The Forrest City times., 1898-03-18
THE OLD PIKE MANSION
To Be Reproduced As the Arkansas
 Building Ar Omaha.
Mach Interest Being Manifested and the Commission Receiving Substantial support From All sections
 of the State.
TBY W. p. MATHEWS. SECRETARY. l

The great state of Arkansas will have a beautiful building on the grounds at the Transmississippi and International Exposition, to be held in Omaha, Neb. from June to November of this year. And in this building will be displayed to the very best advantage the various products of the state. There is no state in the Union that can excel us if we only exert ourselves little bit.
 Now, fellow citizens, when 1 an nounce, as secretary of the executive committee, that 'it is go" do not by any means intend to convey the impress sion that the money is in the hands of the treasury to pay the bills, and that there is no more work to do. There is much to do in every direction. We have but little money at present, but there is sufficient in sight to warrant us in going ahead relying upon the promises made by the several commissioners and vice. presidents living in and representing every county. It strikes us that the harvest is ready, and all that is neces- sary is to put the machinery in the field and gather the crop-a crop consisting of quantity sufficient in cash and an abundance in the line of exhibits.
 And so, with confidence in the loyalty and patriotism of our people, your hum ble servants Appointed and commis- stoned by the governor have, after a careful canvass of the situation, and with finger on the public pulse, de- cided to go ahead just as though the legislature had appropriated money for the purpose and it was now available.
 The burden will not be heavy on the individual, the city, town or county if all appreciate the situation and do their part. Put 1t on a commercial basis only, and we cannot afford to permit the golden opportunity to slip by. No oc- casion can compare with the Omaha exposition when it comes to bringing before the public the resources of Ar kansas. To miss it would be almost a crime. Advertising counts either ad- yantageously or disadvantageously. It has been heralded throughout the land that Arkansas would be shown up at Omaha with a state building, etc, and five had failed well would the people who know nothing of us have concluded that all the Arkansas Traveller and Liar Jo" lies really conveyed the truth relative to this magnificent state, so rich and yet so poor.
 We urge you all to at once do your part, be it ever so humble, and report the cash results to Geo. c. Hardness, treasurer, Little Rock. Please do not wait for your neighbors. Get in line early. It will be popular after awhile to have it known that you early helped the cause.
 As secretary propose 10 devote all my time and energy to the work; will visit some of the towns, and stand ready to respond to any call if it is thought that results will follow.
 Col. R. w. Richardson, special com- missioner, was sent down here by the management of the exposition, and, with the secretary, visited several towns ln the state and met the leading citi- zens At each point much interest was awakened. ltwas plain to be seen that the people wanted the commissioners to go ahead, and, obeving this manifest order, that is just what we are doing
 'S HhAoi lildL AOl. could not remain with us several weeks, put he was ordered elsewhere, and so Hhe Plne Bluff and Little Rock meet 'ngs closed his voluntary lahors. The gentleman has become very much inter- ested In Arkansas, and when he heard we had made the decision to put up a building he was as happy as any native Wlln the nnnA nf ~ A ct -a 1< hao nn,,lI possibly be.
 And Col. Richardson is highly pleased wlth our plan for the building. In fact, ne IS enthusiastic, and goes back to headquarters prepared to render good report. He made an examination of .ne grand, majestic old residence built oy uen. Albert Pike, now owned and occupied by Col. John c. Fletcher, and most cordially indorsed the board s ac'ion in deciding to reproduce it at omaha' And really, in my humble Upihlon, Tp 1t was the proper thing to do. .he old Pike mansion is not an out-of- ua'e' ramshackle and ugly building, as eoiie people suppose, because it was e'ected ln ante-bellum times. On the .oh'rary, it is grand in architectural oeauty, impressive in exterior appear ance' and commodious in its interior arrangements It is of the colonial idea
 scientific architecture, style once ,,ery popular. and now being readopted ."e world over. It is 56 K "A feet in size on the ground, two full stories high, "'.n spacious balconies and porches, n, au gives a floor space of over :, ,00O feet. nat II will attract attention at Omaha
 an assured fact for its solid worth. uu not considering at all the historic associations.
 ~ mas been decided to issue button
 oe worn upon the lapel of the coat
 oress front as means of raising sOpuiar subscriptions among the gen. ,l public. The button will be about sh be size Of silver half dollar and will aow picture of the Pike mansion and " suitably inscribed to represent Ar sas. Five thousand of these but ..s .us VIII be distributed throughout the
 we and offered for sale to the patri-