The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-07-17
REPAIRING OF GROUNDS AND
BUILDINGS UNDER WAY.
To ENLIST MINING PEOPLE
Executive Committee Visits Butte for
Purpose Of Interesting Big
Corporations There.

About all the preliminaries for the
first state fair have been completed
and it now only remains for the peo-
pie to make it a success That they
will do so is considered as tolerably
certain. No matter that at the be-
ginning seemingly but little interest
was manifested, a change has taken
place in public opinion and some OF
those who we're among the most in
different and lukewarm are now said
to be among the most enthusiastic
in their efforts to contribute to the
final successful outcome.
The executive committee has near-
ly finished the work entrusted to it
and according to all reports has done
it we'll. The most important mat
tiers considered at it's last meetings
had connection with repairs and i'm
provements in grounds and buildings.
Final plans for these lave been adopt
ed and carrying them into execution
Is d UdSh W CAV oOSAOIo4J,
j. w. Pace. @' -."..s
1t is said that when the old grounds
| are visited next October those who
were familiar with them years ago
will fail to recognize them, SO chang
ed will they be. OF course, an i'm
mense amount of work will be neces-
sary. For the last five years the
grounds have had absolutely NO care
and the havoc wrought by time and
the elements, and possibly also van
dal,s is great, but promise is made
that when everything shall have been
done as now outlined a better or more
modern fair ground will not be found
anywhere in the west.
The first thing undertaken in the
direction of making the transforma-
ton was the cutting of the weeds
that have been permitted to overrun
the grounds. The long neglected race
track will be reconstructed and the
stables will be repaired and cleaned
and gone over generally. Then the
grandstand is in a woeful condition
and will have to be practically rebuilt.
It is believed that an addition will be
made to it. But the other buildings
and structures will not be overlooked.
They ara to be repaired and painted
and the fence enclosing the grounds
will be turned over to the carpenter
and painter. Nothing is to be sighted
or overlooked, so it will be seen that
much work remains to be done before
the grounds and buildings will be fit
for the purpose to which it is expected
to put them.
While taking care of the grounds
attention has also been paid to the
road leading to them. This is to be
graded and rebuilt generally. ei4a
Interesting Mining Industry. q
Yesterday the executive committee,
headed by T. A. NARROW, chairman,
went to Butte for the purpose of en-
~deavoring to interest the mining and
smelling companies in the fair. The
committee hopes to induce the dit
ferent companies to combine for the
erection of a handsome, permanent
building on the grounds in which to
make an exhibit OF the mining and
kindred industries of the state. While
they will no doubt accept whatever
the companies may decide to give
them, the members of the committee
expressed the hope that the mining
people would construct a building to
cost not less than $4,000.
= Will Issue Bulletins.
Secretary Pace, a good newspaper
man, has outlined a system for ad-
vertising the fair. An important fea-
ture of the system is a series of bull
letins to be issued regularly and in
which the progress made on the
improvements is to be noted. But
they will contain even more. They
I will detail the progress of the work
!, of the different committees and what
is doing by the heads of the various
departments. By this system it is
expected that the public will be kept
informed and by keeping the matter
before them continually it is hoped
+ that the people of the state will not
permit their interest in the fair to
lag.