California's Exhibit at the Atlanta Exposition [pp. 387-401]

CALIFORNIA'S EXHIBIT AT THE ATLANTA EXPOSITION.
we had no especial interest in that feature
of the work. They, therefore, neglected
to notify me that exhibits for competition
in this line must be in place and ready for
inspection by the Committee on Awards
by the i6th of December. It was by accident that I learned through a Florida
gentleman that they were going to have
twenty or thirty barrels of fresh oranges
at the Fair before the day set for awarding premiums on citrus fruits. This was
enough to start me inquiring, and soon I
was made aware of the entire arrangements. I discovered at the same time
that our Florida friends were under the
impression that California could supply
no fresh fruits by the date set for the
judges to give their verdict, and so believing, they flattered themselves that they
could easily get away with the premiums.
The time was short for action, but I
bent myself to the work with an energy
increased by the urgency of the situation
and importance of the case. Mr. Baier
being well acquainted at Porterville, I
got him to write to the orange growers
there, explaining to them the importance
of improving our opportunity, and urging
them to send us an assortment of citrus
fruits at once. At the same time I wrote
letters of the same import to Sacramento
and to Auburn, and to Mr. L. C. McAfee
in regard to getting fruit from Oroville. I
also wrote to General T. H. Goodman,
General Passenger Agent of the Southern
Pacific Company, asking him to grant us
the privilege of having such fruit as might
be contributed from the different points
named, sent through to Atlanta as baggage. Having done this, I then went to
work to have the date for passing on citrus fruits postponed from the i6th of December to the 20th, and succeeded in my
efforts.
The parties addressed at this end of the
line, without whose friendly assistance I
could have done nothing, seemed to grasp
the situation, and in each instance responded promptly and liberally. General
Goodman issued the order asked for, and
the parties appealed to at Oroville, Auburn, Sacramento, and Porterville, lost no
time in getting and starting their fruit.
In due time it came rolling in, and though
a number of boxes were opened and partially emptied, I was too happy to think
of entering complaint. I bought some
lumber and went to work on Saturday
night to make a separate and artistic
stand for its display, and by the day set
for awarding the premiums I had exposed
before the eyes of the admiring throngs
the. handsomest exhibit of citrus fruits
ever seen in Georgia. The variety was
complete, consisting of oranges, lemons,
limes, and pomelos, and the quality was
all that could be desired. I had not informed the Florida people of what I was
doing, but when the fruit arrived and was
being put up they heard of it and came
down to see it. After looking around for
a while and asking a good many questions
touching on what part of the State our
fruit came from, and how it happened to
be ripe so early, one of the genial
gentlemen in charge of the Plant Railroad System's display, said, with some
evidence of a sigh, "Well, you are not going to knock us
out. "
"Do you think not?" he was asked.
"I know you won't," he said.
"Why?"
"Because we won't give you a
chance.
True to his word, Florida refused to
enter her citrus fruits for competition.
California necessarily carried off all the
citrus fruit premiums, and most of them
were as high as the jury could give.
I consider this effort the best piece of
work done by us at the Exposition. Previous to that the exhibitors generally gave
us the credit for being wide awake to the
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