Aside from the State House, the most remarkable exhibits of the State were those in the Palace of Mines and Metallurgy and the Palace of Agriculture.  In the former there was abundant evidence that Illinois is primarily a mining State, while the latter wholly contradicted this notion.  As a matter of fact, Illinois ranks second to Pennsylvania in the production of coal, and its quarries yield a fine quality of both sand and lime stone.  The booth in the Palace of Mines contained the largest block of soft coal ever removed from a mine.  It was 6 by 7 by 8 feet in size and was hoisted 335 feet from the shaft.  In the coal exhibit there were specimens of the product of over 50 mines, with chemical analyses showing their respective heating elements.

There was a large display of the clay industry of the State, including bricks, tile, and pottery.  In addition there were shown splendid specimens of fluorspar, lead, and zinc.

In the Palace of Horticulture there was an extensive table exhibit of fresh fruit, especially of apples and the more ephemeral fruits, such as berries and plums.  However, the best display of all was in the Palace of Agriculture.  In the cold-storage case in the dairy section were two exceptionally good pieces of butter sculpture.  They were the busts of those two great Illinoisans—­Lincoln and Grant.

The most striking feature of the great corn pavilion was an enormous broom, that was typical both of the production of broom corn and of the State’s broom industry.  In the corners were small ornamental booths made entirely of the native woods of the State.  One of these was used as an office by the secretary.  There were several excellent pictures made of various grains.  Among the grain pictures were three that were worthy to stand together.  They were President Lincoln, Governor Yates, and the great seal of the State.

By far the largest and most significant part of the exhibit was the collection of samples of corn planted, cultivated, and harvested by boys.  The League of Corn Growers numbered 8,000 members, and there were 1,100 prizes each year, the first being $500.  Each boy submitted 10 ears of corn from his own patch, together with an account of his experiences and method.  The prize winners attached their photographs to the little pyramids of 10 ears of fine corn.  For the farming industry of the State it was felt that nothing could possibly be better than this annual contest.  The boy is taught to look upon the scientific cultivation of the soil as something worthy his best effort.  That in which he takes a personal pride ceases to be drudgery.  As a result of this corn contest much of the danger that all the farmer boys will seek the great cities may be averted, and it was felt that the great exposition should encourage the boys in their worthy enterprise.

There were installed by the Illinois commission 14 separate and distinct exhibits, including that of live stock.  Each exhibit was in charge of a superintendent and a committee of the commission.