Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1900-04-26

Paris, April "A few days ago a
little affair occurred at the United
States machinery building at Vincen-
mes that at first threatened 70 develop
into serious quarrel between the
French commissioner of the Bots de
Vincelnes and f. c. White, the en-
gineer in charge Of the construction OIL
the United States pavilion. 1t came
about in this manner: The United
States had been assigned certain
triangle of ground in the park at Vim
cennes and has been given the right to-
construct on this triangle such build
ings as it pleased provided the build
ing did not permanently injure the
property. One afternoon several
French workmen appeared and COM
menced preparations for the erection
of a refreshment stand on the ground
which had already been assigned to the
United States. Mr. White called the
American workmen on the machinery
building and told them to prevent the
Frenchmen from continuing their
work. The Americans effectually car
ried out these commands by deliber-
ately getting in the way of the French
men by pulling up stakes and by in
terfering with their operations in
other ways. The workmen sent for a
gendarme who soon appeared in COM
pany with the commissioner of the
Bots de Nincennes. The latter i'm
medately demanded to know who was
taking the responsibility. Mr. White
presented himself and the commits
Sioner asked by whaj right the work
had been stopped. II was explained to
him that orders had been received
from f. l.. Drake, rector of the depart
ment of machinery and electricity, di
recting that no French concessioniare
should be permitted to erect any
building on space assigned to the
United States. The commissioner then
proceeded to become cry wrathy, say
ing that the Americans had been very
discourteous in stopping the work as
they had. He added that in France
they were civilized and submitted such
questions to arbitration and that
Americans had no right to take such
summary steps while they were on
French soil. All this did not discour-
age the American contingent, so the
gendarme ordered them to dispense,
They did not consider it advisable to
argue with a represe n,ative Of the gov
eminent and therefore dispersed and
the Frenchmen proceeded with their
work for the remainder of the after
noon. But matters We're not allowed
to rest in this way very long as the
Americans went out the next morning
armed with a plan Of the Bots which
showed them to he entitled TO the
ground claimed by the French conces-
sionaire. This time the argument was
carried on with two Frenchmen who
saw things in their proper light but
who insisted that the commissioner
general Of the exposition had the right
to do as he pleased in regard to as
signing space. 1t was explained to
them that ii was not just or reason
able TO assign the same space TO two
people, 50 tley agreed to submit the
question to arbitration and the work
men were called of The American
workmen then proceeded to fill up the
hole that the Frenchmen had dug for
a foundation and to destroy all other
traces OF their work. Later on the
pavilion taken by the Americans was
confirmed and a firm from the United
States is now erecting a pavilion on
the disputed space,