Whereas the law provided that the said commission should meet at the State capital and organize within fifteen days of the date of appointment, a meeting was held upon the 20th day of March, 1903.  The following were elected: 

Robert H. Homer, president; Bryant B. Brooks, vice-president; William C. Deming, secretary.

In pursuance of the instructions of the commission, the commissioner in chief and the secretary proceeded to St. Louis about the middle of March, 1904, and installed Wyoming’s exhibit in the Mines and Agricultural departments, along general lines approved by the commission.  The exposition was formally opened on the 30th day of April, 1904, and Wyoming was one of the comparatively few States to have its exhibit practically complete upon the opening day.

Almost from the opening day of the exposition a surprisingly large number of people from Wyoming visited the fair, and the expressions of approval of the showing made by this State were highly encouraging to the commission.  It was shown by registration at the Wyoming headquarters and at the various hotels that one person in every fifty in Wyoming saw the World’s Fair.

In the Palace of Mines and Metallurgy, Wyoming’s exhibits were very favorably located on two of the most prominent aisles of the building and occupied a floor space of 2,700 square feet.  In addition to this, a wall space of 2,100 square feet was utilized for a display of Wyoming pictures, plats, maps, and drawings.  The exhibit in this building was quite extensive and weighed about 250,000 pounds, it being the purpose of the commission to show all native products in commercial quantities.

The oil exhibit, which Dr. F. Salathe kindly volunteered to prepare, consisted of over 200 varieties of every grade of lubricating and illuminating oil in this State, and was one of the most complete exhibits of the kind shown at St. Louis.

Whenever it was practicable, the commission endeavored not only to show the crude material, but some article of utility manufactured from it.  In carrying out this idea, the iron exhibit comprised 32,000 pounds of the crude ore, and around it were grouped nails, spikes, bolts, steel rails, barbed wire, and pig iron manufactured from the ore.

To illustrate the utility of our onyx and marble displays, a large pyramid of the different varieties of onyx, weighing about 40,000 pounds, was shown; also a beautiful mantel and fireplace manufactured from this material.

The mines exhibit was comprised of 156 varieties of mineral—­a larger number than was shown by any other State—­and over 3,000 classified exhibits.  Being one of the most complete in extent and variety shown in the Mines Building, the State received a gold medal on the general collective exhibit.

Great quantities of copper ore and copper products from the famous Encampment district made up a large part of the State’s display.  One of the exhibiting companies showed the mineral in all its stages and processes of manufacture, from the crude ore to the finished product.