59 



At a second meeting: of the committee, upon opening the bids (a goodly 

 number of which had been handed in), the price was found to range from 

 10% cents to 17 cents per square foot. As Mr. Taintor of Springfield had 

 offered the lowest bid, the contract was awarded to him at 10 J2 cents per 

 square foot for those walks mentioned in the plans. Under a continuation 

 ot this contract with Mr. Taintor all the walks hereinbefore mentioned have 

 been completed. 



In laying the cement walks around the Coliseum, only two down-spouts 

 were provided with drain pipe under the walk, owing to the unfinished con- 

 dition of the roof; the two down-spouts at the north door being the only two 

 that had made their appearance in the roof at that time. The balance of the 

 downspouts, eight in number, now waste the water over the top of the walk. 

 About the middle of December F. C. Kossiter visited the grounds and found 

 a small snow drift in front of several of these down^spouts, forming a dam 

 for the dripping water, of such a height that the water was flowing back into 

 the building in several places. At each of these down- spouts the walk 

 should be taken up and pipes laid to carry the water under the walk before 

 the next fair, for water running across the walk in a rain at fair time would 

 make it very disagreeable for any one to pass. 



Two store rooms had been built under the seats of the south side of the col- 

 iseum building with two doors to receive goods opening out to the south. The 

 sill of east door was from ten to 14 feet above the natural surface of the 

 ground, and the sill of the west door was from eight to ten feet above the natural 

 surface. In order to utilize these rooms a great amount of filling was re- 

 quired, and a permanent road built of such a height that the top of a wagon 

 box would be level with each door sill. Should this work be done by filling 

 alone, the height was so great that if the proper slope were given to secure 

 good vegetation and protect the road, the foot of the filling would reach 

 into if not across the road in the ravine to the south; therefore the committee 

 decided to build a stone wall 19 feet from the building, of sufficient height 

 and length to hold the filling upon which the road would be built. 



We also found the grounds east of the coliseum, owing to the filling re- 

 quired at the building, would be left in very bad shape unless the entire tract 

 was filled. As this could all be accomplished by our own teams and men. the 

 work was ordered to be done. As this work has been done since the fair, 

 the board will now find a beautiful plateau, although void of vegetation, 

 gradually sloping to the east from the coliseum to the art galery drive, and 

 sloping to the south from the main drive, the south side of which is protected 

 by three terraces from two to four feet in height and from four to 12 feet in 

 width, the foot of the south terrace reaching to the drive in the ravine. 



The following final estimates have been issued for work at the fair grounds: 



MISCELLANEOUS AWARDS. 



2o the Illinois State Board of Agriculture: 



Gentlemen — A number of entries which could not be listed under our 

 classificati >n were made at the State Fair of I'JOl, and received due attention 

 from the judges. 



