The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1906-09-28
WILL PAY PREMIUMS IN FULL
More Than Twelve thousand Paid
Admissions During Three Days;
improvements to Be Made.
From Mondays Daily.

spite of bad weather. The number of
paid admissions during the three days
of the fair were 1921, of which 4,4S4
were Thursday, 1896 Friday and 5,l4l
Saturday. This is far above the eX-
pectations of the fair management, wen
with the best of weather. The man.
ageemnt is delighted With the manner in
which the people turned out, and are
planning to have the neXt fair on a
larger scale and to make the fair second
to none in the state except the state
fair. I
President Atchison States that checks
for the premiums will be sent out with
in two days, paying each one in full.
One feature of the fair was the fact
that no gambling games were allowed
on the grounds. At least twenty-five
applications for concessions to conduct
games that the management considered
to be wrong were turned down.
A meeting of the officers of the as
ISOLATION was held yesterday, and sew
eIal improvements to be made on the
grounds were discussed. AN effort will
be made to overcome the disagreeable
effects of rainy weather, should such
occur during fair week hereafter. The
soil is to be tile drained, which can be
easily done into the creek that runs
through the grounds Walks are to be
surveyed and constructed of gravel, Gin
ders or other material. The race track
is to be resoiled with dirt containing
a good proportion of sand. With these
improvements it is believed that all of
the drawbacks of rain will be done away
with. '1'3 4~ as" 'A
In order to make more room on the
grounds, all of the machinery is here
after to be displayed on the part OF the
grounds north of the creek. A private
gate will be constructed and the ma
chinerv will he taken in via the wagon
road outside of backgrounds. 3d lass
1t is proposed to- build a new stock
barn. if there areefunds enough, and to
make a place for the poultry exhibit.
There is also talk of firms in this city
putting up buildings of their own for
purposes of exhibit
An effortnwill be- made to secure the
services Of the persons who make the
circuit of the Illinois fairs and demon
srate in a practical and scientific man
ner different matters of benefit to the
farmers. This will be, done as soon as
the association has sufficient surplus.
This feature of tie Illinois fairs has led
to the farmers there realizing more from
their land and the consequent rise III
value of the lands.
The Milwaukee train Saturday
brought in about 200 people from the
Wells branch. st. Peter would have
been represented on the ground Friday
b. 1000 people if the weather had been
good, instead of by 80, according to an
estimate by H. j. Essler. At Truman
100 tickets were sold, but when the
rain began to fall the buyers turned
them back and took their money. With
good weather the city would have had
the greatest crowds that it ever had.
Davenport, the high wire performer,
was to have appeared at the fair at
st. James this week, but instead can
celled his engagement and went to
Mitchell, S. ID.
Everybody is ''bo6sting" the fair, and
there are no knockers. This is about
the first thing that Mankato people
have really united upon to a man. The
merchants are more than pleased with
the results. One credits the fair with
the sale of S LOGO worth of his goods.
Another claims that the fair led to the
sale of $400 worth of ladies' coats,
which were sold to ladies from sur
rounding towns. Others tell the same
story. The fair brought thousands OF
visitors to the city, and the money that
they spent practically all remained in
the city. This is where the fair was
so far ahead of a street carnival that
there is no comparison between the two.
The fair had an 5ppplli9ting and educating
influence, while the average carnival
has a demoralizingss influence, besides
taking money from sthe city. 1t was
the general expression today that no
more street carnivals ever be held in
the city. The merchants believe that the
fair last week was worth all of the earn
ivals that have ever been held in the
city.
Poultry Exhibit.
The poultry exhibit was one OF the
most interesting features of the falr
last week. 1t was large and very cred
liable, and reminded one of the annual
poultry shows in this city. Biddy puts
on her least stylish appearance at this
time of the year, yet the exhibit was
the largest shown at any fair in the
state excepting the state fair. The
Judging was done BY John Osmundson