Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1908-12-10

Greeting and best wishes for the sue
cess Of the National Corn eXposluon.-
Theodore Roosevelt"
When these words from the American
president were flashed over the wires from
Washington and into the Auditorium build
ing at twenty minutes of II o'clock Wednes-
day morning. J L. kennedy. chairman Of
the meeting, raped for order and the
second National Corn exposition was de-
clared officially open.
Chairman Kennedy read the message
from the president and Chancellor E. Ben
jamin Andrews Of the University Of Ne
braska pronounced the Invocation.
The audience was characteristics west
ern assembly but the number Of children
attending the opening exercises attracted
the attention Of all the speakers and al
most without exception large part Of the
remarks made were addressed to the young
people present.
The opening exercises were held In the
temporary auditorium constructed espec-
tally as a lecture room for the corn
exposition The rooms were decorated
with bunting and small sheaves Of grain,
American flags and the official corn show
girl" is everywhere. The fires were
started early in the many furnaces and
by the time the band played America
at 1880 o'clock the room was comfortable
for me AUDIENCE 70 sit without wraps and
It was well crowded
Kennedy Pays warm Tribute.
Chairman Kennedy was the first 10 speak
and he paid a warm tribute to the states
far and near which have contributed TO
the success of the exposition by sending
not only their richest products, but their
people.
Mayor Dahman spoke briefly and re-
ceived an ovation from the children when
ne arose to speak. The mayor was fol-
lowed by Governor Sheldon OF Nebraska.
who arrived early Wednesday morning.
The governor was given a tremendous
cheer, the boys and girls being especially
enthusiastic and jumping on top Of their
chairs and waving their handkerchiefs as
would some of Their fathers and mUthe.s
at q political convention or woman's club
meeting.
Governor Sheldon addressed himself ar
once to the boys and girls, saying:
I'VE are preparing the generations as
they grow UP Tor the future work which is
TO be done on the farms. Some men work
a lifetime to organize some business system
or TO develop some variety OF grain which
is adaptable to their soils and climates,
then such expositions as this gather the
information and the graphic Illustrations.
the actual grains produced together AM
the boys ana girls and the men and women
may see with their own eyes what has
been done and learn how it was done. thus
I securing Information which II has required
a lifetime to collect In a very few m nutes.
Best that Can he Produced.
! I'VE are gathered here today to see the
very best which be produced In all
| parts Of the country and we are glad to
have the great exposition on Nebraska soil,
/ where there are men who giving their
lives to make our agricultural products
/ better.
| THE great law of heredity holds good in
the vegetable kingdom as well as in the
animal kingdom ana men have found that
better plants may be secured by selection
of the parents the same as we did when we
decided the Texas steer must go and we
have replaced him with the shorthorn, Gal
loWay and the Hereford.
Now we are going 10 replace our scrub
and common grains and plants with the
higher type-the type that we may be as
proud Of as We are Of our HerefordE and
GsIloways."
The governor told the children that he
hoped after seeing the National Corn expo
sition many OF them would be Influenced
to go the farms and make that their life
long home, there was no other place
where such good home could be made
and where they would have such freedom
from the maelstrom OF the city.
Other NOtabIes Speak.
Governor Sheldon was followed by Cur
don W. Wattles, president Of the National
Corn exposition; L. d. Funk Of Blooming
ton. H.; president OF the National Corn
association; p. G. Holden Of the Iowa
Agricultural college; r. A. Burnett. dean
Of the Nebraska College Of Agriculture,
and Henry Wallace Of the presidents COM
mission on country life. MI Wallace in
vited all 10 attend the meetings Of the
commission and come prepared TO tell their
problems. The meetings. he said, would be
held In the Hotel Rome and passage
has been arranged from the Corn exposi-
tior buildings 10 the Hotel Rome, making