The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-05-30
I GET READY EARLY
State Fair People Are Being Crowd
ed and Are Pushing Things
Hard.
The Grounds q Scene Of Activity
Great Promise for the
Races.

Everything connected with preparation
for the state fair Is taking shape this
year about from two to three weeks earle,
than usual" said Secretary e. w. Ran
dali recently. in speaking Of the activities
preceding the fair of 1903.
Mr.. Randall finds each year that work
must begin EARLIER, that demands for
space and inquiries Of all kinds begin to
How into his office at an advance date
and that the entire volume of business
incident to a great exhibition such as the
Minnesota state fair has become, is so
very large that of necessity,it must spread
over a longer period.
This year there is an increasing demand
for the annual premium list, which. by the
way, Is very much amplified and con-
tatns prizes and premiums, aggregatine
altogether fully $4,000. This is the larg-
est amount ever offered by the Minnesota
state fair as inducements to exhibitors OF
animals and products of the soil and II
exceeds by many thousand dollars the
prize offerings of any other state fair III
the country.
. The pleasant weather OF the past week
has given new opportunity for outdoor
work at the fair grounds. There is going
on vast amount Of carpenter work. re-
pairing. remodeling and reconstruction Of
the smaller buildings, besides painting anG
grading and general improvement.
Mr. Randall to carry out a varied program
OF this class Of work, all directly In the
line Of Improving the appearance Of the
fair grounds and facilitating the exhibit
of Minnesota products. Besides the mi
nor items referred to above the board has
contracted for about mile Of artificial
stone sidewalk upon which work has com
Smenced
The swine exhibition building is now
practically completed and has been pro-
nounced by those who are we'll informed
the largest and finest building for this
purpose on the fair grounds of America.
This division Of the fair is not one In
which any Of the poetry Of agriculture
life can be blended, but is one which is
of the utmost Importance to the north
west. as thru it's influence the breeding
OF hogs has been very largely developed
and an industry established which has
added much to the wealth of the farming
community.
One of the evils which would have
come to the Minnesota fair had the IA
nous pool selling bill been passed last
winter, was emphasized thru Mr.. Ran
dalIs statement that more horses will be
stabbed at the fair grounds for practice
this summer than ever before.
Nearly every stall on the grounds is
spoken for If not already occupied. Had
the law been passed turning over the fair
grounds to an outside corporation the
state fair would have been deprived of a
very handsome income from this source
while the horses which are now gathered
at the grounds would have ben scattrd
in all directions, many of them not to re-
turn to the state.
From present indications the entries fol
the state fair races this year will be the
largest In the history Of the fair. Las,
year the number of horses was 50 large
and their excellent character SO pro.
nounced as to attract the attention Of
horsemen all over the country.
On the highest authority it was stated
that such an entry list would do credit t.
Of the western meets could surpass it
There is good prospeca that this record
Of supremacy will be easily maintained
by the Minnesota state fair Of 1903.