The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1904-08-11
MAINE AT ST. LOUIS.
The State Poorly Represented. More About
That Log Cabin.

The State Poorly Represented. More About
That Log Cabin.
Another Maine editor has been heard
from. j. H. Ogier, president of the
Maine Press Association and editor of
the Camden Herald, in writing of his
visit to the St. Louis Exposition says:
But, some one may say you have
not mentioned Maine. You have not
told us how Maine is represented. No,
l have not. l hesitate. | hate to
acknowledge that | should have occa-
sion anywhere to blush for my native
State, but | did at the st. Louis Fair.
Better had Maine taken no part in the
Exposition than been represented, OF
rather misrepresented, as she is there.
To be sure, we have State building,
that much discussed $50 900 log cabin,
situated in the most unattractiye and
out of the way part of the grounds. A
few people go there. Very few Maine
people stay there long. They hate to
see our beautiful State of comfortable,
cosy homes represented by a log cabin.
1t is not even the log cabin of the
sporting camp or the lumberman. Said
an Illinois man to me: 81 have never
been in Maine, but | don't wonder you
Maine people feel you are not properly
represented. Within the building
there is really nothing to show up
Names resources, a few mounted deer
and moose heads, several small pieces
of granite, some samples of Sanford
plush, some excellent pictures of the
Poland Spring House and Samoset, and
three large portraits of Maine men.
But one would not feels badly about
the building and its contents, if Maine
were properly represented in the other
buildings. 1t certainly is shame that
our State has paid sac, 600 for its repre-
sentation at the Fair and is not really
represented. Maine with her varied
resources, the summer playground of
nation, the granite, ice, lumber, lime
producing State, the largest manufact-
urer of pulp and paper in the world,
with her miles Of beautiful seacoast,
and thousands of lakes and ponds, goes
to the great Fair and fails to tell in
proper pictorial and emblematic
language the story Of what she is and
what she does. We ask any Maine
person, is this not shame?
As if to accentuate the lack of enter
prise in getting up the Maine exhibit,
there is in the Agricultural building a
few bushels of Aroostook potatoes,
while a whole section, which was evil
IDENTIFY reserved for our State and is
marked Maine" is entirely bare. In
the Mineral building, where our State
might have made remarkable exhibit
of Maine granite and slate there is
nothing from Maine except the very
neat and attractive exhibit of Poland
Spring water maintained by the Kicker
Bros. In the building devoted to For
estry, Fish and Game, our States
specialties, many of the States like
Washington, Oregon, California and
Michigan have simply beautiful ex-
hibits that make one think they were
right in the midst of forest lands, but
Maine has not a single exhibit. And
SO it is throughout the various build
ings. Maine is not represented. What
opportunities our State offered for ex-
ira good exhibits. The commissioners,
it is to be presumed, spent the $40, 900
according to their best judgment, but
they certainly failed to represent or to
advertise their State. 1t seems to be
the general feeling of the Maine people
who visit the Fair, that our State would
have been far better off without any
exhibit at all and SAC, 900 saved besides.