Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-11-28
P1ouaH1Na MATCHES.
Unique Institutions That Have Made
Good Farmers and Housekeepers.

From the Chicago Tribune.
Hundreds of proficient young housekeep-
ers got their first lessons in the art from
the competitive drill of two ploughing
matches near Chicago. One of these fnsti-
buttons has just held it's twenty-seventh an
nual match, and the other, the offspring OF
the former, is now ten years old. and has
lust had a successful meeting. The first
one is the Wheatland ploughing match,
located in Wheatland township, Will coun-
ty, and the other is the Big Rock Ploughing
Match Association, located in Big ROCK
township Kane county.
Both Of these organizations were started
by the pioneers of their respective counties
country gentlemen of the old school. The
work was undertaken In each case for the
purpose of encouraging boys and men 70
turn furrow with such a degree OF pro-
ficiency as to class 1t among the accom-
best ploughmen of the great agricultural
fields of the west and northwest got their
first lessons in ploughing in one OF the other
Of these Illinois institutions, the IKE OF
which there Is said to be nothing in this
country.
The matches were hardly started before
the women took hand. They established
in connection with the matches Iair at
which were exhibited products of the needle
and the kitchen. On the same day cash
prizes were awarded for the best ploughing
with walking. sulky or gang ploughs to men
and boys, and to young women for the pest
work in sewing and embroidery and In
cooking, baking and preserving.
The men provided for the prizes In the
ploughing matches by raising the money,
among them, and the women accumulated
a fund by cooking and baking for dinner
to be served on the grounds. over $o,ooo
has been paid in prizes by the older organ
ization, and in like proportion by the
younger match. In order to show the high
standard that was set for the ploughmen 1t
is only necessary to state that the land is
marked off with the precision that tailor
uses in cutting garment. The ploughman
In order to be perfect must turn the Land
in given time, and the last furr0w must
exactly complete the land without break.
To use the expression of one of the old-time
Big Rock plaughers, "the furrow must be
SO straight that you may stand at one END
and see mouse jump across 1t at the other
end" The work is judged and scored by
the best known ploughman, without know
ing who has done the work.
With the same degree of proficiency the
women have continued their efforts until
small army of drilled housekeepers has
been produced in both counties. In period
of time. now over a quarter of century,
pace has been kept, step by step, with mod
ern creations of both the needle and the
kitchen.
In all the time during which these unique
institutions have survived without jangle
of any kind the young men and the young
women have gone to other homes. Both
sexes have found the training that the
ploughing match stirred UP to be the most
valuable asset carried away to distant
lands. The graduates of these near Chi
cago tilling and housekeeping schools have
not only taught many, but they have raised
families of their own, who have gone forth
and taught others. The great middle west
has had the advantage of their skill.