Ores from the Rocky Bar, Atlanta, Pine Grove, Black Warrior, Neal, Lime Creek, and Dixie districts made a good representation for Elmore County, which, on account of its nearness to Boise and railroad facilities, has been better developed than many other parts of the State.  The Yankee Fork, Loon Creek, and Stanley basin districts of Custer County were all contributors to the State exhibit of gold and silver ores.  The lead-silver ores of Custer County came from the Bayhorse, Squaw Creek, Clayton, Poverty Flat, and Slate Creek districts.  Copper ores from the Big Lost River Valley were convincing proof of the richness of mines in that newly developed part of the State.  Fremont County sent specimens of coal from the rich mines opened a year ago in the eastern part of the county.

Shoshone County was represented by huge nuggets of lead-silver ore.  Gold ores from Shoshone County showed the wide distribution of the yellow metal, which appears in every county in the State.  Copper ores from Shoshone County were an indication of future possibilities in copper production in the State.

It was the earnest endeavor of the Commission to make the most of the opportunities and the means at their disposal to give Idaho and her resources a thorough advertisement.  The press of the country was interested in Idaho’s development, with the result that hundreds of articles have been printed about the State’s large showing at the exposition in the newspapers of all States.  The large number of gold, silver, and bronze medals awarded to the exhibitors bore evidence of the success of the work.

ILLINOIS.

To Illinois belongs the distinction of having held the first and, until the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, the greatest World’s Fair.  Naturally the State of Illinois at that time had a more immediate pride in its showing and spent a vastly greater sum to gather and shelter its exhibits than it could afford for an exposition outside of its own borders; but it is not the opinion of any that Illinois has been outclassed in any respect at the World’s Fair of 1904.  With comparatively a small appropriation, when the $800,000 appropriated by Illinois in Chicago in 1893, or the $1,000,000 spent by Missouri, in St. Louis is considered, Illinois has taken a leading part in the Louisiana Purchase Exposition.  It has not only furnished its large share of the attractions, but it no doubt sent to the exposition the largest number of visitors from any one State outside of Missouri.

Only exhibits of a public character were installed at the expense or through the efforts of the commission.  Private enterprises, many of which took exhibits from this State, were not assisted at the expense of the commission; but the State exhibits were gathered, prepared, installed, and cared for wholly or in part at the expense of the State, authorized by an act of the Forty-second general assembly in 1901, which appropriated the sum of $250,000 for the purpose.