Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-04-23
LOOKS LIKE A FAIR
Excellent Prospects Of Reviving.
Annual Event. i
MASS MEETING HELD LAST EVENING
Addresses Delivered Strongly Favorins
the Organization of Fair Associ.
demonstrating Committee contin-
ued-PIan to Sell Stock.

Ottumwa will have county fair
this fall or the men who last evening
attended the mass meeting at the
Grand opera house are poor prophets.
Although the meeting was not as we'll
attended as it should have been, the
men who were there are the same few
VINO are always on hand when pro-
Ject planned for the upbuilding of the
city is up for consideration and their
efforts usually bear fruit.
Several members of the solicit
ing committee were out of the
city and could not be in attend
ance at the meeting last even
ing, but is was voted that the
men continue in their work and that
they report in a few days, subject to
the call of the chairman, when the re-
suit of the first canvass will be made
known, and, if satisfactory, further
plans will be at once made to perma-
nently organize the association and
place it on business footing.
The Plan Proposed.
While absence from the city of sew
eral of the members of the solicit
ing committee during the past week
has hindered them from coming to-
gether and making plans for the work,
it is said that the plan most favored
calls for organizing a stock company
with capital stock of $4,000 and di.
viding the stock into shares of $50
each. In this manner no contributions
will be asked for unless the donor
would rather give smaller amount
than is necessary to purchase one
share. With the capital stock dispos-
ed Of plans will be made to purchase
the old fair grounds, and it is stated
that $4,000 will bring about this result.
With the grounds purchased. steps
will be at once taken to put up the
grandstand and other buildings neces-
sary to place the association in better
shape than ever to conduct an annual
fall fair and conduct it in manner that
will increase the prosperity of the city
as well as prove lucrative invest
ment to the men who purchase stock
in the venture.
Last Evenings Meeting.
The meeting last evening was called
to order by Chairman S. A. Brewster,
with an audience in which were seen
a number of the representative bust
ness men of the city. Chairman Brew
ster upon taking his seat stated that
owing to his unavoidable absence from
| the city for the past few days he had
been unable to bring the soliciting
committee. of which he is chairman,
| together to outline plans for carrying
on the work with the best results and
he asked for expressions from the au,
dience as to whether or not the COM
mittee should be continued and the
work of raising the stock carried on.
! Several men, among them being Cass
Hendershott, Morris Williams, of this
city, and N. F. Reed of Eldon, all of
whom have had experience in conduct
ing race meetings and fairs, responded
| to the call of the chairman and made
short addresses, in which they strong
! ly favored the project of organizing a
| fair association and promised their
support toward bringing it to sue
cessful realization.
Old Society Paid Dividends.
Mr.. Hendershott stated that he had
been a member of the old Wapello
County Agricultural society for many
years and that in all the time he had
been connected with that association
he nor none of the other stockholders
1 had been forced to stand an assess
ment. while he stated that dividends
had been declared number of times
He said the society had never expe
rienced any trouble in securing good
fields of horses for purses of from $500
to $500.
Half Mile Track Favored.
From the talk of the men at the
meeting last evening it developed that
the half mile track west OF the city
would be more desirable than the mile
A track. Many reasons were given fol
4 this, among them being the excellent
facilities for transportation at the for
mer track, which are now better thar
ever since the street cars run within
a block of the gates, while the fact
that races on half mile track are seen
/ to better advantage and are conse-
auently watched with greater interest
! by the spectators woh brought out
| The plan of holding the fair later in
! the season was favored that the farm
ers would he enabled to make dis
play of their produce to better advan
tage than was possible in former years
l with the fair in August. The seconC
week in September, directly following
state fair week was thought to be the
most desirable time for bringing the
crowds to Ottumwa.
Whether or not the fair will be &c
depends upon the success met with b.
the soliciting committee in disposins
of the stock. The committee will bt
called together in a few days by the
chairman and active plans will be ar
ranged to push the work and within
the next two weeks the fair will eithel
be an assured thing or it will have
been learned that Ottumwa. does no
want such an event.
!. FAVORABLE FOR FIELD WORK.
Progress Made in Preparations for thu
Planting of Crops.