Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1905-02-02
REPORT OF FAIR COMMISSION.

REPORT OF FAIR COMMISSION.
The report of the St. Louis fair
commission was presented to the two
houses of the legislature at yesterdays
session. The report details the work
done by the commission in the ma
ture of organization, the methods
adopted to obtain a state display, and
the gathering and installation of the
display. The report does not seek to
describe any of the exhibits, but al
ludes to the work done in assembling
exhibits along agricultural, mining,
educational and other lines. The com.
mission reports that it did not feel
that the value of a state building
would justify the expense of erecting
and believing that the funds appropri-
ated should have been expended, as
they were, to develop immigration to
the state. New states, so the COM
mission reports, were largely inter
ested in making such exhibits as
would attract immigration. Older
states contented themselves with per
functory representation. Ohio, for ex-
ample, had a splendid state building
but no state exhibits whatever.
In the way of statistics, it is point
ed out that North Dakota occupied
1888 square feet Of floor space; i ,225
feet were in the mines building; 1850
feet were in the educational building
and 1924 feet in the agricultural
building. North Dakota had twice as
much space in the agricultural build
ing as either Michigan, Wisconsin,
Minnesota, Washington, Oregon or
Iowa. ... Va 4.@rs7 a.. ..s
In the way of dairy exhibits, the
state was well represented, and a
statue of President Roosevelt done in
butter is alluded to as one of the no
table features of the exhibit.
The Roosevelt cabin was another
feature of the state display that the
commission reports as having been of
especial interest in attracting atten-
ton to the state display This proved,
according to the report, one of the
notable features of the exhibit and as
nearly as can be estimated, a million
people visited the cabin during the
fair, half of whom registered The
Boer war is alluded to as the only
other feature of the fair that drew so
large proportion of attendance.
Among the tangible benefits from
the display, it is stated by the commits
sion, that North Dakota had more Wis
itors than any other state represented
at the fair and ten times as many as
any other northwestern state.
The Imperial Commissioners from
Germany after several visits to the ex-
hibit advised their home government
to divert large part of German immi-
grafton that comes to Canada and
other sections to North Dakota.
The Japanese commission took an
especial interest in macaroni, wheat
and pottery clays.
Many inquiries were received from
investors and others regarding the
state and it's resources that were
answered both personally and by re-
ferring inquiries to the state display.
#$ The st. Louis press devoted much
space to the state exhibit giving it
over twentyone columns of reading
matter during the exposition.
An allusion is made of the celebra-
3 ton Of North Dakota, on September Z.
A reception was held in the afternoon
and at night banquet was held in the
Tyrolean Alps. Twenty-eight citizens
of the state were present at the ban
quet.
In the matter of awards, North
Dakota stands ahead of any other
state exhibiting in the agricultural
department, considering the number
of entries for awards.
The state was awarded grand
prize for the general installation Of its
exhibit. Only four other states were
1 thus honored. Missouri with an appro-
priation Of q million dollars, Califor.
MIA with 100000. Colorado with $780,
600 and Idaho with s4O, 900 and large
private contributions. North Dakota
was the only northwestern state OBJ
tanning this distinction. compare.
tive table IS presented in the report
showing the awards obtained by the
several states. North Dakota obtained
eleven grand prizes, forty-two gold
medals and forty silver medals.