and wondering how they are going to do It.
If Mr. BARRIERS anxiety to execute design nl which
tornal statesmen led him TO overlook the very
important feature of suitable space for names.
more's the pity For Il is the name Itself which
srccial medal for each exhibitor. No comparison
can 10 made between the ST. Gaudena and Barber
designs. The one IS an artistic conception executed
I'm delicate lines and exquisite finish. The other.
though excellent work in its way. is mechanical,
heavy and lacking In delicacy OF execution ard fin
ish. In short. the 81. Gauiens design OF art. The
Barber design Is skilled labor.
The diploma. which, as Is well known were also
authorized by Congress. escaped the vlcssitudes
that beset the medal. There but hitch.
and that caused by the remarkable lnterpre-
tation Of the meaning OF Congress b. the Con-
troller who declared the Bureau of Awards must
share with the Treasury In the expense OF max
ing the diplomas. After good deal OF haggiing
this question II found that the Bureau
OF Awards had no money. there was nothing
left but for the Government TO ahead and en-
grave the diplomas. which the Treasury is doing |
by contract with itself, in the Bureau OF En- |
craving and Printing, and after the design OF the
artist. VIII a. Low Fortunately the Quadro- Cen |
ennla Committee did not get hold Of this design;
Mr.. Lows historical flights OF fancy would |
have Jared badly at the hands OF the statesmen |