had been sold at public auction, building for building,
and other property in detail, so anyone could have bought what he wanted
and had use for, I am confident that the Exposition Company would have
received more than a million and a half dollars.

I consider the manner in which the salvage committee handled the bids
very irregular in that great secrecy was observed, and will state that
the awarding of the contract to the Chicago House Wrecking Company for
the sum of $450,000 was unjust to other bidders, and detrimental to the
interests of the United States, the city of St. Louis, and the
stockholders of the Exposition Company.

S. KRUG.

Subscribed and sworn to before me this 28th day of March, 1905. My
commission expires on the 15th day of October, 1905.
[SEAL] HARRIET A. Dumas,
_Notary Public._

STATE OF ILLINOIS, _County of Cook, ss_:

Before me, this, the 28th day of March, 1905, personally appeared Mr.
George J. Schmitt, who, being duly sworn on his oath, says:

My name is George J. Schmitt. I reside in Chicago, Ill.; have resided
here for the past thirty-five years. Am employed as clerk and bookkeeper
in office of Mr. S. Krug, contractor, of Chicago. I have been in Mr.
Krug's employ for the past eight years. On November 9 I left Chicago for
St. Louis with Mr. Krug, to look after his bids and do any clerical work
that he might want done. We arrived St. Louis on morning of November 10,
1904. Mr. Krug had his bid made up, and upon arrival at St. Louis we
immediately went to the National Bank of Commerce, where Mr. Krug wanted
to have his draft cashed and his check certified. We then went to the
Administration Building and called at the office of Mr. Isaac S.
Taylor, director of works, where Mr. Krug handed his bid to Mr. Taylor's
clerk. This was about 12 o'clock noon on November 10. We were requested
to go into the anteroom and wait until called for. There were present in
the anteroom at the time Mr. Albrecht, Mr. McDonald, Mr. Schaeffer and
son, Mr. Ware, of the Columbia Wrecking Company. One or two other
gentlemen were present. I do not now recall their names. After we had
been there some little time, Messrs. Frank and Abraham Harris, of the
Chicago House Wrecking Company, came in. We all waited there until about
2 p. m. About this time President Francis passed through the room and
went into Mr. Taylor's office. He came back shortly and said to us to
come back in about an hour, as t