Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-10-12

SYSTEM a0t. AWARDS
Method Adopted at st. Louis
Exposition.
THE JURIES COMPETENT
LARGE SALES MADE BY THE Elk
HIB1ToRs.
Mad Rush Of the People at Every Free
Distribution of Food-Men
From Missouri.
BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS.
'cial Correspondence Of The Evening Star ant

BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS.
Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star and
Chicago Record Herald.
ST. LOUIS, October 2, 1904.
AT Chicago every exhibitor got an award
of some kind. There was no competition,
and diplomas were issued to all exhibitors
setting forth the points Of excellence in
each exhibit
Here at the St Louis exposition there is
active competition among exhibitors in the
same group for the highest awards, which
are four in number, namely, the grand prize
and the gold, silver and bronze medals.
Several prizes of the same class may be
awarded to competing articles in the same
group which are estimated equally high by
the juries. Each exhibit is examined by
the jurors, and each juror keeps his own
marks, according to his ideas of it's merits.
Afterward the markings of all jurors are
added and an average Is taken, which is ac-
cepted as the standard Of the exhibit in
question. Exhibits reaching certain stand
Ing receive the grand prize, and If two or
three or more exhibits in the same group
have equal marks above a certain mini
mum each will receive a grand prize, and
so on. Special awards are also given for
exceptional merit. When each jury has re-
ported upon the comparative merits of all
the exhibits in the group assigned to it, 1t
makes a report and recommendations to
the director general of exhibits, who sub
mlts the Verd1cts to q superior jury, which
reviews the findings, confirms the awards
ana hearS appeals from those that are dis
satisfied.
The superior jury is composed Of the pres
ldent OF the exposition, the director general
Of exhibits, the chiefs of all the depart
M fha init cd Sfafa IN
be selected by the national commission; one
woman, to be appointed by the board OF
lady managers; the commissioners general
from the nine foreign nations having the
largest exhlDlts and the chairmen and vice
chairmen of all the department juries
Inc Jurors have been at work for two
months and will have the work practically
done by the 18th Of October
The medals have been designed by a COM
m1ttee consisting of Halsey NJ Ives. chief
OF the department of fine arts; Charles NJ
hurtz, his assistant, and VIII NJ. Low OF
new York, and it is new idea to have
tnem OF dlHerent shapes, so that a man
VINO gets silver, medal or bronze medal
may not be able to gild 1t and claim that
ne won gold medal as has been done in
several cases by exhibitors at other EXPOSE
tlons. The medal representing the grand
prize will be square of gold: the gold
medal will be of an obIong shape-rectangu-
lar; the silver medal will be square with an
ova! top, and the bronze medal will be per-
fectly round. =.
Juries Regarded as Competent.
More rivalry for prizes has been shown
here than at any other exhibition that was
ever held in the United States, and con-
sequently the medals will have higher
value. SO far as l can hear, the juries are
recognized as competent, and have given
good satisfaction. Most of them do not at
tempt to keep their verdicts secret and
they will tell any exhibitor what his mark
ing is, but will not give the information to
courage.
AS rule the exhibitors are satisfied with
their treatment from the exposition people.
Gov. Francis Secretary Stevens, Director
OF Exhibits Skiff and the several depart
ment chiefs are very popular, and the best
OF feeling seems to prevail between the
officials, exhibitors, the Jurors and all con-
cerned. There have been no squabbIes, no
scandals and no attempts at bribery such
as occurred at Chicago.
Even the concesSionaires seem to get
along smoothly with the officials who have
supervision over them, although they grum-
BILE because they have to turn one-fourth
of all their gross receipts into the exposf-
ton treasury. But they all seem to be
prosperous There has been only one tall
ure among the concesSionaireS, and that
was wild west show managed by lack
Mulhall, a notorious ranchman of Okla
or three of his employees, and has been de-
barred from the grounds. He Is now under
indictment awaiting trial for murder His
show, which is running under the name OF
another man, was closed for a few DAYS for
financial reasons, but he seems to have OBJ
tanned fresh capital and is now running
along with good deal of patronage.
More Profitable Than Chicago's Fair.
AS a commercial enterprise this exposition
iS To
than that of Chicago, which is doubtless
due to business conditions throughout the
country. The sales are much larger than
they were in 1893 because the people at
large are more prosperous, and while there
have been no big orders for machinery or
other articles on exhibition, the automobile
manufacturers have done exceedingly well,
the furniture interests have been rewarded
for the beautiful exhibits they have made
and nearly everybody who came here with
things to sell has made money Some of
the buildings are baZaars, actual depart
ment stores. More space is occupied by
booths for the sale of knckknacks than was
ever given up for that purpose before and
some of the souvenirs are exceedingly at
tractive. AS 1 told you in a previous let
ter, the Japanese exhibitors have been bur-
led under orders. They have sold twenty
and thirty duplicates of some of their more
popular articles. The Italian furniture
dealers have also done very WELL an enor-
pottery has been sold by the Austrian ex-
hibitors while almost everything in the
German section offered for sale has been
readily disposed of.
Prices are very high for everything, al
though there is not so much complaint Of
restaurant charges as there was at Chica-
GO The two favorite restaurants are kept
by Germans one in the German imperial
building and the other in the Tyrolean Alps
on The Pike" At both these
places the charges are very high and the
crowds are annoying. Tt is almost impossi-
BILE to get tables or walters unless you go
early or late. The most convenient and
restaurants are up on the hill
in the pavilions at the ends of the colon
nades whith extend from Festival Hall.
All of the restaurant keepers complain of
the difficulty of getting help, and of the ex-
tortionate demands OF their cooks and
walters, You hear the same story at the
hotels which have never been able to hire
as much help as they need. Some of them
brought full gangs of cooks walters, bell
bows porters and chambermaids from Chi
caeo. New York and New Orleans.
Rush for Free Melons.
A great many things to eat are given
away on the grounds and astonishing
scenes can be Witnessed at such places,
where respectfully dressed people, women
of intelligence and refinement, struggle In
the most frantic manner to grab sample
of crackers or breakfast food or a cup of
cocoa The other day the Colorado COM
mi ssioners gave away 20, 600 melons and of