The farmers' union. (Memphis, Mo.) 1891-1895, 1891-10-15
WESTERN INNOVATION.
PLANkIM1 ON'S HAPPY SUBSTI-
TUTE FOR THE COUNTY FAIR.


A South Dakota Town Sets an Origina
ExampIe-A Beautiful Temple to Ceres
Art and Plenty Combined to Create u
Novel Festival.
The county fair, subdivision of tho
genus fair which has been a feature of
agricultural life since remote ages has
finally been Supplanted in the enter
prSing commonwealth of South Dakota,
and its place has been supplied by some
thing SO entirely new and attractive
that it is likely to be widely, success
fully and probably copied. This sub
siitnte is nothing more nor less than the
erection OF grain palace. Plankinton,
5. d, is the energetic place TO first at
tempt the new order of fair. and from
all appearances it is evident she has
made a "tcn strike"
Plankinton does not claim to have
originated the idea of Il palace. for of
late wears palaces have multiplied, town
after town choosing that method of at
tracing attention to itself and its enter
prise; but piankinton is probably the
first community to experiment upon q
distinctly agricultural palace as a SUBJ
stltute for the annual agricultural fair,
aud her effort has been marked sue
cess.
The recent opening of the Plankinton
grain palace was auspiciouS for more
reasons than one. Plankinton has never
suffered such crop shortage as to be.
come subject for outside aid, but she is
located i'll a region which has for year
or two before this suffered more or less
from insufficient rainfall. The splendid
crops of 1891, however. loaded her gra-
naries to ovcrflowing, and from this
abundance came the beautifully deco
rated grain palace as a thank-offerins
for natures lavish bounty.
Sioux City, the nearest commercial
centre, responded to an invitation to
assist in the inaugural ceremonies of the
palace, and sent a special train load of
representative business men to rejoice
with those who did rejoice" a we'll
arranged program was carried out,
which included glowing tributes to the
beauties of the palace. the splendid fer
tility Of the soil whose products had
been SO artist;caliy drawn upon. aud to
the hopeful promise of future prosp,x-
ity which the exhibit voiced A para
graph from the opening address of Pres
ident Andrews indicates the nfident
III
From hillside and plain and valley,
where the silence of ages has fingered.
the white incense of steam, the curling
smoke of induStry'S fires. and the mu-
sical hum OF L busy. prosperous and con-
tented people asccndS like Il grand
thank offering to heaven for the good
time coming, come al. last, thank God"
The palace itself. measured by the
rule of proportions. is remarkably cred
liable to its builders. 1t is, in its cx-
terror decoration. distinctly symbolic OF
grain. corn occupying no conspicuous
place. but ranking in its order The
tasty building, adorned with gable.
tower and minarct. made an attractive
heading for the principle street. Within
every township in the county was rep
resented by an exhibit of agricultural
products. similar 70. though more
artistically arranged than the usual
fair exhibits. The wheat, fax and other
small grain specimens won the admira-
tion Of all. Wheat sheaves from fields
that yielded over forty-six bushels per
acre. and other grain IN proportion. at
tractcd conspicuous attention. The
Plankinton schools occupied a hand
somely arrayed corner, including art
hands and heads. Three specimens of
genuine art in decoration challenged
particular attention. One was an elk,
with head upraised as if suddenly
startled. The blending of color was
produced with different shades of corn
silk. while the spreading antlers were
composed of wheat and flax grains.
The whole effect was beautiful and the
general design thoroughly artistic.
Opposite this picture was one represent
ing sheep in the field. The wool on the
animals, perfect in appearance. was
composed of clematis. The third piece
was South Dakota farm house field
and buildings. taken from nature and
done in cornstalkS.
The conduct of the grain palace festi.
val is not particularly different FROM
that of the county fair. There is art
instead Of horse racing, that is about
all. Bands of music, decorated build
ings. agricultural addresses, stock pens
all these there is ample time and
space for, but for years to come new
interest may be given and new ideas
be developed by the novelty of artisti-
cally empowering suitable building in
the gorgeous and easily blending colors
of the harvest time. The painters
brush long ago detected the voicelcsS
melody of color in wood and field and
rick: it remained to the present genera
ton to use the cOlorS as mixed by nature
itself. in all their strangely fascinating
combinations of tint and tone. and to
produce with them living pictures which
are in fact living realities. eloquent
alike of the art and boundlcSs gcner-
osity of harvest hue and time.
How far east the fad for palace
building may extend remains to be seen.
1t seems as yet to be confined to the
west and south. Texas built spring
palace of grain. grasses and cotton. and
won wide notoriety by 1t. Sioux City
has its annual Corn Palace festival. with
increasing interest from year to year.
Other Iowa towns build palaccs-a flax
palace at Forest City. a hay palace at
AlgOna, a blue grass palace at trcSton
and a coal palace at Ottumwa. But now
that notion of general grain palace,
created by and for a county population.
has been successfully experimental
upon it is not improbable that the idea
may be expanded and enlarged until
the palace idea obtains a footing in
hundreds of communities. 1t is 4
peculiarly apt and happy expression of
an appreciation of natures bounty. Tho
community that has material for a
lavish grain palace has the inherent
qualities of soil and climate which AS
sure prosperity.
PERSONALS.