The Topeka state journal., 1901-04-15
M'NEAL'S HUMOR.
He Discusses Big ExpositiOns
Past and Future.
What Kansas Has Done and Will
Do.
LOST OPPORTUNITIES
How State Lost Through Short
sightedness.
Those Who Killed the Kansas
LOST OPPORTUNITIES.
Those Who Killed the Kansas
Semi-CestenniaI.


sas Semi Centennial" Although this IS
a project dead possibly past all hope OF
resurrection he showed in a humorous
way something of the advantages that
would have accrued had the plans for
the exposition carried.
1T is said that on one OCCASION said
he, "a lawyer who was given a prollx-
ity Of statement, had a case about to be
called tor trial He filed an application
for a continuance OF the case on account
Of the unavoidable absence of his client.
In his application he set forth at great
length sixteen reasons why his client
would not be present The sixteenth and
last reason was because his client was
dead. The court who was as prOliX as
the attorney took the application under
advisement for some tWenty-four hours
and then oyerruled it on the ground that
none Of. the first fifteen reasons were
sufficient and that an attorney was sup
posed to set up his strongest grounds
first, consequently the last reason must
be presumed to be weaker than any Of
the previous reasons, and none OF the
other grounds being sufficient the last
must necessarily be insufficient. On ap-
peal the higher court after due cOnsid-
GRAFTON reversed the trial court, holding
that the last ground ought to be sufi-
cient unless it clearly appeared that the
passage of the appellant into the
saccharine subsequently was due to his
own laches-
t find myself just now in a some
what similar position to the attorney of
the deceased client. At the time this sub
1ect was assigned me it was supposed to
be alive but It has since departed this
life and a continuance or dismissal might
properly be granted. If Il had LETT any
estate suppose might ask that the
case be revived in the name of the ad-
ministrator or Of the heirs, but the semi
centennial exposition seems to have de-
parted leaving neither estate. heirs or
assigns This paper must therefore be
in the nature of a pOstmOrten statement,
fr.r7f
time existed but which exist no longer
Here follows a brief resume OF the ex-
positions from the time Napoleon 1nstl-
tuIed the custom OF holdl1S trl-e1nial
expositiOns in 1902 until the present time
1t was shown that while some Of the
larger RxpOsitiOns were successes nnan-
cially, a great many lost considerable
sums Of money. The expositions Of note
were discussed down until the time OF
the Centennial at Philadelphia. OF the
Kansas exhibit at that exposition he
TssIt is safe to say that very few if any
visitors to the Centennial went away
without visiting the Kansas bulldng
and every one WAS filled WITH WOnder at
what they saw. Two years before the
state had been visited by grasshoppers
and compelled to ask aid from the east
Naturally the impression prevailed that
Kansas was drouth stricken grasshop-
per eaten locality, plunged in the very
depths Of hopeless poverty. The astonlsh-
nlent of the visitors was great when
they saw in the Kansas building corn
twenty feet high, melons that weighed
100 pounds and pumpkins that were big
enough for houses
The Kansas exhibit was arranged in
the most unique and striking manner
There were pillars of corn and pyramids
of wheat Other states had displays that
were more expensive but NOT one attract
ed the attention that the kansas exhibit
did The millions Of visitors that visit
ed the Centennial went home to talk OF
Kansas and its marvellous productions
and possibilities During the trying
period Of 1871 the state ceased to grow
and even lost IN population. Almost i'm
mediately after the centennial exposition
it took on new life and activity. During
the thirteen years following the exposl-
ton the progress of Kansas in popula- !
tion and commercial development was
the wonder OF the century. In ten years
the population increased more than /
million and the mileage of railroads in
creased to more than 5000 miles How /
much OF this can be directly attributed /
to the centennial exposition can not ol
course be accurately determined but that [
the advertising the state received al I
Philadelphia was most potent factor +
in the development of the state there can /
be no question
kansas expended fifty thousand dol /
lars on an exhibit at the Worlds fair at +
Chicago, but whether it was OF any ben
eft to Kansas is a matter Of grave doubt +
In a great exposition like the World
fair. state exposition to attract atten-
ton must be one Of TWO things. It must /
be unique or it must be colossal The
Kansas exhibit did not quite fill either
requirement. There was q fairly good
collection OF Kansas products but they
were completely 0vershadOWed by the
tremendous exhibits on every side The
only unique feature in the exhibit WAS
Dyche's museum. This may have been
and probably was an advertisement fof
the Kansas university and especially for
Prof Dyche. but it showed nothing Of
the resources Of the state. We were not
to be engaged in the production
Of moose. sea lion and stuffed grizzlies
kansas has made an approp1 Iatlcn
Of $4,000 for an exhibit at the ST. Louis
exposition in 1908. The probabilities are
that the experiences Of Kansas at s..
Louis will be a repetition Of our exper-
fences at Chicago. St. Louis is preparing
TO expend even a greater sum in this ex-
position than was expended at Chicago
The show as a whcle will be SO stupsnG-
Gus that the Kansas state exhibit will &c
lost sight Of.
with the amount there would have
been to use in giving the Kansas axposi-
ton as good q show was given 81
Omaha would have resulted. But the ex-
position itself would not have been the
only or perhaps the leading benefit 70
the state Arran geme1tS would have :
been made so that a visitors ticlzaz
would carry him to any part Of the state
he might wish to visit and majority /
If the visitors would have taken adva1-
sage of the opp0rtunity to see tbs STATE {
and the lynch pin OF the universe. over
.vo millions of people visited the Omaha !
exposition although people have no par +
-icular curiosity to see or explore the
itate Of Nebraska Not so with ka1sas- c
People everywhere are curious 10 s7e I
ind know about Kansas The name ef I
Kansas IS either praised or damned III
more localities than that of any other O
tate in the Union I think it safe to es- {
innate that three million people would Y
lave visited the semi centennial and #