The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-01-17
COBURN NEARLY READY.
viii Take Up st. Louis Work
Almost Immediately.

Inasmuch as the members Of the state
board Of agriculture unanimously
passed a resolution giving Secretary F.
D. Coburn leave Of absence to accept
the position Of chief of the live stock
section Of the St Louis exposition M
Coburn has decided to accept the ap-
pointment. and viii enter upon his
duties in connection with the position
almost at once
There have been a number Of can
dfdates for the place. but Mr.. Coburn
was not one Of them The Chicago
stock yards company sent a special car
with a number OF prominent men on 4
tour OK the state live stock aSsOCia tons
last fall to secure endorsements for q
Chicago man for the place. and several
others have worked hard to secure It
The name Of Senator Harris was con-
sidered about the time that the exDosi~
ton company sent Senator Harris to
Europe to work uD an interest in the
I've stock exhibit. and Secretary
Coburn has been supporting Harris. He
found out that his own name was also
under consideration. but he would nos
consent to be an applicant. and he
asked his friends who wanted to boom
him for It. not to do SO, his idea BEING
that the appointment is one which
should not be Influenced by any outside
Z pressure. but be made on the deliberate
judgment Of the exposition authorities
after calm consideration Of all the
material available and all the interests
to be conserved.
Mr.. Coburn has known of his selec-
ton for the place for several weeks. buzz
he has not let it be known here until IL
came from St Louis, nor did he der
nitely decide to accept it untu he laid
the matter before the state board Of ag-
riculture for its action.
On Christmas day Mr.. Coburn re-
ceived the following letter from ex-Gov.
ton company:
After long consideration of the most
suita Die chief for the live stock section
OF the Louisiana Purchase exposition
our executive committee authorizes me-
to tender you the position and reQuest s
/ that 1 urge your acceptance at the
earliest possible moment. your services
to begin at once and date from Janu
airy proximo.
IN consideration of the importance
and significance of this position to the
/ live stock interests Of the country our
/ committee and myself trust the Kansas
! board OF agriculture win see its way
clear to eheerfully grant you such TEN
+ porary leave OF absence from its detail
work as will make your services avail
able here. We cannot but feel that your
( people win regard our choice as no
small compliment to the board and its
secretarz.''
t is the purpose of the exposition
management to make this livestock ex-
hibtt by far the greatest the world has
ever seen It IS contaminated to make
the entire Louisiana Purchase exposition
; OF Iar greater magnitude than any pre-
vious worlds fair. and as the livestock
4 industry is one Of the chief sources OF
profit in the state comprising the Lou
islana Purchase. this viii be one of the
/ big features of the exposition. with 4
capital b The ground already allot-
ted for the St. Louis exposition is larger
/ than that Of the Chicago Worlds fair
/ the Pan-American and Paris expositfons
F combined. and it is probable that anoth-
. er 12o acres viii be added to it. The I'm
aEcial resources. too. are far ahead OF
those Of any other exposition, so tina;
f there seems to be no reason whH the st
/ Louis fair should not excel al previous
ones, although such a thing hardly Is
/ conceivable to the averaEe person. Tbs
principal thing is to secure men at the
( head OF the departments who can con
ceive Of great things and are able to Sc
lect suboFainates who are competent te
carry out the details.
MI Coeurn will necessarily have tC
spend much Of his time at St Louis. bul
he viii continue to supervise the worn
Of the Kansas board and the detail
work OF the Kansas agricultural depart.
Tuent VIII be carried out by J. c. MohIer
assistant secretary. who has been faniL
lar with il for the past eleven wears
all but two oe which have been u.-5ei
Mr. Coburn's training The work Of tn.
kansas department will go forward
therefore. the same as heretofore
Mr CCburn viii now put his energ1
into pushing the organization Of his Ae-
paFtment for the St Louis exposition
as the time IS already short for an M
dertaking Of such magnitude