The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-09-04

and be able to arrange races as the
horsemen want them: he must also
keep close tab on machinery and know
what Is up to date and what is behind
the times; and in addition to semi
technical knowledge on all these mat
terS and many others, he must have the
executive ability to manage the intrl-
cate organlZa ton Of a fair, to meet
the rudest farmer and the millionaire
with equal affability, to plan and
carry out in his mind, months in adj
vance, every detail Of the fair and to
provide for every remote contingency
50 that a trivial accident may not mar
| the success of the fair at the last
| moment.
1t is work like this tt at has been put
| into the recent fairs in Minnesota, and
1t is this which has made the Mime
sofa state fair known all over the coun-
try as the largest and best In the Unit
ed States. 1t Is not unnatural that
the fair should develop and that the
fair Of 1893 should be- as was said at
tho outset, one of the most remark
able of the whole series.
1t is easy to gauge the size Of fair
| by the number of entries Of exhibits.
! There will be over 1000 eXhibits-sapar-
ate entries-in the fair, which opens
tomorrow. This is a growth OF over 80
per cent since 1896. In that year there
were about 4,400 entries; 1897 showed
| $500. This growth is quite evenly dis
tributed among the several depart
ments of the fair. No one section has
| been developed at the expense of an
| other and the fair will be symmetrical
! In every way.
But while 10 department has received
attention while another has suffered,
some Of them have made distinct adj
| VanceS. For instance, the stock depart
ment of the Minnesota fair has lately
come into such complete recognition by
: the national associations of breeders
that it Is, in fact, national exhibition.
Herds are now brought to the Mime
sofa fair from the most famous stock
farms in the country And to the credit
OF the Minnesota breeders, it may be
said that the visitors do not by any
means secure all the premiums.
Another department which merits
| special attention is that of farm ma
chiEery. The two cities are now recog-
niZed as the largest distributing point
for agricultural implements and ma
cEinery in the world. The country back
of them Is one of the richest and best
paying among the rich agricultural
regions of the continent. A few years
ago manufacturers in some lines con-
cluded that the fair exhibits were a
needless expense, and they banded to-
gether to dispense with them. That
sufficiently evidenced by their return
to the fair one and all this year There
| will be at HamHne this year the larg-
est display Of farm machinery ever
gotten together in the West
From an amusement standpoint, the
! fair is far and away ahead of all It's
| predecessors. The two great races for
$1,000 purses-the pace on St. Paul day
and the trot on Minneapolis day-are
| cards which have never been approach
| ed before in this state. They are sup
| plemented by long list Of other regu-
lar races and such noy&ues as the
| "guidless wonders''-horseS which race
| without Understanding races day
! fireworks, balloon ascensions with all
kinds Of variations; concerts vocal and
| Instrumental; base ball, bicycle races,
| and last-no, not last, but as the
! browning event Of ala sham battle
on lines never before attempted in
| this part Of the country.
But, while the fair is to excel In
amusement features, the educational
! side hiss been brought out more prom
! inently than ever before. The man
who comes to the fair with the serious
| intent of learning something cannot
fail to be satisfied. One of the most
| practical Of the many features Of an
! educational character is the good roads
school and the competitive test of skill
| in road making. e. G. Richardson, of
the agricultural department at Wash
! ington, is here to have personal charge
of this feature Of the fair, and will
| speak and answer questions, as we'll as
| conduct the practical tests and exhibits
IN the open field. If the fair did moth
! Ing else for the people Of Minnesota
besides stirring up interest in good
roads it would be most useful work.
Household economics-not theories
! but practical, cOmmOn-Sense ideas for
| the tdTn6IH' hOnnPS Ia lnOthaT cd
| tional idea to be given much attention
| at the fair. 1t will attract the ladies.
and the city women need not be afraid
to learn something in this department.
Aside from these technically educa-
| tional features there is the fair in the
character Of an exposition. An expo
| sitiOn is both educational and CONNER
| cial, as well as being in some ways an
| amusement. AS q complete exposition
| Of Minnesota the fair is unequaled. 1t
| brings to the attention Of the city peo-
! pie the character of the products OF the
| field and forest and mine, and to The
| country people the manufactures and
merchandise on which the cities thrive
! To the visitor 1t gives q complete ex-
| position, in fact, of the resources of the
state The exposition idea is being de-
| veloped as fast as possible in the Min
nesota fair. The agricultural produc-
| tons are being more carefully CLASH
ned and better displayed. County ex-
hibits are helping to show to advantage
the characteristics of the various sec
! tons of the state. Heavier premiums
are encouraging the long downtrodden
fruit raisers; larger facilities recognize
! the increasing Importance Of the dairy
| interests. On the other hand, the mer-
! chants and manufacturers are putting
in displays which have never been
equaled. A complete shoe factory In
| operation will be one novelty. That
this part of the fair is Of the Greatest
value and Is appreciated by the bust
of accommodating all the applicants for
| space this year.
What the Minnesota state fair needs
most Of all In the near future is q. large
and commodious exposition building
fitted with power and adapted In every