The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1909-08-06
RISE OF STATE FAIR
Was Once a Homeless Wanderer
Over Indiana But Now One Of
Greatest In the Union.
PRIZES FOR NEXT FAIR s75.35O

Horseback and Long Wagon Trips tc
Indiana Exposition Have Given Way
to Pleasure Rides by TroHey-Em-
Inent Judges VINO viii Tie Ribbons
on Prize Winners.
The Indiana state Fair will be held
al Indianapolis the week OF sept. 6.
and as the season OF preparation for It
advances. interest ia II is widespread
over the s'ate. not only among live
stock and other exhibitors but amonr
the tens OF thousands Of people who
attend from year 20 year. The Indi
ana tatr is one OF the oldest in the
Unite1 States. and in the last ten
years has grown 10 be one OF the larg.
est From its earliest years. when the
falr wandered over the stare. using
borrowed county fair grounds for its
displays, 10 the possession at present
Of fair ground tract of PA acres
with land and improvements worth
abou' 100000. is one way in which
the growth OF the Indiana exposition
may b. measured The first State
Fair, held IN October. 1852. was three
days IN length and was attended by
about 10000 people. The fair now
continues days and evenings for five
days. and the attendance approaches
100000
Al the first Indiana Fair the prizes
consisted OF silver cups. worth only a
few hundred dollars. AT the coming
fair prizes amounting TO s75.550 and a
dozen or more expensive silver cups
and gold medals will be awarded. Peo-
pie who attended the first fair made
the trip to Indianapolis in wagons or
on horseback. camping by the roadside
al night and taking two or three days
for the journey. Now the farm people
OF the state who live most distant
from the fair can reach the grounds
In few hours Most OF them car
hail trolley car near home and make
a pleasure ride Of the trip. Two troll
ley lines from northern Indiana land
az the fair gates. The
Lake Erie & Western railroad will run
special trains To and from
The coming fair All of the trolley
lines out ot indianapolis will have spe-
,ial service during the week. The
question does not give
The fair officials the concern II did a
'ew years ago. for steam and inter
Irban facilities for bringing the peo-
lle to indianapolis and getting them
rome promptly and in comfort. have
been highly developed I'm recent years
{ is doubtful If any state fair in the
Union has the streotcar facilities 10
.qual those from indianapolis to the
indiana grounds. There are three
louble-track lines from the city to the
air gates. where cars arrive fifteen
econds apart. and handling - 900 or
more people a day is no longer both /
rsome undertaking TO the Indianap Z
lis lines. Z
Another way in which the Indiana 4
xposstion has grown is in its patron. l.
ge The receipts OF the first Fair !,
'ere sS.S3316 and the total income |.
lr the Fair Of last year was $4,000 !.
luring It's career the Indiana Fair has
istributed perhaps $500 900 In pre- ?
liums. by far the larger portion going 4
) the farmers and live stock owners e
T the state The exposition has come 1
. to its present magnitude very large o
from its own energy. backed by the
nth Of the farming element of Indi-
la For some years the Fair has re-
lived $40. 900 a year from the legisla-
ire. an % II going toward paying y
-emiums The first appropriation
y the legislature for a permanent 0
air Improvement was 100000 for the
,liseum three summers ago. The II
ate Board Of Agriculture added $40. a
70 10 this amount from its treasury IA
at the coliseum might b. made more
,mpleie All Of the real estate and \,
her buildings which now comprise
q Fair property have come from
. profits of the exposition. and these =
ohts have come from the town and n
untry people from over the state %
40 have bought admission tickets a'
AS usual. the prizes offered AZ he W
xt Fair are richest in the spevd do &