about to close a deal for the purchase of the salvage
in the sum of $386,000.

No further information as to the sale of the salvage was ever furnished
me, nor was any notice given me that further or additional bids would be
received.

I had never at any time been furnished a list of the property for sale,
and made my bid on the buildings as shown by the specifications prepared
by Mr. Taylor, director of works. I requested a list of the property for
sale, but was never able to get one.

As soon as I heard that the property of the exposition was to be sold to
the Chicago House Wrecking Company for the sum of $386,000 I wrote a
letter to President Francis as follows:

DECEMBER 5, 1905.

GENTLEMEN: Noticing in the daily papers that you will sell the
entire property owned by the Louisiana Purchase Exposition,
including railway tracks, exhibit and other buildings, fencing,
furniture, wiring, lamps, piping, plumbing, machinery, etc.--in
fact, everything owned by the company. If this is the fact we
can pay you about $400,000 and perhaps more. Will you kindly
furnish us a complete list of everything that you have for sale
and specified time of removal, so we can give you an intelligent
bid or proposition?

Very respectfully,
SCHOELLHORN-ALBRECHT REAL ESTATE CO.,
Per H.S. ALBRECHT, _President_.

President D.R. FRANCIS and
BOARD OF DIRECTORS ON SALVAGE,
_Louisiana Purchase Exposition, St. Louis._

I failed to receive a reply to the above letter or to receive a list of
the property to be sold, and was not notified that further bids would be
received therefor. As far as I know, none of the former bidders, nor any
one else, for that matter, were given the slightest opportunity to bid
on the whole property, except the Chicago House Wrecking Company.

There seemed to be a disposition on the part of the salvage committee to
observe the greatest secrecy in procuring the bids and the awarding of
the contract. The property was not properly advertised and lists were
not furnished to bidders, as is customary in public sales, where large
amounts of valuable property is to be sold.

From the contract between the Exposition Company and the Chicago House
Wrecking Company, now a matter of record here, I have noticed the nature
of the material and property sold to the Chicago House Wrecking Company,
and had I been furnished a list of that property I would have bid
$750