The Topeka state journal., 1911-08-19
"A GREAT CROWD
People Are Coming by Thou
sands for the Fair.
Semi-CentenniaI Will Be An
other Strong Drawing Card.
A " GREAT SHOW. ..
Exposition Will BE an Eve
Opener to Kansans.
The Last Days of POmpeii''
viii Please.
A "GREAT SHOW" !"

Fair week win be a gala time long
to be remembered, and # indications
can be relied upon there will be a
crowd in Topeka of a record breaking
nature.
travelling men who make Topeka
say they hear talk everywhere of the
state fair and the Kansas Semi-Cen-
tennial and that the slogan Meet me
at the State Fair. Topeka, September
II, IL, 1S, A and 49, is being talked
all over the state.
No wonder for there ar 1.-TWO in
one" That is the big exposition and
fair and the Semi-CentenniaI celebra-
ton will be held at the SAM time and
thousands of persons will head for the
capital city on the special excursion
trains prepared to spend the week
A feature will be made of camping
on the fair grounds and already there
has been considerable inquiry for
camping space.
The Counter Attractions.
Secretary H. L. Cook IS not worried
about the counter attractions that al
ways follow the fair circuits, and seek
to take advantage of the crowds that
come to the fair to enrich some for
eign company or combination of COM
P14A1CS- OO4 4d44 WILL DO loo dig an
institution to snap and Snarl at the
trailers, he said. kansas people
will not allow their patriotism to waver
for this growing Kansas exposition of
its industries and resources. While we
are conn paratively young since our last
rejuvenation. last years attendance
and the advance entries and good
words that have come from all over
the state this year are enough to con-
vince me that we need not fear that
the big fair we are building will be
materially injured by counter attrac-
tiOns."
The success of last year demon
strated to the people of Kansas that
the State Fair at Topeka rIeant busi-
ness, and that the mana cement was
not waiting until the growth and in
come warranted expansion but had
decided to expand first, and then be in
better shape to assume the comfortable
position of their more favored sister
states when state aid will be forthcom-
ing. A big enterprise that believes in
pushing ahead must furnish more or
less power to the lesser lights by
reason of its own effulgence. There
are always, and always viii be. hordes
of follOwers-up who, seeing the drift
of the crowds will take advantage of
the advertising to which all steps will
turn among the showmen about fair
time, and if they cannot ge+ space on
the fair grounds will seek to divide the
hOnors and get as much of the peoples
money as possible by SeTIing up out
side There was a time when this
would have been a serious drawback to
the fair but not now. The big State
Fair is too big to be frightened by the
announcement of attractions on its
dates. Kansas people are too patriotic
to sidetrack the fair, a home institu
tion to spend their money with a
A-sar
enrich the great Sunhower State.
Must Be up and Coming
The skin game operator who gets by
Secretary Cook this year must be up
and coming. He receives all sorts of
flattering offers for privileges that ap-
pear on their face as legitimate, but
which his experience hes taught him
are "bunc," and the way he turns
them down is not conducive to further
pleading. If he discovers slything of
this nature on the grounds it does not
take any red tape to start him in get
ting rid of the offender. Over the
fence" is his orders to the guards, and
'nHttin' doin' :" are the last words of
the victim of that order t. his pals.
This same rule applies to shows that
offend the most fastidiOus tastes. Moth
ing but clean. Wholesome, legitimate
amusement for the guests cf the fair
will be countenanced.
In the days of wide open things in
Kansas the fairs were in part made up
of schemes to part men and boys from
their money. Paddle wheels, jewelry
and cigar wheels, chuckaluck, shell
games. and a large and varied assort-
ment of other skin games were the
rule rather than the exception. And
they were protected on account of the
handsome prices obtained for the con-
cessions, but it is different now The
fair manager who permits this sort of
thing in Kansas today need not hope
to build a permanent fair, and is in
great luck if he gets through one week
and paws out.
The fate of a gang of gamblers with
a tent on the Topeka fair grounds dur
ing a state reunion of the G. A. R., in
which several wide open games were
conducted to the limit has ever since
been warning to the velvet-dngered