The Portland daily press., 1897-03-27
THE MAINE EXHIBIT.

At the Sportsmen's Exposition in New
York.
It Proved Great Advertisement for the
| State and Was the Feature of the show
| Miss Cornelia T. Crosby Was the
| Central Figure of the Exposition.
A Maine hunting camp built of logs
brought pieoemeal from the forests of the
Pine Tree state aud true to life in every
detail proved delightful novelty last
week at the Sportsmen's Exposition in
New York city.
Without exaggeration il showed just
how the hundreds of sportsmen who visit
this state in the spring and fall are en-
tertained while pursuing. the pleasures Of
trout fishing or the hunting for the big
game which Maine affords, and to lend
countenance to the scene, fifteen veteran
l.guides representing as many parts of the
state, dressed in the picturesque garbs
| Of backsw0odsmen, lounged about the
camp and entertained the thousands Of
curious visitors with quaint hunting and
fishing stories anu advice of all kinds
10 make the Illusion more perfect and
| to excite the interest OF the many ardent
sportsmen who visited the big show
there were displayed in and about the
hunting lodge IS, 600 worth Of taxider-
mist's work including tle largest moose
ever shot in America, which lell before
the gun of DR.. Gray Of Lynn, Mass,
last October, the largest deer ever snot
/ hn ut0tn md nj hOu on fvr1Y NOW
specimens of big game by the dozen.
Then there we're giant trout and count
| less trophies of the rod and gun, all, SO
tastefully displayed, that the New York
ers and sportsmen from other parts of
the country were never wearied of look
ing at Names part in the exposition.
In fact as an advertisement for Maine
this exhibit proved fer more successful
than the promoters of the sob eme dared
hope 1t would Over 200, 600 pamphlets
and descriptive literature relnting 10 this
State were distributed among the patrons
of the exposition and the questions that
were asked about Maine's resorts, her
game laws. game, trout streams and gen.
| eral attractions for the sportlnen told
how great an interest this exhibit had
excited. The guides in and out Of Aiadi-
son Square garden were alwars sur
rounded by a curious crowd. and not one
| of these veterans came away from New
/
sportmen fer the fishing and hunting
seasons as they or their friends can COM
fortably care for. The Now YORK papers
were til. ed with what the guides had to
say about Maine and columns OF descr,p-
\ tive matter were printed free of charge
about the state ip the hig dailies. Hun
| dreds of men who have heretofore epent
their vacations at Saratoga, Newport
and the Adirondacks signified their in
tention of visiting Maine tnis.season and
trying weok or two Of genuine rough
ing it in the Maine woods. What this
means to the whole state cannot well be
estimated. Hundred of rich families will
see Maine as she really is for the iirst
time this summer aud besides leaving
considera BILE percentage of their wealth
| within our midst will themselves be-
come attached to the glorious scenery
and health restoring qualities or our
| pine forests and do more to bring other
summer yacationists hsre than all the
pictures and literature in the world,
All of this was accomplished by the
Maine exhibit at ths SpOrtmens Expoa1t-
| ion which was in charge Of Miss COrnsl1a
| Il. Crosby whose "nom de guerre" Of
ely Rod has been household phrase
| since Maine has been the mecca of mil
| llonaire sportsnen. fn her especial line
Miss Crosby has made herself famous
| and has probably done es much to adver-
| living. yesterday noon Miss Crosby land
ed at Union station after very success
! full campaign in New York at the SPORTS
| mems Exposition She was the central
figure of this exhibit, which was larger
ami on bigger scale than ever before.
and by her reputation as sportswomhn.
! her charming eccsntrioity, her vivacious
manner and unsxceiled conversational
powers she became great drawing card
fur MAine's palt of the show.
The Maine Central railroad ard other
railroad and steam boar lines, together
with the hotels have taken practical
method Of bringing to the attention of
the summer tourists and sportslnen the
attractions this state offers. AT great
cost and by an immense amount OF work
his exhibit at the Sportsmen's Eahihit-
ion was planned and put into operst ION
and anyone who has ssen the New York
papers within tue last two weeks and
has not read all about Miss Crosby, her
guides and the Maine exhibit have net
carefully persued these journals.
Each of the guides came away from
New York loaded down with presents OF
all kinds while an attempt to describe
the many handsome gifts hich were be-
slowed upon Miss Crosby would take up
several columns.
The presents from the guides to Miss
ssFly Rod were unique and handsOMe.
Many noted sportsmen who called uPon
her during the exposition remembeJ ed
her with handsome presents while from
the Sportsmen's Association itself came
u beautiful silver loving cup suitably in
soribed, showing Its appreciation OF the
efforts OF this lady to make the exposit-
ion "A success
During the most of the time the expo
sition was underway Miss Crosby was rs
sisted by Travelling Passenger Agent w.
E. Wood of the Maine Central in caring
, for the throngs Of visitera who hocked to
the hunting lodge to learn something
about Maine and to see the fine speci-
mems Of ths taxidermist's skill which
: were exhibited.