Omaha daily bee., 1897-01-16

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,
| 1898. They were adopted as amended and
; the necessary subscriptions of stock were
| Immediately taken. These original fubscrip-
| tions were: Il. Rosewater, $500; w. ]. Con-
nell, $500; j. II, Evans, $500; Dan Farrell,
jr., $500; Clarke-Andreesen Hardware
company, $500; W. r. Bennett. $500; j. e.
Markell, $500; Thompson, Belden & Co., $500;
William Krug, $500; Oscar Pickard, $500;
Metz Bros, Brewing company, $500; Frank
II. Hibbard, $500; Dudley Smith. $500; Kel-
ley, Stiger & Co., $500; John A. Weaver,
S400; A. Clemmens, $500; G. S. Amber, $500;
z. T. Lindsey, $3.50; Lyman Richardson, $250;
C. S. Montgomery, 5000; l.. II. Bradley, $200
l. W. Carpenter, r. w. Richardson, w. ii.
Robertson, George n. Hicks, NJ. II. DeLong,
Euclid Martin, j. ]. Gibson, ]. L. UT, Helm
& Thompson, w. C. Bullard, o. c. Holmes,
C. S. Hayward and Johnson Bros, 500 each,
and Fisher G. Lawrie, G. w. Wattles, j. A.
Wakefield G. II Payne, G. A. Rathburn and
1. E. Burdck $50 each; total, S1O,65O,
The stockholders then met and elected
the board of directors, consisting of II. A.
Thompson, ]. E. Market. ]. II. Evans, G.
w. Wattles, c. II. Payne. c. S. Montgomery,
W. r. Bennett, |. w. Carpenter, Dan Far
rell jr,, Dudley Smith and Charles Metz
The board of directors met at the Millard
hotel on the following Monday and elected
as officers C. w. Wattles, president; j. f.
Markell vice president; John A. Wakefield,
secretary; Herman Kountze, treasurer.
The next step confronting the promoters
of the enterprise wCs the necessity of Sc
curing congressional recognition. A num-
her of usually public spirited citizens were
disposed to regard the whole thing as
visionary, and they said Omaha could not
hope to carry the matter to successful
issue until after bill making an approprla-
Ion had actually passed congress and re-
ceived the signature OF The president. The
supporters of the exposition conceded the
difficulty of getting an appropriation
through congress in a season of great fnan-
cial depression and ecouomy. but they ex-
pressed the belief that it could be accom-
plished by united and continued effort, and
events have justified their confidence.
BILL BEFORE CONGRESS.
iINNlouS " lulS NOIh Oh preliminary or
ganization Senator William V. Allen, who
has been an earnest supporter OF the ex-
position project, had introduced a bill in
the national senate gran ting the exposition
recognition by the national government,
providing for the admission of foreign ex-
hibits free of duty and pledging the United
States government to eXpend not less than
S25000 for a government exhibit from the
executive departments. the Smithsonian In
stitute, the United States Fish commission
and the National museum OF such articles
and materials as would illustrate the func-
tions and administrative faculty OF the gov
ernment in time Of peace and its resources as
war power. A similar bill was intro
duced in the house by Congressman Mercer.
After a stormy passage the senate bill was ,
passed, after the appropriation had been re-
duced to 100000 the amount appropriated
for the Atlanta exposition, and a clause had
been inserted which provided that the APP
preparation should only be available when
s250,0OO had been raised by the people of
Omaha. This bill was signed by the pres-
dent June 10. 1896
This action on the part OF congress gave
an additional impetus to the movement. A |
grand jubilee celebration Was held by the