St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-08-28
FROM THE FAIR GROUNDS.
The Preparations Under VVay--COn
rracgc6 SDace--.VVater supply.

The Prepa Ta5tOns GElCteT wa
tracted Space--"Water supply.
The state fair grounds are beginning TO
look something like what they will be when
completed. They are not finished by
GOOD deal. on the contrary there are but
few things on the grounds that are finished,
but every department and all the buildings,
the grand stand, the track. the main expo
sti0n building and all else are so TAR adj
Vanced that there is no question but that
everything viii be in readiness by the time
the fair opens
NOT LARGE ENOUGH.
It is evident to the officers and mana
gers of the fair that the space devoted to
exhibitors is not sufficient to meet the de-
mands that will be made. The appHca-
tons for space far exceed all anticipatiOns,
and those in charge are forced to the
necessity of endeavOring to induce exhibit
ors TO accept of less room. This the latter
do not like TO agree to. The main eNpoS-
ton building is a very large structure, but
as biz as it is il is not one-quarter large
enough for the purpose it is designed Tor.
One OF the officers OF the fdlr, VINO Is
assisting in managing the exhibits for this
building. stated yesterday that lie could
easily ill ii three times over from st. Paul.
The truth OF the matter is that the legisla-
the scheme in view when Ramsey county
made the state Tie present of those 200
acres for iajf ground. and lire
State Agricultural sucjcrE asked for
aid to enable ii II erect suitable
buildings Tor the pWpps" i'll View. Those
who have MANAGE G.iIS mere for years, and
the gentlemen in 81. Paul who nave many
times been cuTtaiied as 10 space for eX-
hibits knew very well that 500, 900 was
not a sum large enough To enable the Agri-
cultural society to erect the buildings neces-
SaTy. OF course it was a sum that looked
large. and undoubtedly some OF the mem-
bers regarded ii as enormous. No one who
goes upon the ground and secs what has
been accomplished with il can doubt that
the money has all been faithfully and con-
scientOusly applied to the purpose for
which it was voted. The fair people have
squeezed it and made it go rs far as posi-
bic, and are compelled at last 10 admit,
what they knew well enough all along.
that there ought to have been more money
appropriated, and the buildings made
larger and more numerous. If the weather
is fair all The members Of the legislature
and all die state officers will without doubt
be made to see the necessity of a further
appropriation to enable the managers of
the fair to furnish adequate means 10 carry
tentions of those who had the nerve and
ability to propose the scheme Of making
the state fair something like what il
should be.
4 VISIT TO THE GROUNDS
yesterday showed that great activity pre-
vailed everywhere. over a hundred men
were at work on the main exposition build
ing, and a good many of them were scat
tered all over the immense dome. which
was being covered with tin. They looked
like SO many flies as they were hammering
away at the time.
-Four horse teams were ploughing up.
scraping and ieyeiing up certain portions of
the ground.
Machinery hall proper is fully completed.
and besides this there are three long and
wide buildings that are Open on the sides
and ends, constructed FOR the purpose also
Of exhibiting machinery. One Of these is
completed and the ether two VIII be i'm a
day OF two.
The depot is beginning to take form and
shape and gives evidence that it will be
very handsome structure when completed.
as il viii he on Monday next. 1t is built
with special reference 10 the business of
hauling a large number of people in the
shortest space Of time In connection with
the depot proper is 4 long shed which will
enable a large crowd 10 board the tram
quickly, so that it can move out speedily
aHd make room for another.
1t is expected that the grounds will be
so well supplied with water that there viii
be no possibility Of its being exhausted no
matter how much stock or how many people
may be on the ground. They dug down to
where they struck water, eighty-fiye feet
deep, and then commenced putting down a
tube for drive well twelve inches i'm di-
ameter eighty feet deeper. There are
three of these drive wells and another is TO
be put in. The water is pumped up into
large, elevated reservoirs from which il is
carried through pipes laid in the ground
to various points, where 1t is
likely to be required. At various
points on the grounds hydrants are placed
for general use. These wells are placed on
elevated ground, so that with the additional
elevation of the cisterns the water has a
fall Of seventy-tve or eighty feet. The
pipes are all connected with all the
wells, so that the exhaustion of one we'll
viii not stop the flow of the water. In or
der to make sure in regard to this matter
and to definitely settle the question. a steam
pump will be applied to the wells to-day.
and worked for the purpose of ascertaining
whether or not it can pump them dry.
The track is finished. and it is superb
one, ana Is probably as fast as any track in
the country. Gentlemen who have
seen the Cleveland track and those
at Buffalo and Rochester n. Y. the
Narragansett park track, and many Others
III the East that are fast assert that there
IS not one OF them that is as fast as this one
One reason for this is that, the outside of
the track around the turns is thrown up
very much indeed: second, the soil of which
the track is made is the best; third, the
shape of the track is as near perfection as
Ii is possible for it to be. Heretofore tracks
have been laid out in the shape of a rectan-
gle with the corners rounded off a little
leaving straight stretch on each end of the
track. The objection to this is. that If is
difficult for the horse to get around these
four corners, whereas on this track there
are really only two turns instead of four.
and these two are much easier for the
horse can trot level all around both OF them.
IN addition, the stretches are long and I'M
surpassed anywhere.
DIX stables, holding ninety-six head of
uottlng and running horses. are com
pleted. -Four cattle barns are also finished.
capable OF accommodating 112 head each,
OF total OF AS head. Besides these there
are four horse barns completed. capable of
accommodating PIG draft and trotting
horses that do not participate in the races.
but compete for premiums.
Inc DAIRY building and the chicken house
are both completed
Several manufacturers of farming ma
chinery are erecting buildings of their own
on lots that have been assigned 10 them
Among these firms are Mccormick (reaDers
and mOWers), Bedford Manufacturing com
pany. Altman (reapers, mowers and thresh-