The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-09-04
FAIR SOCIETY AFTER
AN AMPHITHEATFR
Manager viii Ask Legislature
for an Appropriation of
$25O,0OO

The board of managers of the State
Agricultural society will go before the
next legislature with request for an
appropriation of approximately $780,
900, and If successful will eXpend the
money in great stock amphitheater to
be located on the society's grounds at
Hamline.
The need of an amphitheater for the
showing of the live stock was never
more emphasized than at this years
faIf. While the stock exhibits in all
the classes were never better, the So
ciety was handicapped by the lack of
facilities to display the prize winners
and to conduct the sales of animals put
up at auction under the auspices of the
breeders associations
What is badly needed is great am
phltheater,i the main floor of which
snail be for "a stock ring and the rising
seats about the ring to have a seating
capacity of $1,000 to 10000 persons.
The fair managers have in mind the
amphitheater Of the Kansas City horse
show association, and this cost fully
$250,0O0. Nothing less will satisfy an
association which annually holds the
greatest fair in the United States or
Canada.
Rain Spells Showing
ct is unfortunate for our project
said Secretary e. w. Randall yester-
day, that bad weather has cut our
profits this year. While we had hoped
to have surplus of at least $4,000 to
show the legislature as a nucleus for
the building fund for the stock am
phitheater, we will not have more than
SIS, 600.
''The danger is not that the legisla-
ture will not make an appropriation,
but that it will not be willing to give
"
any mistake at the inception of this
plan. Iowa and Illinois each have
stock amphitheaters that cost about
$4,000, and they are worse than use
less.
eve want a giant building, with
sufficient seating capacity to care for
the people who attend our fairs and
who desire to see the stock exhibits
An appropriation of $4,000 will be a
show ring building cost a quarter of a
million dollars, and it is large enough
for the horse show crowds each year,
and by putting in sectional floor it
furnishes the largest auditorium in the
West. 1t was utilized for the national
Democratic convention of 1900.
This is our idea for Minnesota, and
II the legislature gives us the re-
quired appropriation we will be able
to provided Northwestern auditorium
large enough to accommodate any con-
vention that may be brought to our
state. Midway between st. Paul and
Minneapolis, it could be utilized by
conventions secured by either st. Paul
or Minneapolis.
"The value of the stock industry to
this state cannot be overvalued, and
the influence. of the state fair with the
displays of pure bred stock and the
sales Of choice animals to the farmers
of the state is beyond computation. We
have been showing our stock under
difficulties for years, but if the legis-
lature will give US such a stock am
phitheater as 1 have suggested it will
prove 9aa great boon to the stockmen
of the state and indirectly to the entire
farming interests
1t is expected to locate the stock am
phitheater either on the grounds oc-
| cupied this year by the pike or on the
sites of barns A. B land c, and the
| Minneapolis fire department.