COLUMBIAN EXPOSITION. 307 



the utmost confidence in these gentlemen, that they knew what they 

 were fjoing to do. When they found they were not going to receive 

 the amount of money they were entitled to, thej' said, " We are much 

 obliged for what we have got." 



Those of 3'ou who were in Chicago will remeiuber how in that 

 enormous hall along one side were placed the designs of the differ- 

 ent states. Here there were long tables loaded with the products of 

 California, Oregon, New York and other states, and here by itself 

 was this unique booth which was evolved and prepared by the 

 brainsof some of your members. What was the result? Although the 

 other states had prepared their exhibits, the first thing Illinois did, 

 the state having the largest appropriation of any state that was repre- 

 sented there, they came over and stole away our design. When they 

 got it done, everybody knew it was only a sort of imitation. Right 

 opposite our exhibit they put a table and piled it up high as thej'' 

 could reach, making graded steps with fruit, which, of course, was 

 done to detract from the exhibit of fruits in our booth on the side. 

 It was calcvilated to and did detract greatly from the effects of our 

 exhibit, and it was done in direct violation of agreement. 



I heard a great deal told about the Minnesota exhibit of fruit, and 

 as the members of this societj^ are recognized as people who gener- 

 ally tell the truth, and as people whose word and whose statements 

 could be relied on, when you got down to Chicago and was standing-, 

 as I often was, around this exhibit, and people would come up and 

 inquire if this was the Minnesota exhibit, and where did this fruit 

 come from, I would tell thein it came from Minnesota. "Yes, but 

 where did they get it before it got into Minnesota ? " " Well, my dear 

 sir, this fruit was grown in Minnesota — every bit of it was grown in 

 Minnesota; it is all our native production." One gentleman looked 

 me over from head to foot, and he says, "Young inan, do you mean 

 to tell me that a state where they have ten months winter and two 

 months very late in the fall, raises such apples as these?" "I mean 

 to tell you that very same thing," I replied. There were inany com- 

 ments made on our exhibit and surprises expressed that such fruit 

 could be raised in Minnesota, and while many people were more im- 

 pressed with the population of our state, they also realized that we 

 could raise fruit from our interesting exhibit there. I do not wish 

 to take 5^our time. I merely want to say this, in conclusion, that the 

 exhibit was one of which the state was proud and of which the com- 

 mission was proud, and it was one of which thQ National Commis- 

 sion was proud, for more than one member of the National Commis- 

 sion told me that among all the exhibits of horticultural products 

 of the various states, the exhibit of Minnesota was one of the best 

 exhibits there was in the horticultural building. Now, my friends, 

 our work at the Chicago Exposition is past. The temporary notor- 

 iety that came to a few of us will soon be merely a memory, but the 

 work here that you have to do, the work that this society has to do, 

 and the work that this societ}^ has done in the past, will go on from 

 year to year and make itself felt, not only as it has been felt in this 

 exposition, but making itself felt as the years go by. I thank you,, 

 gentlemen, for j^our kind attention. (Applause.) 



