The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-01-16
CORN TO BE KING.
Plan to Make a Feature of 1t at Paris
Exposition.
Washington Post.

Washington Post.
Corn will be king at the American expo
sition of 1900. The residents of the corn
growing section of this country have de-
clared it, Ferdinand w. Peck, United States
commissioner general of the Paris exposi-
ton, has approved of it, and the visitors to
the great fair will do the rest The court
Of Kline. Corn is going to be a wonderful
aggregation. The world is going to bow the
knee before his Majesty and acknowledge
that the monarch is the greatest that ever
ruled, and that other cereal mOnarchs make
very bad seconds to this American poten-
tate.
The plans for astonishing the world by
the majesty of King Corn are outlined by
Clark ID. Carr. president of the American
Maize Propaganda, who writes from Mount
Carroll, ILL.,, the following description of the
part that American corn will play among
the attractions of the Paris exposition of
1900:
''The representatives of the American
Maize Propaganda the president Of the or
ganization for the State of Illinois, and 9TH
er officers and members called upon Hon.
Ferdinand w. Peck, and laid before him our
views with regard to a great corn exhibit
at the Paris fair. The commissioner was
interested al once, and thought that the
idea would be of great benefit to the Amer
lean people as well as unique and striking
addition to the attractivenesS of the Amer
lean section of the exposition. We discussed
the whole matter with him and were assured
of his cooperation.
Our plan, so far as developed. is to
have every useful article manufactured
from Indian corn on exhibition at Paris
corn meal, corn flour, hominy, starch.
sugar, syrups, caramels. candies of all
kinds, oil. soap, the substitute for gutta-
percha, and corn-pth cellulose. In fact.
everything produced from this American
cereal by mill and mandatory and glu-
7Resides this display we propose to es-
tablish Indian corn kitchen and res
taurant where the people coming from all
lands can themselves be served with
well-prepared and well-cooked cornbread,
corn buildings corn fritters, corn dodgers,
johnny cake, hoe cake, corn griddle cakes.
popcorn. hominy mush, succotash and all
the innumerable dishes that Americans rel
lsh. The good result that we hope to bring
about is to get the world to appreciate the
value and excellence of Indian corn as we
appreciate, them.
IA feature of the exhibition that we think
will be a very popular one will be the free
distribution Of samples of cornmeal, corn
flour and hominy. With the free samples
will be given pamphlets, printed in various
languages setting forth the best way to
cook the delicacies. explaining how to cook
the various dishes that they will be APP
preciated and win favor among those who
have never known the joys of New England
cooking. and take every possible means of
introducing the cereal in its various forms
to the nations Of the old world under the
most favorable conditions.
The appropriation by Congress for the
display at Paris of all American agricul
tural products is limited to $4,000. When
produce from agriculture 1t will be found
to be inadequate. 1t is hoped and believed
that Congress will at the next session great
ly increase this appropriation.
But 1t is not enough that Congress make
appropriations. The Legislatures of the six
great corn-pToducing States, Illinois. Iowa,
Indiana, Missouri Kansas and Nebraska
must themselves make appropriations, to be
used exclusively in bringing their most Inn
portant and valuable product to the atten-
ton of the world. Limited as we were in
our work for Indian corn i'm 1890 and 1891
the annual export of that commodity to
Germany and the Scandinavian countries
has doubled since that time.
"An appropriation of 100000 by Illinois
for this purpose would only be one-fourth
of ! per cent of the value of her average
annual corn crop. The per cent. Of the
value of her crop would be still less If the
same amount were appropriated by Iowa.
All of these States mentioned can well al
ford to appropriate one-fourth of per cent.
of the value of their average annual corn
crop for such an object.
The efforts for the diffusion of Indian
corn need not be limited to the Paris ex-
position. They can be profitably extended
by efforts in other countries similar TO those
proposed at Paris. until the recognition OF
throughout the world as that of wheat and
other grains. ut
1T is our own fault, and in a great de-
gree the result of our own Indifference, that
60 per cent of the human race knows Moth
ing of the value as food for the table of this
most important cereal, in the production of
which we, the American producers, have
practically a monopoly.
The news that corn is to be made so much
of at the Paris exposition will gladden. the
hearts of many intending visitors from this
country, who have missed this peculiarly
American table delicacy during the trips
abroad. The corn palace of the Paris ex-
position will doubtless be well patronized
by the American contingent