REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR. 43 



WORLDS COLUMBIAN EXPOSITION. 



On the 11th of January, 1892, I was appointed by Order in Council, Executive 

 Commissioner for Canada in connection with the World's Columbian Exposition, a 

 position which was held until the 21st of November in that year. Over ten months 

 of incessant and heavy labour in the endeavour to discharge this duty, in addition to 

 the work devolving on me as Director of the Experimental Farms, brought about a 

 condition of ill-health and exhaustion which made my resignation a necessity. In 

 the meantime, however, all the preliminary work had been completed. After a 

 number of visits to Chicago, sufficient space was secured in excellent locations in all 

 the buildings, a most important measure towards success, and as a result of much 

 effort, an admirable site was obtained for a Canadian building, to serve as an office 

 building for the Commissioners and a meeting place for visiting Canadians. 



The grand dairy exhibit was arranged and provided for. The Governments 

 of all the provinces were interviewed and negotiations conducted, the departments 

 of work which each were to undertake agreed on, and the hearty co-operation of 

 nearly all the provinces secured. With the able assistance of Mr. J. S. Larke (who 

 was subsequently appointed my successor), Mr. Lucien Huot of Montreal, Mr. W. D. 

 Dimmock of Truro, N.S., and Mr. E. A. Charters, of Sussex, N.B., the greater part 

 of the exhibits had been secured, the particulars of which are given in my report of 

 the progress of the work published a few weeks after my resignation.* The way 

 was thus prepared for the brilliant success which has crowned the efforts of our 

 people. 



To make the agricultural exhibits from the Experimental Farms as complete as 

 possible, special sowings were made in the spring of 1892, of a very large number of 

 different sorts of grain and seeds, and a lively interest awakened in this undertaking 

 among all the officers connected with these institutions. In this way the finest 

 collection of Canadian agricultural products ever seen was made available, and sub- 

 sequently clothed the grand trophy which attracted so much attention in the 

 Agricultural court. 



Before the time arrived for beginning the work of placing the exhibits, my health 

 was so far restored as to enable me to render further aid in the carrying out of this 

 great undertaking, and at the special request of the Minister of Agriculture, and of 

 my successor in the office of Executive Commissioner, I consented to undertake the 

 designing and arranging of all the exterior decorations of the agricultural court, 

 also the construction of the great central trophy, and to render what help I 

 could by assisting in the arrangement of the products in portions of the interior of 

 the court. 



After consultation with Mr. D. Ewart, of the Chief Architect's office. Depart- 

 ment of Public Works, he prepared a plan of the woodwork on which the decorations 

 were to be placed which served the purpose admirably, he also supervised its con- 

 struction. As soon as the preparations for the work were sufficiently advanced, I 

 secured the able assistance of Mr. W. H. Hay, the accountant at the Central Experi- 

 mental Farm, and Mr. J. Fixter, the Farm foreman, both of whom brought to bear 

 on this undertaking much practical experience, gained at previous provincial and 

 other exhibitions. We were also assisted by Mr. S. A. Bedford, Superintendent of the 

 Experimental Farm at Brandon, and Mr. A. Mackay, the Superintendent of the 

 Experimental Farm at Indian Head. With these competent assistants the work 

 made rapid progress, and in two or three weeks it was so well advanced that all 

 returned to their other duties, excepting Mr. Hay, who remained to complete the 

 work which had been planned, which he did with good judgment and taste and 

 much credit to himself. 



The exterior decoi-ations of the court were very much admired, the interior 

 work was equally good, and the Canadian exhibit as a whole was generally con- 

 ceded to be the finest agricultural display in the building. It was arranged in pro- 

 vincial groups, in which all the provinces, excepting Manitoba and New Brunswick 



* Copies of this Report may still be had on application . 



