Report 
 
 Of 
 E. Meeker
 
 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA 
 AT LOS ANGELES 
 
 ROBERT ERNEST COWAN
 
 I 
 
 REPORT 
 
 OF 
 
 E.^MEEKER 
 
 ON 
 
 THE WASHINGTON TERRITORY EXHIBIT AT THE NEW 
 ORLEANS EXPOSITION. 
 
 IUD To hi* K* -dlency, Gov. WATSON C. SQUIRE, 
 
 CO 
 
 . ~ Olympia, Washington Territory: 
 
 In accordance with the provisions of the law passed by the legislative as- 
 co 
 ^ sembly of the Territory of Washington, appropriating $2,500 to defray the 
 
 ^ expenses of the commissioner on the part of the territory, and the exhibits from 
 
 'ro the territory to the exposition at New Orleans. I have this day riled with the 
 
 CJ 
 
 auditor a detailed statement of the manner in which the sum received by me was 
 expended. 
 
 Suppl -mentin^' that report, I have the honor to enclose herewith, a state- 
 ment of the work don*-, the scope of labor performed, the probable results and 
 other matters connected with the execution of the trust reposed in me under 
 your authority. 
 
 As you are aware, the commission anth .ri/.ing me to act on behalf of the 
 territory, was not issued until a very late date, August i and after much of our 
 fruit, some of our vegetables, and various other productions were out of season 
 and could not be obtained. I immediately made an appeal to the eiii/ens of the 
 territory at laiue for contributions of both money and exhibits, and in conse- 
 quence of the hraiiy response ( .f many communities and numerous individuals 
 I was en .ibied to collect and maintain an exhibit of a magnitude, variety and 
 
 272288
 
 quality that was not only a surprise to myself, but also to the management of the 
 exposition, the territorial and state commissioners and visitors at the exposition. 
 
 To this generous response is entirely due this measure of success attained ; 
 to those contributors the thanks and gratitude of the citizens of this territory are 
 due, and to them, through you, I wish to make this acknowledgment, which, 
 were they not so numerous, I would make directly to each of the contributors. 
 
 I would refer you to the catalogue of the exhibits, a copy of which I herewith 
 enclose, for specific information on this point. 
 
 The exposition, nancially, was a failure, but as an exposition exhibiting 
 the resources of our country, it was a great success. 
 
 In the government building thirty-three states aud territories maint lined 
 collective exhibits, and were represented, with but few exceptions, by commis- 
 sioners zealous in the work. To those commissioners, as a body aud likewise as 
 individuals, I was greatly indebted for their uniform courtesy aud kindness, aud 
 I may say interest taken to give our territory great prominence. I wish, like- 
 wise, to make the same acknowledgment to the management of the exposition, 
 who assigned us a most prominent And commodious space and rendered all aid 
 in their power to make our display pleasing and effective. 
 
 The accompanying photographs of our exhibits, aud the catalogue referred 
 to, will give you a fair idea of the plan adopted and the variety of articles dis- 
 played, which are entirely too numerous to warraut undertaking to set forth in 
 detail in this report. But I cannot forbear to mention some of the departments 
 that attracted great attention. 
 
 There were fifty-four (54) contributions of wheat, from fifty-four (54) con- 
 tributors, comprising twenty-nine (29) varieties, averaging forty-one (41) bush- 
 els per acre. Twenty of oats of thirteen varieties, averaging eighty-three bushels 
 per acre. Two of rye, averaging thirty-two bushels per acre. Twenty-seven of 
 corn, of ten varieties, averaging forty and one-half bushels per acre. Thirteen of 
 barley, five varieties, averaging fifty-six bushels per acre. 
 
 There were ninety-four contributions of fruit, comprising nearly two hun- 
 dred varieties of apples, pears, peaches, grapes, plumbs, prunes, cherries, cur- 
 rants, blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, cranberries, with many others of 
 the wild uerries, the whole making a display alike creditable to the territory and 
 to the contributors, conte.-ting victoriously with older states and territories for 
 premiums on fruit and carrying oft' no less than seventeen prizes. Our fruit 
 tables elicited unstinted praise, attracted universal attention aud were second to 
 none in the exhibition as to quality, size and beauty of varieties displayed. 
 
 The display of vegetables was full aud complete comprising potatoes, beets, 
 onions, beans, turnips, carrots, parsnips, squashes and many other varieties.
 
 We had the largest potatoes, the smoothest onions and the largest carrots in the 
 whole of the exposition. 
 
 The dairy and apiary were both represented by contributions of excellent 
 quality, though not numerous. 
 
