The Twin Falls times. [volume] (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1905-1916, 1909-01-21
LIVE STOCK EXHIBITION.
international Show and Its Teachings
To Breeders.

international Show and Its Teachings
To Breeders.
At the end Of the long aisle the Wis
itor stopped and glanced back over the
multitude OF fat, sleek-looking cattle.
Whats the use?" he asked. "Why
have they gathered this host of cattle
here from the ends of the earth simply
to boom Chicago as livestock center
and to line the pockets of the trans
portation men and the hotel keepers?
! What do the exhibitors get out of this
that repays them for their time and
expense In coming; and, more than
that, OF what possible value is 1t to
the average, everyday farmer and
stockman?'
| For the visitor, you see, was very
skeptical sort of person and had to
be shown. Fortunately there were
number of persons in his vicinity who
appeared willing, and even eager. to
show him. They crowded around him,
half dozen of them, representing the
several types most interested In the
show. There was a fur-coated ranch
man straight from the plains, an ex
hibitOr whose cattle had carried off
the highest honors in other years;
student from a nearby agricultural
college, and two or three more. No
| stenographer could have caught the
actual words Of the conversation, but
the gist Of it was plain, and its effect
was to transform the skeptical visitor
into an ardent friend of the show
They were not compelled to seek far
for arguments. The crowded condi-
ton of the exhibition halls proved that
this, the ninth international stock
show, was the largest which had ever
been held. While the larger groups
of farmers and stock men who surged
about the exhibits of special interest
| proclaimed louder than words their
confidence in the value Of the perfor-
nance as an incident in their profess
sional education.
More significant even than the num-
Der OF the exhibits, or the wide diver
sity of countries from which they were
drawn, was their superior quality.
For the first time in the history of the
institution the directors found 1t nee
essary to limit the number Of entries.
In former years there had been no
restriction of this sort; he who had
cattle, or pigs, or sheep, could bring
them in whatever quantities 1t might
please him, and enter them, with the
knowledge that they would receive all
the care and attention accorded to the
best This year it was so, and the an
nouncement of the change sounded the
death-knell of the Scrub" 1t trans
formed this exhibition into a collec-
ton of prize-winners. There was no
animal there which had not distingu-
ished itself in some county or state
fair. These who stood behind the
bars at the stockyards were the cham
pions Of other exhibitions, who had
been thought worthy to come into this
supreme court" that their merits
, might be finally passed upon.
, II OF course, the exhibition made Its
/ appeal to the thousands who had new
err MIXED a COW or owned a chicken
, Every office building in the great city
has its quote of dreamland farmers
J The total Of them must run into the
! hundreds of thousands-men without
land or agricultural experience, who
, | are tired Of the nerve-killing noise
, and rush of the city. These are they
, who look away over the tops of theil
, desks in dreamy fashion and picture
there little farm, stocked with blood
[ ed cattle, and with land sufficient tt
, support family. After the evenings
meal they read diligently on matters
of interest to farmers and plan anG
/ dream, but of the actual conditions
] which confront the man on the farm
) or ranch they do not know, and can
not. Nevertheless they were we'll rep
resented each day at the stock show
and helped to swell the receipts, anG
SO, In small way, to contribute tt
, it's success. But, apart from the crowd
, of sightseers and the idly curious
! there was great body OF men tC
whom the exhibit was a thing of SER
) fOus purpose, an opportunity to be
, improved to its fullest possibilities
They were there from the plains OF
the west from Canada, from Argen.
tina and Great Britain, to compare
their cattle with the best which other
: sections had produced and to learr
what science had discovered about
: methods of successful feeding and the
J conditions most favorable to rapid
growth. They had little time to LOAF
about the hotels or listen to the band
their hours were put in in thoughtful
/, study, the results of which will show
clearly in the improved value of their
: own stock at home.
!, These are my two boys" said one
brOnzed, wide-shouldered ranchman
40 uc pOAlIcu u u couple OF young
Goliaths at his side. 1--WE brought
: them down here to learn more in ter
) days of things that will do em practi.
cal good than they could learn in four
! years at some pink tea college You
( see, I've got about 5000 acres under
E fence at home, and the boys will gel
| what I've got, and want 'em to know
{ how to handle 1t. That's why
+ brought 'em down here"
Four thousand dollars worth OF
: sheep lay about the clean pens and
! gazed contemplatively out upon the
} passersby. They represented the fin
] est collection of their kind ever gath
) cred In great exhibition. There was
flock of pure blood Southdowns
: sent over especially from England
from the estate of two noblemen
farmers there. Shropshires were
:. I00fh0paA fpAvn n{n