Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-07-12
BIG FAIR
oTTUMWA TO HAVE BIG RACE
MEET AND AGRICULTURE
EXHIBIT AUGUST ia.
Big Purses to Be Offered for Fast
Horses and Nearly 1000 Premiums
for Other Exhibits-Good Music
and Free Attractions.

"A big race meeting, agricultural
art and stock exhibit is being planned
for the first week in August by l.. A.
Meeker of Hedrick manager of the
West End Driving park. The meeting
is to begin Monday August / and is to
continue over Thursday August and
the plan is to make it the best thing
in the way of race meeting and an
agricultural fair that Ottumwa has ev-
er had.
The fair is to begin on Monday in
order to allow the carrying out of the
full four days program. In case of
rain or inclement weather which may
spoil any one days program the pro-
gram arranged for that day will be
carried out on the following day and
the fair may thus be extended over
Friday and possibly Saturday of fair
week.
viii Open Series.
The Ottumwa fair will open the
meetings of the Southeastern Iowa
Fair circuit and those entering horses
ior other exhibits of stock or products
of any kind will have an opportunity
of following the circuit on down the
line. Following the Ottumwa fair will
come the Burlington fair, the Mt.
Pleasant, West Liberty, Winfield, Don
'aldson, Hedrick, Eldon, Fairfield and
Bloomfield fairs in order. In all these
fairs there will be good premium lists
and good purses for the racing events
and this fact will tend to increase the
chances for good entries in exhibitions
and races in 0tt,,mwa
Many Premium Offers.
There will be about 1000 premium
offers put up for the local fair. The
list of premiums is being completed
anu r will be ready for the public this
evening. The purses for the races will
in every case be $500 per race, with
per cent entrance fee and the winner
to pay per cent additional The
size of the purses is such that good
entries will be assured and if the
races pulled off by the management on
July are good specimens of the races
which are to take place during the
fair that part of the meeting will GER
tainly be success.
There are stalls and quarters for
about seventy horses at the grounds at
the present time and if at the close of
the date, July % for the entries in the
races it appears that these quarters
are not sufficient more will be prepar,
ed before the fair begins.
Slow Races,
In addition to the fast races in the
pacing and trotting classes there will
be races for the slower animals known
as roadsters and farm horses. This is
a feature that will add great interest
and greatly increase the possible num-
Der of contrasting horses.
A special feature will be the offer
ing of premiums for the best women
riders. Wapello county has in times
past had some splendid horsewomen
and it is believed that the premiums
offered will prove attractive enough
to bring out some good riders at the
present time.
For the cattle exhibits there will be
prepared quarters for about so heat
and there will be commodious quarters
for hogs and sheep. These pens will
be erected just east of the grand
stand.
Art Hall Completed.
The art hall has been completed ant
stands short distance directly in the
grounds from the main front entrance
This building will be used for al
kinds of free exhibits which are Gus
tomary at fairs. The building vii
have police protection at night and will
be securely locked SO that there neel
be no fear of valuable exhibits being
lost or damaged.
Free Attractions.
In addition to the races and the ex
hlbits there are to be free attractions
offered for the amusement of the visit