The Sauk Centre herald., 1909-09-02
GREATEST STATE
FAIR IS READY
THE 1909 EXHIBITION PROMISES
TO EXCEL ALL PREVIOUS
SHOWS.
ATTENDANCE PROBABLY 100000
Tremendous Efforts Have Been Sue
eessfuIIy Put Forward for the
Fiftieth Annual Minnesota
Exposition.

- -.E
A half million people will visit the
fiftieth Annual Minnesota State Fair,
September 6 to II, unless all signs
fail, and the Board of Managers of
this greatest of all annual expositions
has been making tremendous prepara-
uons with this probability in view.
Not for twenty years have crop con-
oltlons In the northwest been so prom
lslng as they are this year, and not
In twenty years have the money and
labor markets been in so healthy con-
dition. Never before in the history
OF the fair has the institution had
such an elaborate and thoroughly
equipped plant for the education and
entertainment of its thousands of an
nual visitors, and never before has its
Board of Managers invested so much
In the program calculated to please
all classes of it's patrons.
The new s250,O00 grandstand and
exposition building, Of which SO much
has been said, is structure the mag
nitude of which none can appreciate
until they see it, although it Is ad-
mitted to be the only structure of its
kind in the world, and the biggest and
most modern grandstand anywhere in
the middle west. 1t is 378 feet long,
III feet deep and 105 feet high, seats
$4,000 and has 100000 square feet Of
exhibition space. The old grandstand
had no exhibition space at all, and
was but 250 feet long, 65 feet deep
and 76 feet high. In mere descrip-
tion, no adequate idea Of the impos-
ing lines along which this greatest of
State Fair buildings has been erected
can be given, and visitors to the State
Fair this year will be amazed at it's
completeness, comfort and absolute
safety against fire and panic. 1t is
built entirely of steel and concrete,
has twenty exits and entrances, and
such is the scientific skill with which
1t has been constructed that every
seat holder will have a perfect view
Of the worlds record mile track un-
der any conditions.
Splendid Automobile Show.
The automobile show, alone, will
occupy the entire lower floor of this
mammoth structure, and will be by
far the most impressive assemblage
the northwest has ever seen. The
second or main floor of the structure
will be devoted to exhibits of such
value and quality as to astonish those
who have been accustomed to expect
only the single purpose grandstand
and never heretofore have seen a
combination such as this one.
A Prison Exhibit.
Among the special exhibits in the
agricultural implement department.
which give promise Of appealing to
q large majority of the visitors of the
State Fair this year, will be one fur
nished> by the state prison at Still
water, in which will be shown in ac-
tual operation the machinery with
which binding twine is manufactured
In that institution. Warden Wolfer
will also have on exhibition one of
the harvesters made by the Saltwater
prison, and as q great majority of the
farmers in the northwest are inter.
ested in the output of this institution,
it is believed that this exhibit will
attract a large amount of attention.
For the first time in the history Of
the northwest q "binder-hitch" will
also be shown at the fair grounds. A
traction engine hauling four binders
in multiples will make practical dem.
Io
one of the big novelties of the agricul-
tural implement section of the State
Fair.
+ Fast Fields Entered.
! In spite of the fact that there are
three other western state fairs held
the same week as the Minnesota
State Fair, the entries for the harness
horse events has never given promise
of greater speed and closer finishes
than those that are now found on the
card for the 1909 fair.
Mammoth Live Stock Show.
Never in the history of the fair has
there been such. an influx of live
stock exhibitors of every kind. There
are $50 more entries in the sheep de-
partment than were made at the State
Fair of last year, and the entries in
the horse department are nearly 333%
more than those of 1908. The same
is true of the cattle classes and of the
swine classes. The overflow from the
dairy building has been accommodated
by devoting one of the former car.
riage exhibit buildings to exhibits of
creamery machinery exclusively.
Minnesota at Gettysburg"
In the department of amusement,
$500 has been invested in the thrill
ing, historical, military spectacle en-
titled Minnesota at Gettysburg"
based upon the famous charge Of the
First Minnesota In that battle, which
spectacle bids fair to surpass the
Fort Ridgeley in '62" spectacle Of
last year in every detail. 1t will be
given each evening in front of the
grand stand. Another special feature
which will be offered every evening
in front of the grand stand will be
the Carroll Austrian Ballet, to be con-
cluded by an enormous living flag
forty feet high and sixty feet long.
formed by the 48 girls in the ballet.
The vaudeville program will be given