Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-06-29
Maine at Buffalo.

We have received a letter from a
LAWYER in Buffalo. N. Y, man born
and educated in Maine. which pre-
SCENTS picture, anything but attrac-
tive. of the Maine room In the New
England building at the Pan-Ameri-
can exposition 1t will be recalled that
the legislature failed to make any
provision for Names part of this
building. and that the necessary money
was secured by private subscriptions
and the action of several boards of
trade, particularly the State board
and the Portland board. But with
the payment or partial payment. of
Names proportionate share i'm the
erection Of the New England
building, the interest in the mat
ter seems to have stopped, and
the large room assigned to Maine is
bare and deserted, even being locked
Up much Of the time. 1t is condition
of things not very gratifying to Maine
visitors to the exposition of whom
there are many. The letter is per-
sonal ore. but we make the following
extract which is eloquent OF the condi-
tions and which may stir up somebody
with State pride and means.
AS perhaps you know, New Eng
land is represented at the Pan Ameri-
can exposition, by New England
building which is one of the finest of
the state buildings on the grounds. All
this is very well and gratifying to a
New Englander, but when one enters
the building and compares the furn-
ishings of the six rooms assigned to the
six New England states, Maine suffers
most terribly by that comparison. All
of the other states rooms have COM
Portable rugs, pictures, chairs. rockers,
sofas, table with writing material, pen
and ink, etc, and register to report
the names of visitors, whether born in
the state or not but the Maine room Is
perfectly blank, no register, nothing
: except gorgeous paper on the wall, but
most of the time this room is locked up,
which perhaps is better. although it
makes more pronounced the shame to
those of Maine descent, for it shows only
too plainly that We are barred out. that
Maine cannot be hospitable on account
of the inaction of its legislature, and
is great contrast to the open doors
of the other states. welcoming to their
attractive rooms their sons and
daughters, from all parts of the coun-
try. when they gather here, exchange
their greetings and duly register them
selves.
1T would not be so bad if all other
New England states were represented
by individual buildings. and Maine was
not, but where there is a common
building for all and Maine is the only
one behind in some simple way in
providing for its guests, the contrast
is SO conspicuous, that we who are
from Maine, feel it very kcenly, and
the impression makes upon visitors
from other states is certainly not a
tiattering one.
can you not take this matter up in
some way, and stir up few liberal
minded and generous citizens and take
some action, so that the Maine room
can be provided with few chairs, a
rug or so, a register, so that sons of
Maine can make themselves known. 1t
is too bad to have here any such pain
full evidence by not having anything AT
all. contrasted with the other New
England states, which have been very
generous in the matter, and is re-
Election on the Maine Legislature, far
from pleasing. OF course the average
outsider does not understand this and
wonders what the matter is with
AIaine.''