The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1914-10-13
Shutdown Township
Holds Big Exhibit
School Building in District ~ Scene
of Meeting of Four Hundred
People Last Saturday
Exhibits of Farm Products, Articles
of Cooked Food, And NeedlewOrk
All of High Class
Miss Mary Bull Talks To Women;
Rev. Floren, L. E. Potter and ].
E. Neil Make Addresses


down schoolhouse last Saturday, was
the first exhibit of this nature ever
held in Redwood County and was a
wonderful success both as fair and
as a means of developing the strong
community spirit which is already
rampant in this neighborhood. The
Shutdown Farmers Club, under the
presidency of Nels Jensen, and the
Shutdown Mothers Club, with Mrs.
Robt. Peterson as it's leader, united
to bring about this very commendable
event.
The schoolhouse in District II,
where the fair was held, is one of
the best in southwestern Minnesota,
having two large rooms, a full base
ment in which is installed an excel
lent heating plant, and an auditorium
with seating capacity of three hun
dred-fifty on the second floor. Ex-
hibits were made in the two lower
rooms, and the program given in the
auditorium. At least four hundred
people were present in the afternoon.
Remarkable Exhibits
The exhibits were remarkable both
in number and quality. Everything
shown was a product of the township
and in excellence many of the ex-
hibits surpassed articles of the same
class shown at the county fair. One
especially fine exhibit was the farm
exhibit made by Mr.. and Mrs. Chris.
Peterson, who had forty-six home
grown products in beautifully deco
rated booth. The collection of vege-
tables, grains, canned goods and jel-
lies, fruits and late fall flowers made
a. vivid picture. In this exhibit was
sample of potato starch, which Mrs.
Peterson makes for her own use find
ing it much superior to the CONNER
cial corn starch. Other farm exhibits
shown by Nels Jensen and Peter Thor
stem closely rivaled the Peterson dis
play.
The women of Shutdown were not
to be outclassed by the men, and
made excellent displays of their handi-
craft. Most delicious bread cake,
cookies, and canned goods were shown
and the samples of ,needlework were
exquisite. Judging from the apron
contest, the towel display and the
cooked foods shown by the school
girls, the girls of Shutdown are apt
pupils of their mothers.
Miss Bull Talks
Miss Mary Bull of the University
Extension, gave an interesting talk
on the practical problems of the farm
mother, making strong plea for
greater efficiency in the home work,
better equipment in the farm home
and acceptance Of the modern meth
DDS. Miss Bull strongly expressed
her opinion that a farmers wife is
as much entitled to the improved
equipment for doing her work quick
ly and easily as the farmer is to have
all the labor and time saving devices.
Miss Bull also eulogized the work be-
ing done by the Mothers Club and
commended as ideal the union of
Moehers' and Farmers Clubs. Miss
Bull closed her talk by few force
full remarks urging the consideration
of simple, hot, MONDAY lunch for
school children.
Rev. Floren, at the opening Of the
program, made a short address, pay
a tribute to American farm life rs
the natural, Independent life for all
freedom-loving citizens.
L. E. Potter of Springfield, gave a
brief, interesting talk urging the farm
er to stick to his land making its
true value any where from $500 to
$500 per acre rather than to sell il
and buy cheaper land elsewhere. Mr.
Potter believes the Minnesota farmer
doesn't value his land high enough
nor realize of what it is capable. The
quality of farm animals also needs
the attention of the farmer.
Mr.. Potter also spoke of the necl
of better working conditions for the
average farmers wife and of true1
valuation of her time. He sustained
Miss Bulls opinion that women shoule
insist upon any Improvement in home
or equipment that viii shorten time
and lessen labor.
]. E. Neil, county agent of Redwood
County, made only a short address
his time being much taken up in thu
Judging of the exhibits. In his tall