Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1903-08-08
MINNESOTA STATE FAIR


The Great Show to Open on Monday,
August 81. this Year.-Haif.Fare
Railroad Rates.
AS the 44th Annual Minnesota State
Fair will open in a short time it is
quite in order to give some general
statement of the plans of the fair up to
date. These plans have been made on
generous scale and with the idea of
progress which has characterized the
conduct of the fair for some years
past and which has built it up to be
the foremost state fair in the land.
The fair will be opened on Monday,
August 81, with an address by United
States Senator Charles W. Fairbanks,
of Indiana, an eloquent and forceful
speaker of national reputation and
known as a presidential possibility of
the future. His address will probably
cover agricultural questions and some
of the great issues of the day.
Perhaps the most important feature
of the fair will be the National Live
Stock exhibitions and sales held in
connection with the American Here
ford Breeders Association and the
American Shorthorn Breeders Asso-
citation. These exhibitions have grown
from tentative display four years
ago until they are known among
breeders all over the country as the
most successful shows of their kind.
The Minnesota fair is the only state
fair which can secure these national
exhibitions. Auction sales of prize
animals will be held in the great tent
on the fair grounds during several.
days of the fair.
Premiums have been increased in
all departments and s45,000 is now the
grand total offered by the Minnesota
Fair for exhibits and in purses.
Most of this money goes to agricul-
tural and animal exhibits; the exhibits
of manufactures and machinery are
rewarded by diplomas and honorable
mention. But these exhibits will be
none the less interesting and extern
sive.. There will be the largest dis
play of farm implements and ma
chinery ever seen in the west. This
department will center about the new
Farm Machinery building which has
been erected this summer at a cost of:
$4,000.
In the main or exposition building
every foot of space was assigned be-
fore midsummer and booths will be
erected as in=1903 for the accommoda-
tion of the overflow exhibitors. The
dairy building will be crowded; the
poultry building has been equipped
with new show coops and will make g.
fine display of the feathered tribe.
The woman's department has out
grown its old quarters and has been
given the building used only few
years ago for the entire agricultural
and horticultural display. This shows
the enormous growth of the fair.
This old building $50 feet long held
all the agricultural and horticultural
exhibits three year ago; now the wo-
mans department which then occupied
a corner In the exposition building
will find it none too large, while the
new agricultural hall, occupied first
in the fair of 1901 (and 26Ox24O feet in
size) is already overcrowded with dis
plays.
There will be keen competition
among the counties this year. The
premium awards for county exhibits
have been revised and increased and
made more equitable. Fruit will be
conspicuous, and it is believed from
present indications, one of the best
displays ever made in this line in the
state.
Amusements at the fair will be better
than ever before, both in character
and variety. The largest race entry
list ever made up for any state fair
was announced soon after July /.
More than 260 horses were entered
and for the great $1,000 pacing race
Al entries were made. This means
tremendous racing at the state fair.
And the race program will be sup
plemented with specialties of q high
order. schreyer the daredevil bicycle
shoot-the-chute fiend will be, at the
fair again after tour of successes
throughout the continent. Running
races, hippodrome events, balloon as
tensions and other thrilling entertain
ments will be provided.
/ Many of these things will be re-
peated at the evening performances
but the great evening attraction will
be the gorgeous pyroteehnic spectacle
''The Destruction of Rome" Pain g
latest and most marvellous produc-
tion. This great show travels like q
circus in special train and employs
some 400 actors and supernumeraries.
It closes each evening with special