Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1899-01-23
EXPOSITION COMMISSIONERS REPORT
The Many Hard Trials and Financial Trib-
u~lations Experienced by the Board
in It's Work.

ulations Experienced by the Board
in Its Work.
The New Mexico commission of the
Transmississippi exposition has made
it's report to Governor Otero, and the
following is a synopsis of the same: The
commissioners were appointed by the
governor April 27, 1897, under chapter
ga of the Laws of 1897 and at the time :
of organization, the commission con-
sisted of Ex-Governor L.. B. Prince, of
Santa Fe; j. L. Mclaughlin, of San
Pedro; John Morrow, of Ration; W. $.
Hopewell, of Hillsboro; W. Fl. Llewellyn
of Las Cruces; j. j. Leeson, of Socorro:
s. II. Day, of Santa Fe; L. j. Curran, of
Albuquerque, and r. M. Tansill, of Eddy.
Subsequently Major Llewellyn resigned
and Louis Hostetter, of Las Cruces, was
appointed in his place. Ex-Governor
Prince was chosen president, Il. j.
Curran secretary, and S. II. Day treas
urer. In the last 1S months the mem
bers of the commission attended many
meetings at Albuquerque and Santa Fe,
paying their w expenses because OF
the scarcity Of territorial funds appro-
priated for the purpose, and the praise
worthy desire to make an exhibit that
would rebound with credit to the New
Mexico. The financial difficulties under
which the commission were labOring
may be the better appreciated when it
is known that this commission had not
half as many hundred dollars at its dis
posal as the Worlds Fair commission had
thousands. The only compensation
paid to any person in connection with
the exhibit was that allowed to the
executive commissioner, so that he
might devote his whole time to the col
lection and transportation of exhibits to
Omaha and remain there in charge
throughout the exposition season. The
amount allowed him was barely sutfi-
cient to cover his actual expenses.
Commissioner Lesson was unanimously
chosen to the position of manager. He
began his duties March Is, 1898, and
continued in charge until the return OF
all the exhibits to their owners. The
board in their report say that ''the
ability and efficiency manifested by him
during the entire exposition are rec
ognized throughout the whole territory,
and call for the hearty thanks OF the
commission"
The legislature appropriated $1,000
! from the territorial funds, and half OF
the balance of the exposition fund
amounting to $435. The legislature
gave the different counties permission
to appropriate funds in aid OF the eX-
position commission, and it was hoped
that considerable would be realized
from this source; but not a dollar was
received, although appeals were made
several times to the county boards, and
an earnest request was made to them by
the governor. This failure to respond
was owing to the shortened condition OF
the finances of the various counties.
The Santa Fe county commissioners
' were the only ones who made an appro-
prlation, and that was expended lo-
cally in securing a mineral exhibit from
that county.
The exposition authorities asked that
two ladies in each Transmississippi state
and territory be designated whose pho
tographs might be used in preparing q
Q composite typical head to be used on
official medals. The selection was by
9 ballot, and the voting contest realized
y $122.2 5. The ladies thus selected were
Q Mrs. NJ. A. Otero, wife of the governor,
|. and Mrs. Solomon Luna. Of Los Lnnas.
q The total sum from all these sources
aggregated but $1,556, which was in
Q adequate to meet the expenses of the
r most economical exhibit. Much diff
Guilty was experienced in securing the
a necessary space for exhibits owing to
the charge per square foot, and if the
9 regular rates had been insisted on all
:. the funds at hand would have been
I! exhausted for this alone. The Santa
Fe and the Rio Grande roads generously
G carried the exhibits free as far as Kan
sas City. Thus the freight IN the Pc
cos valley exhibit was $142, and each
car from Kansas City to Omaha cost
over $55. The fresh fruit from the Hor-
ticultnral fair had to be sent by express
in order to arrive in good order, at con
siderable expense.
Notwithstanding the cramped finances,
the display made at the exposition was
very creditable, and all New MeXicans
who visited Omaha expressed them
selves as highly gratified that the terri
tory was so well represented. The
number of premiums awarded to the
New Mexico exhibitors was larger in
proportion to the number of exhibits,
than in any other state or territory.
The board reports that the small
amount appropriated was insufficient
to meet the necessary expenses of the
board. The total expenses were $2,35s;
the total receipts $1,557, leaving a
deficit of $795. The greater part of
; this deficiency was advanced personally
Y by Commissioner Lesson to keep the
exhibit in proper condition and return
them to their owners, and the legisla-
ture is asked to appropriate enough to
4. meet this obligation. The thanks OF
u the commission are especially due to
y the governor for his active and uninter-
rupted interest, to Secretary Wallace
for his valuable assistance, and to
President Wattles, of the Omaha eX-
- position, for his consideration, to the
:, press of the territory, to the railroad
companies and to others who assisted.