PROCEEDINGS. 85 



Michigan and Wisconsin have spent as much in getting up tables and show-cases 

 in which to display their products as Indiana has put in all her exhibit. Each of 

 those States had large appropriations, in addition to that of the Government, for 

 making their display. Nebraska, Kansas, and our Western States, have made 

 large and magnificent displays. Minnesota makes the largest part of their display 

 in flour. Nebraska has expended almost S20,000 in getting her display ready, and 

 it is magnificent. Kansas has paid out a large amount of money ; they received a 

 Government appropriation, and the Legislature also made an appropriation, and 

 have received a great aid from railroad companies. Nearly all the States, I think, 

 with one exception, that of Pennsylvania, made an appropriation for the purpose 

 of making their State display. 



On the 25th of September I was commissioned as United States Commissioner 

 for Indiana to make our exhibit; it was a late start to get to work, but I went at it 

 in earnest, determined to do the best I could. I traveled over the State myself, 

 and sent other parties to aid in collecting an exhibit for the State. W^e have col- 

 lected from the north, south, east, west and central parts of the State. I have col- 

 lected grains both in the straw and threshed, corn in the ear, as well as shelled, 

 and I think there in no grass that grows in Indiana, either cultivated or wild, that 

 I have not displayed for Indiana at New Orleans. We have a place of forty feet 

 by one hundred and seventy feet, and a good location. At the suggestion of your 

 Secretary I prepared a chart showing how Indiana's exhibit is arranged, so that 

 you might get a better conception of it. The walls of our building are covered 

 with pictures of our State Houses, beginning with Corydon, next the State House 

 that was torn down to give place for the new one, next one given me by the Com- 

 missioners for the new one. I have several pictures representing the Court House, 

 Insane Hospital, Blind Asylum, Deaf and Dumb Asylum, Orphans' Home at 

 Knightstown and the State Keform School buildings, and some pictures of hand- 

 some residences of the State. Some people down there ask me if we have such 

 residences as these. I tell them that some of us had got out of log-cnbins, and 

 could put up a decent house here and there. I have the principal newspapers of 

 the State— received every morning, and kept ou file. The walls are covered with 

 pictures of the finest stock we have in the State, including cattle, hogs, sheep, etc. 

 We have worked woods, taken from the timber and not painted, which shows the 

 quality of the wood. I have some ninety specimen'» of wood, rough and unhewn. 

 Next to the wood, we have samples of coal from our State; the largest sample 

 weighs over a ton. Some States have brought in coal weighing six, seven or eight 

 tons. All other States bringing their coal to the Exposition have it encased with 

 strong pieces of timber to keep it from breaking. Indiana is the only one that 

 dares take the stays away from the coal, and it stands up as nice as in the mine 

 without slacking. Most of the other coal shown as soon as exposed to the climate 

 slack and fall away. The headquarters, as provided, we were to pay a thousand 

 dollars for; we concluded it would not pay. I went to work and had a large tent 

 10x28 feet, with gas pipes running all around. This formed my headquarters. I 

 made a platform, raised it six inches, extending three feet outside, entirely around 

 the tent. On that I have arranged samples of Indiana building stone. Since return- 

 ing home from New Orleans I have received a letter informing me that Georgia was 



