Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-03-09
MUCH JEALOUSY AROUSED.
Western States Involved in Bitter
Alterations
Growing Out of Beauty Contest.
Social Boycotts Declared-Woes
OF the Officials Who Are Trying
to Select Material for a Composite
photograph POLITICIANS Serious
ly Affected and an Editor Mobbed
by Women.

oLndHd, Neb., March "a confess
involving all the handsome women
west OF the Mississippi river is at pres
ent disturbing this region. In some
sections disputes have arisen of suffi-
clent seriousness to affect the political
complexion of entire legislatures, and
there are instances where social boy
colts have been instituted in which
many women of social prominence
have participated
The whole difficulty is the result OF
the beauty contest of the Transmits
sissippi Exposition, a feature of which
was the proposition to form a com
poslte photograph from which a medal
could be cast that would portray in
the truest sense of the word the facial
lines Of the varies beauties west of the
Mississippi. Now the directory is pre-
pared to admit that a herculean task
was undertaken when the scheme was
launched, and that the exposition will
be but memory ere the plan is ac-
complished.
Thus far only six States have made
selections of the two women whose
photographs, shall be part of the
composite picture. The balance of the
States west of the Mississippi are
hopelessly involved in solving the
knotty problem. When it was deter
mined to undertake a composite pho
tograph the first difficulty presented
was IN the manner of the selection of
the women whose beauty should be
considered fair type of Western love-
illness. Various plans were suggested.
1t was at first thought that commits
sion made up of business men of the
various capitals should be called hpon
TO settle the puzzle. Then the cum
bersomeness of the plan caused it to
be abandoned.
A HAPPY THOUGHT
was advanced by Col. Maxson, vice
president of the exposition from the
State of Nevada He suggested to the
directory that it assign to the eXpOsl-
ton vice presidents of each State the
task of selecting the photographs of
the two handsomest women N their
respective States. This was accepted
with enthusiasm, and, as mark of
the directory's esteem Col. Maxson
was the first vice president designated
for this perilous duty.
Since then the colonel admits that
life has been a snare and a delusiOn.
When he returned from Omaha to his
home he was besieged by political and
social friends to favor their daugh-
tiers and sisters in the selection. He,
in a fit of desperation, introduced this
novel make-shift: From the county in
Nevada casting the lowest number Of
PopuliSt votes he selected one photo
graph, and from each county casting
as many votes as the lowest number Of
Populist votes he selected one photo
graph, and for each additional number
of votes another photograph. Thus he
had 4S photographs from which finally
he selected to send to Omaha. He de-
clareS he is a ruined man. as a result
of the jealousies and vituperationS that
the contest melted.
Col Maxson's experience is similar
to that of every officer who has been
called upon to make a selection. In
the State of Washington the contest
was carried to a point where the vice
president received innumerable threat
ening letters from angry women. and
was repeatedly warned against select
ing certain ones as a type of the beau
ty of the State of Nevada
In the Office of the Silver State. a
.aper printed in Winnemuca, New,
George s. Nixon, the editor, was
mobbed by six women who visited him
to protest against a certain "brazen
thing as they characterized E>r who
aspired to have her photograph Sc
lected The editor attempted to defend
his position, and was knocked down,
kicked and otherwise maltreated.