Omaha daily bee., 1896-06-14

MISSISSIPPI delegates. ana Wll0 lulS ldNVl-
able beginning the citizens Of Omaha were
encouraged to 20 forward. The Transmissis-
sippi and International Exposition associa-
tion was formally organized at a meeting
held at the Commercial club rooms on the
evening Of January Is. Z. T. Lindsey was
made chairman and Judge L. II. Bradley
presented the articles Of Incorporation which
had been previously drawn up. They hNed
the capital stock at $1,000, 900 IN shares OF
$40 each and the association was authorized
to transact business as soon as NlO.pDO had
been subscribed 4 board OF eleven directors
was proyided for and also twenty-five vice
presidents Of whom one should be from
omaha and one from each OF the twenty-four
transmissssippi states.
ORIGINAL STOCK SUBSCRIBERS
On the suggestion Of Mr. Rosewater, who
contended that ninety days was too short a
time in which to hold such an exposition as
was contemplated the articles were amended
to provide that the exposition should be
opened in June and closed in November,
1895 They were adopted as amended and
the necessary subscriptions of stock were
Immediately taken. These original subscrp-
tions were: +. Rosewater $500; w. J. Con
nell $500; J. H. Evans $500; Dan Farrell
jr. $500: Lee-Clarke-Andreesen Hardware
company. $500: w. Il. Bennett $500; }. L.
Markell $500 Thompson, Belden q co, E2VV'
william Krug $500; oscar Pickard, SeVV'
Metz Bros Brewing company $500; FRANK
II Hibbsrd $500; Dudley Smith, $500; kel-
ley. Stiger e. Co. $500; John \. Weaver
s4OO A. Clemens, $500; C. S Amber, S3yO
z. T. Lindsey, $3.50; Lyman Richardson. sou;
c. s Montgomery. 5000; l.. II. Bradley S2gV;
! |. w. Carpenter r. w. Richardson, w. II.
| Robertson George n. Hicks, NJ. II. DeLong'
Euclid Martin. J. j. Gibson, J. L. UT, Helm
| e. Thompson w. c. Bullard. o. c. Holmes,
| C s HAYWARD and johnson Bros, 500 each,
and Fisher q Lawre G. w Wattles, J. \.
Wakefield, G. II. Payne, G. a. Rathburn ana
trly aar
The stockholders then met and elected
the board of directors, consisting OF II. a
| Thompson. j. e. Markell J. II. Evans, G'
w. Wattles. G. H. Payne c. S. Montgomery
| w. r. Bennett. l. w. Carpenter, Dan far-
| relI jr.. Dudley Smith and Charles Metz.
! A committee consisting Of q. 7. Lindsey
| W r. Bennett. Charles Metz, |. w Carpen-
| ter and c. G. Belden. appointed to so
| licit further subscriptions for stock.
The board of directors met at the Mlllar9
hotel on the following Monday and elected
as officers G. w. Wattles president; ). h
| Markell, vice president; and John 4. wake
| field, secretary. -
MANY WE'RE DOUBTFUL.
The next step which confronted the pro
| moters OF the enterprise was the necesslt!
Of securing congressional recoshltioh' lSta LSen
| at this time there were many usually puphc-
| snirited citizens who were disposed 10 re-
| gard the scheme as visionary. Ihey salu
| that not until a bill making an approprla,
| tion for the exposition had really passeu
! congress could Omaha hope to carry 1t TO
| completion The difficulty Of getting a con.
gressional appropriation in this year OF
| economy. when congress was disposed TO cut
down all appropriations to the lowest Possl
| Bile minimum, was conceded, put the asso
| citation and its supporters believed that II
| could be accomplished by united ana con
tinned effort and events have justified their
| confidence. -,., -,
| A bill had already been introduced by
| Senator Allen on January 3, when nau peen
referred to the special committees On .or inte1
| national eXpositions. of which senator
! Thurston was chairman. 1t proVlded ior lhe me
| necessary recognition Of the exposition by
| the government. the admission OF forelsh
| exhibits free of duty, and for goVernlnemnt m
| evhihit of material from the Smithsonian
| institute the United States Fish commission
| the National museum and the various execu-
| tive departments. At the time OF intro
| duction the amount that was TO be CON
| tributed by the government was LETT planR
| hnt an expenditure of $4,000 was author
| izah for a government building and S2O,OOO
! additional for the transportation ana care
Of the exhibits. ..,-
| of the enterprise at this time was the
| anount that congress should be asked to
| contribute. 1t was the opinion OF con
| gressman Mercer, as well as Senators lhurs-
ton and Allen, that the Dill wouio slanu III
| A more favorable light If proviso was IN,
| serted to provide that the amount donated
by the government should be available only
when a similar amount was raised py tne t
people Of Omaha This view was d,ns mns'iy !,
endorsed by the board Of directors, ana II
was resolved to ask for an appropriation OF
$3.50 600 to be available when an equal
| amount had been raised at Omaha.
FIGHT FOR RECOGNITION.
The bill was introduced in the house by
Congressman Mercer, and until the senate
bill was finally passed, on almost the last
day of the session. the fight for its passage
was continually waged. At first the Dill
was Handicapped in the house by the strong
opposition OF Speaker Reed. VINO opposeu
. | il on the general ground Of economy. III
was referred TO the committee on ways and
means. of which Mr.. Reeds colleague, Mar
tin Dingley, was chairman, ana ior some
time it looked as though II would die u
| the committees hands. The senate Dill was
, reported back early in March after the ap
| preparation had been cut down to $2Oo ooo
, | which was the amount contributed TO the
| Atlanta exposition.
Then the main fight centered in the houSe
where Mr. Mercer and his friends were
; working day and night in its interest. Be
| fore Mercer's determined efforts the oppo
sition which had originally confronted the
hill began to disappear AS the members
ware made to realize the Importance of th'
enterprise and the benefits that 1t woult
bring to the entire transmississippi region
its opponents were won over untll IL De
came one Of the most popular measures
still experienced in getting favorable re
> port from the ways and means committee
4 and on April 10 Senators Thurston ant
9 Allen called up the senate bill, which ha(
been held in the hope of securing the pas
sage OF the house bill. which carried th'
G ! full appropriation OF $3.50 COO. II was passed
by unanimous consent. and as no othe
e | course was then open. 1t was decided t
$ | Introduce the senate bill in the house
: | President Wattles of the Exposition associa
ton, and Henry +. Wyman were in Wash
g | ington at the time in the interests OF tn
e bill, and on April 20 he appeared before tn
; | house committee, together with Congress
@ men Mercer, Andrews and KEN, and mad
4 | a vigorous plea for the bill. He left TO
. | Omaha that night with the assurance tha
. | the bill would be favorably reported atte
q the amendment obligating Omaha TO rails
$3.50 900 had been incorporated The repor
c | was presented by Congressman DolliVer @
Iowa on the following afternoon and place
q | on the file for passage.
< BATTLE NOT YET WON.
S II seemed that the battle had been Ho1
i | but II required another tremendous enor
! to secure recognition for the bill. Scores q
| measures were demanding consideration, an
: in the hurry to close the session II SCENE
e likely that Speaker Reed would neglect I
: recognize the exposition bill and that
Iav ovar until he session. A