The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1911-08-25
To Encourage Betterment, Edu-
cate and AmuSe.
WHAT VISITOR MAY LEARN

To look upon fair as a place OF
amusement only Is a mistaken idea
| 1t is Il great educator. The instruc-
| ton the scholar gets in the school or
| college is no more valuable than the
| incubation Of the ideas of advance
ment and betterment presented by the
| collective exhibits of the best in every
line ut a fair. There is an incentive
| to go to the fair with the best posi-
| BILE product of the farm. the best grain,
| live stock, fruit. etc.
The. best poultry and swine and
sheep are prepared for exhibit with
| the idea that they are certain OF Win
ming a piece of the premium money,
and Just as certainly they are the step
ping stones to greater endeavors wheth'
er they win or lose. The visitor to the
| fair is interested. If he be inclined
toward the breeding Of live stock or
the vocation of general farming he is
gaining valuable lessons as he sits
about the judging ring and hears
what experts tell Of the points of a
prize animal or the technical points
| that score highest in the judging OF
corn. If he be breeder or a farmer
the more valuable the lesson to him.
He will go home well repaid for his
visit to the big state fair or the coun-
ty fair. He can6ot fail to hear some
IL nd fn n.
vantage. He may not have learned it
from some of the experts who do the
| judging 1t may just as likely come
from some modest but successful ex'
perimenter who has dug out the why's
and wherefores In his own little ex-
perience. Therefore the fair, whether
it be county or state fair, Is great
educator. 1t broadens the knowledge
of all who attend and puts them in
touch with what the possibilities Of
their state may be.
The mistaken idea that state or
even a county or district fair can be
made up without the cooperation of
large number of exhibitors should
be dispelled by Kansans and a little
bit of study given the question. For
instance. woman going through the
fine arts department looks carefully
over the fancy work exhibited there,
suddenly comes to the conclusion that
she has a piece of drawn work, fan
cy quilt or something else of her
handiwork that beats anything she
has seen there. 1t is too late then to
enter it, but she wishes she had. Now,
If all were of the disposition Of this
woman there would not be any exhib-
its In any of these departments.
Those who have pride in their state,
their city and their fair will take
what they have to the fair. Though
1t may be mediocre as to merit, 1t
often wins q premium for lack of
something better. No one will desire
to take articles or displays without
any meritorious value to fair, but
where there is merit do not hide 1t,
but bring it out. 1t may be an incen-
tive for others to do something as
good or better for the next fair.
The main object of any fair is to
gather for display the best that can be
collected to put to the front for the in
spection of visitors a diversified ad-
vertisement of what can be accomplish
ed in the district, county or state by its
people. The premium list Of any fair
is worth perusaf, and If the citizen is
worth a place In the community or
commonwealth he or she can find some
way to cooperate toward the success
of that fair. The premium list Of the
Kansas State Fair at Topeka offers
many inducements to all classes Of
people to put their best foot forward,
to put their shoulder to the wheel and
push for the success of the Fair. If
they have meritorious exhibits they
are well repaid for their trouble in en-
tering them for display. Don't think
that there are so many willing ones
whose handiwork Is so much finer that
you will stand no show in competition.
The judges will settle that. Yours may
be the best without your knowing it.
The secretary of funeral directors
association sent out invitations to mem
bers for addresses at the annual meet
ing. Many did not respond, others said
they came to hear the fellows from
the big towns, who were better posted
and better able to tell the others. The
secretary roasted that bunch at the
meeting and told them that the. best
conducted funeral he had ever seen
was in very small town, while the
worst botched burial was under the d.
rection Of an undertaken In a large
eastern city. That country undertak-
er could walk rings all around the big
fellow, and his story of how he did bis
work would have been worth thou
sands of dollars to the man from
whom he supposed he must learn how
to do things. So It is with the most
obscure village resident Often they
have worthy and meritorious articles
of some kind or other that would create
more interest at a fair than any on
show there, but they make the mistake
of believing that they stand no show
alongside Of their more enlightened
city cousin. Don't hide your light I'M