The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-10-02
RICHES Of YELLOWSTONE
The First Annual Fair at Billings
Proves a Most Pronounced
Success.
An Agricultural Exhibit That
Would Be a Credit to ANY
State.
rive Hundred Crow visitors and q Varied
and Interesting Frogramns-The
Prize Winners.

The frst annual exhibition Of the Yellow
stone Fair association closed yesssr
day. 1t was a great success II
every particular. A success In thu
extent and variety of the exhibits II
all the departments; q success in point o.
attendance, and greater than all a success
in proving that as an agricultural county
Yellowstone Ia the peer of any in Montana
1t was only six weeks ago that the citizens
of Billings finally determined to hold q
fair. The project was enthusiastically taken
up, both by the town people and the ranch
men, the stock was literally subscribed fol-
and every man and woman who was ap'
preached in the interest OF the fair agreed
to do all in bis or her power TO make 1t a
success. That they kept their promises
was fully proven hen the fair opened last
Wednesday. Extensive grounds had been
secured about a mile from town and a close
six foot fence enclosed ID. A grand stand
capable Of accommodating 500 people had
been erected, there were stalls and stables
for 200 head OF stock. while in the center
of the grounds an exhibition hall, circular
in form, sixty feet in the clear, had been
built. A good half mile track had been
laid out. and on it during the week there
nave been some excellent races.
The way in which the Yellowstone people
took hold of and pushed the fair so q sue
cessful issue indicated both their enter
prise and prosperity. Billings is to-day
one of the best towns in Montana, p~rettily
situated, and what impresses the visitor
most is it's many beautiful homes. There
is a lively but not unhealthy competition in
all lines of business, and there is a general
feeling that Billings is all right, both as q
business and residence center. There is a
rich but slightly developed country tribu-
tary to it, assuring its future. This week
it has had on its holiday attire. and the
stranger, no matter where he hailed from,
was royalty welcomed and Hospitality en-
tertained. The officers of the fair a~ssoeia-
tion and the citizens generally did all they
could TO make things pleasant. and they
succeeded admirably. j. M. Crenshaw had
just taken hold of the Grand hotel, and
while the house was full all the week, there
was always room found for zone more"
The town is we'll supplied with good restau-
rants. she facilities for reaching the grounds
were ample, and the programmes were not
30 long as W DcGOluo bltcSOEl6s
There was one feature of the fair that
made it the most picturesque and most in
teresting ever held in Montana. The Grow
agency is distant about 100 miles from Bill
lings and arrangements were made for the
attendance of q big delegation of these
wards of Uncle Sam during the week.
Nearly 500 of them took advantage of the
white mans invitation, and with their
squaws pappooses and racing ponies they
came into Billings, headed by their %princi-
pal chief, Plenty Coues. They represented
the pick of the tribe, and to say they have
had q good time does not half express it.
They made their camp close 80 the fair
grounds, and one of the sights during the
week has been the thirty or more tepees,
with their dark-skinned occupants fitting
in and out, while close by grazed something
like 1000 of their ponies. herded day and
night by Indian boys. Every day there
have been Indian races In which the Grow
sports have taken part, and which were for
blood. There was no foolishness or Jockey
ing about these Indian races. The Crows
are wealthy and they own some very good
horses, and they went into every contest
with the sole idea of winning. Rugged out
in the Gaudiest sort of blankets, with their
faces painted all the colors of the rainbow,
their necks encircled with strings of bright
colored beads, and flying about the grounds
with their ponies at breakneck speed, they
gave brightness to the entire scene. and
would prove a drawing card anywhere.
Every night the victors have celebrated
their successes with a dance, which the
young bucks and squaws seemed to thor
ouqhly enjoy. while the older Indians looked
on in a Rratified way. The citizens gave a
beef and q wagon load OF water melons
every day to their Crow visitors, paid the
winners of races their cash on the COM
pletion OF a contest, and the result is, so
we'll pleased are the Indians with their
Treatment that next year the whole tribe
will want TO come down to the fair.
Some idea of the success of the fair may
be gained when it is said that the attend.
ance on the first day was above 400, while
on the three last days it has run from 800 to
1000. The programme each day has been
such rs would naturally attract. There
have been in addition to the regular and
Indian races. roping contests. match races
between cowboys, and last, but not least, a
baby show. This last was held on Thurs
day. There were some fifteen babies en-
tered, each one of whom would have been
awarded the blue ribbon it put in COMPETE
ton with the babies of any other state. The
judges selected were five bachelors, between
the ages of 30 and SO. They did their best
and the first prize. $50 in cash, given by the
Billings Gazette, was awarded the 10 months
old baby of MIR. and Mis-. A. j.. Gilsdorf.
Edna Fred icka.
But il was in the exhibition hall that the
most interest conferred. The agricultural
display was the largest and most oomplets
and beet ever seen at a Montana fair, There
were not only the finest common veeeta-
bles, such as potatoes, cabbage and ruta-
bagas, but there were fine large water and
muskmellons, beefsteak tomatoes, big ears
of corn. sweet potatoes. raised by Mrs.
Reyes, and lima beans. grown by j, L.
Sanford, all produced in the country tribu-
tary to Billings. OF the 300 agrieultul al
exhibits there was not one that would be
anything but a credit to an Illinois fair.
There were half a dozen different varieties
of apples, luscious to the taste and beauti-
full to tbs eye. The display was not the re-
suit of ca eful preparation, but was made
of Just those things that could be- brought
in on a few weeks notice. In this depart
ment the prizes were awarded by the judges
as follows:
IS. j. Hopple, first premium on wheat.
Bailey d O'Donnsll second. Arthur san
some, first on corn, Ed 0'Donnell second.
A. sansome first on rye, w. o. Parker, Sec
ond. Bailey d O'Donnell, first on oats, T..
Church second. j.. F. Sanford, diploma.
Ed ODonrell first on barley, Arthur san
some second. Hungarian grass seed, E. p.
Searles, Ihos. McGirl, special for manpeI
wurzel. Rutabages, A.. sansome first, A.
M. Flaherty second. White ~turnips. ]. Il.
rots, A. Sansome first, George MUIR second.
Table beets, b. w. Tools first, Newman
Bros. second. Parsnips, A. Sansome frat.
j. L. Sanford second. Oyster plant, Mrs
]. Q. Dennison first. Cabbage, Newman
Bros. frat. George MUIR second. Tomatoes,
Mrs. KYes first, George MUIR second. Gu,
%cumbers, William Harrison Grss, j.
T. Sanford second. Onions, b.. w.
Toole first. g: s.. Tilden second.