Today, the West Point Commemorative Silver Dollar Coin remembers the cadets arriving at the World’s Fair 123 years ago and how the Fair’s officials learned from their mistake.
Oddly enough, the Fair’s officials did not want any military as part of their displays. They learned this decision was a financial mistake.
But first, the Newburgh [NY] Daily Journal included an article in their August 18, 1893 newspaper that told of the cadets, their arrival and the plans at the World’s Fair in Chicago:
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West Point Cadets
Welcomed to Chicago
Drawing Card for the Fair
Living on the fat of the Land
A Round of Social Pleasures
World’s Fair Grounds, Chicago, August 18.
The White City was gay with uniforms, martial music and handsomely dressed women today.
Two hundred and eight West Point cadets were the chief attraction.
They arrived in the forenoon, and arrangements were made to give them a send off.
They were met by a military escort of militia and regulars and an enthusiastic crowd.
They were greeted by cheers, umbrellas and lace handkerchiefs. Their fine marching, their stylishly cut uniforms and highly polished buttons elicited words of admiration along the line.
The cadets will remain ten days.
The management regard their presence as a great drawing card for the Fair.
They are camped in army style, excepting, perhaps, that their beds are softer, their tents more attractive and their food superior.
It was deemed “impracticable” for them to do their own cooking, so a contract was made with a caterer to furnish edibles, and the embryo soldiers will live on the fat of the land.
They have been assigned an open space on the great lawn where their tents are pitched for their daily drills.
They will do regular campus work while here, especial attention being given to tactics and practical army work.
The West Pointers will be treated to a round of social pleasures during their stay, the chief event being a ball tendered them by the Fair officials next Tuesday night.
The State Buildings will be illuminated and bands will play all over the grounds.
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Another article in The United States Army and Navy Journal and Gazette of the Regular and Volunteer Forces of September 23, 1893 told of the lesson the World’s Fair officials learned regarding their military displays:
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(Correspondence of the Army and Navy Journal.)
GOVERNMENT EXHIBIT AT CHICAGO.
CHICAGO, Sept. 18, 1893.
Among the many thousands of exhibits at the World’s Fair, none are attracting more attention from the more than a million visitors a week than is the Government Army exhibit.
Before the Fair was opened the directors announced that it was to be an exposition of the arts of peace and not of the arts of war.
Everything pertaining to the soldier’s profession was to be eliminated as far as possible.
Now the directors have learned that the old adage of “‘tis never too late to learn” is strikingly true in their case, for the military is now, and has been throughout the season. one of the chief drawing features of the Fair.
One of them admitted, after the visit of the West Point Cadets, that they had made a mistake in not encouraging instead of discouraging a military display.
“We noticed this more especially,” the director said, “during the stay of the cadets. I can think of nothing at present that has been the means of attracting more extra fifty cent pieces than they were.
“We are also greatly indebted to the many National Guard organizations that have visited the Fair in spite of our discouragements.
“Had we endorsed the plan of the adjutant generals of several States to establish a model camp, and then have had the troops give two or three parades inside the grounds each week, it would have added greatly to our gate receipts.
“We have learned that the people, even in these quiet times, still love the soldiers.”
None of the Army exhibits attract so much attention from the common people as does that of the Ordnance Department.
The relief maps, showing the wonderful coast defenses, the models of the modern forts and old time block houses, and the many feats of military engineering skill along the great rivers of the interior, and throughout the mountains are given but a passing glance by the average visitor.
Such also is the treatment accorded the mysterious flags and instruments of the signal service, and the many interesting exhibits in the quartermaster‘s and medical departments.
Capt. A. H. Russell, 0. D. has certainly a wonderful exhibit under his care, and the people, as a rule, understand the use of guns and cartridges.
In the display of small arms may be found the old flint locks of the fourteenth century, the more improved ones of seventeen hundred and upwards, the percussion cap and the model Springfield of today.
Then in the magazine guns are the old quick firing pieces with the shells in a small case attached to the side of the gun, the tubular magazine and the box magazine, from the early Lee gun down to the present Krag-Jorgensen.
The display of heavy ordnance and machine guns comprises old historical pieces used in all the American and many other wars besides the modern rapid-fire and breech-loading guns of today.
Everything from the small mountain howitzer, mounted on mules, to the ten and twelve-inch siege and coast defense guns are shown.
Nothing in the exhibit, however, is of as much interest as the machinery for making rifles and ammunition from the Springfield and Frankfort arsenals.
Machines for drilling and turning the barrels of the new 30 calibre magazine guns are shown, one for rifling the barrel of the 45 calibre Springfield.
Machine for finishing trigger guard from the forgings.
In making the gun stocks machines are shown for the rough turning of the stock from the piece of timber as it comes from the contractors, for bedding for the barrel, for planing and for lock and guard bedding.
The machinery used in making the gun stock is made on the principle of the Blanchard lathe in use over71years ago.
In making a gun stock the piece of timber goes through 33 operations. and the work costs, when completed, 53 cents.
Twenty-seven of this is for machine work and 26 for hand-finishing.
Only five of the thirty-three operations are shown at the Fair.
Many interesting operations in the making and loading .30 and .45 calibre shells are shown.
There is a press for cutting the cup of the shell, and one of the six draw presses necessary to complete the forming of it.
All of these machines are capable of 24,000 shells a day.
A bullet press and assembling machine for .30 calibre shells: loading machine, loading 16,000 shells a day; gauging machine for sizing shells, and weighing machine for shells.
Also a priming machine for caps and a foiling machine used in putting tin foil over the cap after it is filled.
In another department is a full display of chronographs and range finders.
Among the exhibits of historical interest are guns used by the minute men in 1776; two bullets that met in mid air during the civil war; sword presented to Gen. Lafayette by Gen. Washington, loaned for this occasion by Marquis er Valcarlos; the gun that fired the first shot of the civil war—a small four pounder fired at steamer Silver Wave, when passing Vicksburg, supposed to have Federal arms on board —fired a few days before the fall of Fort Sumter; the first bullet fired at Fort Sumter and the one fired in response.
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The West Point Commemorative Silver Dollar Coin shows with an image of the encampment of the cadets in 1893, from the Official Views of the World’s Columbian Exposition by C.D. Arnold and H.D. Higinbotham.