 The timber department was full and comprised nearly all the varieties grown 
 in the territory and shown in several forms. We had a section of a fir tree eight 
 feet in diameter; three planks of fir, spruce and cedar respectively fifty-three, 
 forty eight and thirty-seven inches wide, the two first named twenty-four and 
 the last twenty feet in length; also a sapling five and one-half inches in diameter 
 and sixty two feet long whicli attracted great attention: also dressed lumber of 
 several kinds and various forms. 
 
 The coal shown was from eight localities comprising our leading varieties, 
 which, exhibited in a pyramid with our lime, flux and iron ore made an inter- 
 esting, attractive and profitable display; of iron ore there were twenty-seven con- 
 tributions and among them some of great merit. 
 
 Stones and clays in natural and manufactured forms were exhibited from 
 widely distributed districts, and, while not attracting much popular attention, 
 yet to critical visitors were of great interest. 
 
 Of hops we had a complete and fine showing; hops in the bale, on the vine as 
 grown, and hop vines growing in a miniature garden planted within the exposi- 
 tion building; also a complete hop house, which contributed to make tke exhibit 
 of this great industry complete and thorough to the minutest detail. 
 
 I shipped teutons of sugar beets to Alvarado, Cal., to be there manufactured 
 into sugar, resulting in a return of over twelve hundred pounds of beautiful 
 white sugar which was the wonder of many and the admiration of all In ship- 
 ping, the beets took a secou:! growth, which reduced the quantity of sugar ob- 
 tain- d, but did not affect the quality. I have an abiding faith that from the 
 showing made, could we but be assured of the abrogation of the Hawaiian treaty 
 and a settled policy of protection, abundant capital would be forthcoming to es- 
 tablish in this territory the industry of sugar making from beets that would in 
 time grow to be in importance second to none in the territory. 
 
 The grass shown was the tallest (eight feet ten inches high) and the yield 
 the greatest (five tons per acre) of any in the exposition, nor were we lacking in 
 variety, though some competing states excelled us in this respect. 
 
 Of articles not classified we had hemp, sugar cane, sorghum, castor beans, 
 grape vines, (one year's growth lo feet long) rhubarb, earth almonds, chestnuts, 
 etc.. in almost endless variety, and of surprising growth and quality. We also 
 had seven varieties of fish, the largest, a halibut, weighing two hundred and 
 seven pouinls. 
 
 272238
 
 In art work there was a large collection of oil paintings, crayons, litho- 
 graphs and photographs, that served to illustrate the cities and scenery of the 
 territory, and which were not only attractive, but also very useful in disseminat- 
 ing accurate knowledge of our territory. 
 
 To the press I was indebted for their active and cordial co-operation while 
 collecting the exhibit, and for files of papers during the exposition. 
 
 Twenty-three thousand reports, folders, catalogues and other printed matter 
 were distributed by us, either on the spot at the exposition or sent through the 
 mails during the progress of the work. 
 
 U|>on the close of the exposition a small miuature exhibit was shipped 
 direct from New Orleans to London, and was exhibited by me at Reading and 
 Maidstone, England, and the grain upon the corn exchange at London with a 
 view of determining the advisability of transfering the whole to the London- 
 American exhibition in 1887. 
 
 There is a widespread field in England for suc-h work, of which, however, 
 space forbids further mention here. 
 
 All of the exhibit not shipped to London, or not perishable, is stored at 
 St. Paul for future use. 4 
 
 A permanent exposition will open at Minneapolis on the 2!.Jd of August this 
 year. I have made an attempt to raise funds by contribution to enable me to 
 add to and maintain our exhibit at this exposition, which I think would have t 
 been of great value to the Territory, but after several days canvassing found it 
 was impracticable to raise the required amount (S200D), and so have abandoned 
 the attempt. 
 
 I have some hope that the laud department of the Northern Pacific Rail- 
 road Company will utilize our exhibit in a collection for the great Xorth\ve>t, 
 and I will now place the exhibit of Washington Territory at their disposal for 
 that purpose. 
 
 E. MEEKER, Commissioner. 
 
 Puyulhtp, W. T., June 30M, 188G. 
 
 UNIVERSITY of CALIFORNIA 
 
 AT 
 
 L03 ANGELES 
 LIBRARY
 
 T777 
 
 2 Washington 
 
 'Ter.) 
 
 Commission on 
 exhibit at the New 
 Orleans exposition! 
 - Report of E. 
 er. 
 
 '''"-?|||||S| | L i BRARY FACILITY 
 000495178 e