The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-09-08
MAKES A COMPLAINT.
Beltrami County Thinks It Did Not
Receive Just Recognition
!. at the Fair.
What J., l.. Reynolds, Manager o.
. the County's Exhibit, Has to
Say Of Outcome.

Beltrami countys exhibit was marked
less than 70 per cent by the judges and
consequently does not share in the pro
rata distribution of the fund appropriated
for county exhibits. After travelling $50
miles and arranging a strikingly interest
ing booth, j. L. Reynolds, manager of the
exhibit is somewhat dissatisfied with the
result. -. ~..-. log s-* s.se. r.. b.. III. .-e =
Last year Beltrami county was marked
far above 70 and shared in the money dis
tribution, and we were content although
we ranked only eleventh." he remarked.
This year we come down with greater
variety of products and make much pref
tier display and are outclassed entirely.
''Of course, Beltrami county can not
compare with Houston, Wabasha and 9TH
er southern counties in the variety of
fruits, but to my mind fruits should not
be placed on an equal footing with grains
and other farm products. Whether Min
nesota will ever be fruit state is a ques-
ton still to be decided. It does not begin
to produce enough fruits for home con-
sumption alone. mo objection can be
made against the states doing everything
to encourage horticulture, but the purely
agricultural counties should not be dis
eliminated against.
''The judges were kind enough to mark
Beltrami county 95 for design and taste
or ten points better than the next highest
county: If it was the best why could not
| the. mark have been 100. OF course the
design may not have been perfect, but
the 100 mark could as we'll have been
given as 100 to Houston county for the
greatest number Of varieties or 100 to
Olmsted for native grasses It, will not
be commended that Houston had q COM
plete~ exhibit of all known agricultural
products or that Olmsted had every
known variety of native grasses. Bel
| trami county offers a great many advan-
tages over any of the southern counties
for stock raising, and every intelligent
farmer in the state knows 1t.
But I do not intend to make any per-
sonal attack on the judges, although be-
lieve that they marked too low all around.
county that will make an honest display
of its own products as Beltrami county
has done should be entitled to some recog-
milton. Every single article in the ex-
hibit was taken right from the farm and
! it was tagged with card giving the name
Of the owner of the farm, and the section,
township and range on which it is located.
"All of us know that some of these So
called county exhibits are really private
ventures, and that the vegetables and
grains are" grown especially for. this fair
for the purpose of getting the highest
premiums. This may be all legitimate
enough and I don't say that it is not,
but do maintain that if the state wishes
to encourage the counties to make indi-
vidual exhibits the rules governing the
distribution Of the awards should pro-
vide that each county making a com
mendable display should share in the dis
tribution. Every one who has visited the
fair is surprised by the really fine show
ing made by Beltrami, Pine and Itasca
counties, and yet they are cut out Of any
share in the rewards