The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-08-31
IT'S A BUSY PLACE
Fair Grounds Is Being Made
Over This Week.
Ready for Big Show Which
Opens Next Monday.
ENTRIES STILL COMING
Cattle Exhibit Promises to Be
Larger Than Ever.
Queen Esther and PinafOre Re.
hersals in Progress.

The fair ground is busy place these
days and will be for the remainder OF
the week and then the scene will shift
from one of continuous labor to one of
pleasure. Just one week from today
the gates will swing wide open for the
State Wide Fair about which so much
has been written and said during the
past few weeks. The press notices and
talk is not the only thing that indicates
that the event will be one of unusual
merit.
Entries are pouring into the commit
tee from all parts of the country at an
amazing rate and Rex Kreipe, who
ought to know, says that the display
of fine cattle will be the largest and
best ever shown in the state. Nor will
the display of fine stock in the cattle
department eclipse the other displays
of similar nature.
Topeka is fortunately situated this
season as to location and as to fair
week dates and comes in as an inter-
mediate stopping place for the big ex-
hibitors who will have displays at
other Kansas fairs and who wish to re-
main in the west until after the Amer
lean Royal stock show which will be
held in Kansas City during October.
Many of these exhibitors will stop -.
Hutchinson and the stock will be fresh
and in better shape to show than a
month or so later.
The committee has not yet passed
upon the entries for the races and will
not until the board meets today or to-
morrow and until they report the en-
tries for the races it will not be known
just how many races have filled or
what they will be. Secretary Kreipe,
who also knows more about these en-
tries than any one else, promises sur
prises for fair week as far as racing Is
concerned.
Most of the buildings and fences
have been treated to a coat of white
wash and their immaculateness sug-
geSts the class of the fair which will
be held next week. A force of men
are at work today and will be for the
whitening mixture on the high fence
which encloses- the grounds. Another
force of men is hauling cinders for the
drives and walks about the grounds in
case the weather should not prove all
that is hoped for.
This seems like an unnecessary ex-
pense inasmuch as an official report
indicates fair and cool weather for the
week and there is nothing to indicate
that an error has been made in this
forecast. bitches are being dug
about the grounds and the drains
"
falls on the racetrack at times are
being made as good as new. All of
this work will have been com
pleted by Friday and perhaps a day
earlier and Thursday the six big top
tents which will shelter a portion of
the exhibits will be in place on the
grounds ready for use.
And right along the line of enter
tainments for the week may well be
mentioned the opera Pinafore and the
cantata Queen Esther which will be
produced by the Oratorio society. A
reporter for the State Journal inter
viewed Mr.. NJ. G. Holman who is drill
ing the members of the Oratorio So
ciety for the production of Pinafore
and Queen Esther in the auditorium
during the fair week
Mr.. Holman has had more or less to
do with every musical entertainment
given by Topeka talent for the past 30
years, and says those who attend will
not be disappointed in either perform
ance and that his representative will be
at the door to refund the admission
fee to any one who is not satisfied OF
who says either show is not worth the
money.
LAS a matter of fact have frequent
~ paid a dollar and dollar and a hall
to see a performance not half so good. -
said Mr.. Holman. People who heard
Pinafore when it was all the rage ought
to witness a revival of the popular
opera and compare the performance
with that of years ago, for
the catchy music never grows
tiresome, and the young people who
have never heard it surely ought to
attend and compare the music of Pima
fore with some of the trash palmed OF
on an unsuspecting public of late
years" A reserved seat only costs q
cents and Stansfield will fix you out
with any kind of a chair and just
where you want it if you will call on
him Friday morning.