Page:The autobiography of a Pennsylvanian.djvu/381

 my Pennsylvania in American History and it produced the effect which had been intended. In the evening Mrs. Pennypacker and I held a reception attended by Governor David R. Francis, the president of the Exposition. In connection with the exercises I had reproduced A. J. H. Duganne's poem Hurrah for Pennsylvania, up to that time almost unknown, and it was rendered with great effect by a lady elocutionist. After examining the Exposition, we left St. Louis on the night of the 23d. When the State Commission closed its labors it returned $30,000 to the treasury, an event almost without precedent.

This successful effort to enhance the reputation of the state was a gratification to all of its decent citizens. There was, however, a fly in the ointment. The North American was lying in wait for a chance. When my proclamation was issued, calling upon all of our citizens and their descendants who could, to be present, the newspaper reporter, either through design or accident copied the reference to the anniversary of the Battle of Fallen Timbers as the one hundredth instead of the one hundred and tenth. The editorials followed saying that I made the battle occur after the death of Wayne. An examination of the original proclamation in the office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth disclosed, however, that it was the newspaper reporter who made the mistake and this plan of attack fell flat. Those in charge of the agricultural display had, because of his supposed knowledge of the subject, employed a Democratic professor at the State College and he bought a quantity of seeds, for which he paid $22.60, and placed them on exhibition. The man and the seeds had both been removed in May. The North American got hold of the story and cunningly exploited it on the 19th of August, just in time to reach the Exposition on Pennsylvania Day, and as far as possible soil the demonstration. To make a sensation, it gave to the subject nine columns and seventeen pictures, with caricature and other nonsense. It talked of Rh