The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1901-10-18
AT THE PAN-AMERICAN.
The Splendid Showing Minnesota Has
Made.

st. Paul Globe:
When the Minnesota legislature
made its original appropriation of
$50, 900 for the state to expend at the
Pan American exposition at Buffalo,
it was with the idea that state build
ing was mot necessary, and that, for
exhibits alone, $40, 900 would be sufi-
cient
When the board of managers asked
an increase to $50, 900, the legislature
reluctantly granted $40, 900 more, max
ing total of $50, 900, but still coupled
with the statement that building
was not necessary.
The FIRST motion passed by the board
of managers after the final appropria-
ton was a resolution deciding to erect
state building. That their judgment
was better than that of the legislature,
the events of the past few days have
determined.
The awards were made at the Pan
American a few days ago. They are
of four classes, namely: gold, silver
and bronze medals and honorable men
ton The gold medal is, of course,
the highest, and when the awards were
made public it was found that Mime
sofa had won three gold medals. No
other state has to exceed two and only
five obtained that number of medals.
One of the gold medals was awarded
to Minnesota for its educational ex-
hibit, and it is a notable fact that no
other state received medal for educa-
tional exhibits or even an honorable
mention.
The Minnesota building was util-
lied to axe the educational exhibit,
though the liberal arts building was
the one where the mass of the exhibits
was collected. Almost the entire wall
space of the Minnesota building is
covered with the educational exhibit,
and though it is outside of the build
ing designed for that purpose the
judges readily awarded the state a
gold medal and ignored every other
state. As no such exhibit could have
found space in the liberal arts bnild-
ing, this alone is sufficient rewar
for the erection of the building, and
shows that the members Of the legis-
lature who wished to make it impos
sible to erect a Minnesota building,
made serious mistake.
The other two gold medals were for
the model of the new capitol in butter
and our general agricultural exhibit.
Minnesota received three gold medals,
four silver and six bronze and one
honorable mention, total of four
teen. New York received but three
medals two gold ones for butter and
agriculture and silver one fer re-
lief map. Michigan obtained but one
medal, and that was gold for it's agri-
cultural display. Illinois obtained but
one medal, and that was silver for its
corn display. Missouri, the home of
the next exposition, obtained but six
medals, two gold and four silver.
Wisconsin obtained one gold medal
and two silver.
Seventeen states exhibited, four of
which did not obtain any gold medal
at all. Seven obtained one, five OBJ
tanned two and Minnesota stands alone
with three. The horticultural awards
have not yet been made, but we I'M
derstand that Minnesota has fair
prospect of obtaining another gold
medal for its display of Fort Smelling
in apples.
This is record of which the state
can we'll be proud, and shows that
the $50, 900 appropriation has been
used to excellent advantage.