Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-08-29
GATHERED BY THE wAYs1DE
Des Mo,nes, Avs. ss.-rhere is moth

GAxdENEO BY
Des Moinea, AUG. 2s.-There is moth
ing at great fair more interesting.
and in some measure instructive, than
the crowds that attend. The best thing
about any great gathering Of the kind
is the people themselves. To one who
takes delight In the very existence of
! human life and human activity on this
old world, and Is comforted by turning
away from the field of human carnage
and destruction in Europe. 1t is worth
while to make q survey of the crowds
that attend a fair or exposition. The
Iowa fair is typical. That which first
attracts is the COSMOPOLITAN character
Of the crowds. One need not listen
for broken words or the brogue or the
accent to know that these people conc.
directly or thru near ancestry. from
the remote parts of the earth: yet there
is no racial antagonism. and their free
comingling bellies the oft repeated story
that race antagonisms persist in the
very nature of the races. Nothing Of
the sort. And then ii soon becom s
evident that the crowds at an Iowa
fair are not of any one or a few classes.
They are of all classes. In fact they
come from all walks of life. When til >
state fairs were first given anchorage
on the fine old Thornton farm, with
view to their development into some
thing of real value to the agricultural
and industrial interests of the state.
the people who took the major interest
were directly from the farms. The
town people who went to the fairs We're
RI, joH bn loli rht in, hnY> n
racing. Beyond that. the fairs did not
interest vast body of residents of cit
les and towns. But all this has been
changed. thanks to the forethought of
q few men having to do with the max
ing of these fairs. Today an Iowa
state fair draws people from the farms
and the towns, from the factories and
the mines, the professional men and
the laboring men and the merchants
and tradesmen. And it is worth going,
miles to be able to take survey Of a
typical crowd such as one which fills
the big amphitheater or the stock pa
vilion on a good day.
Not only are these state fair crowds
cosmopolitan in nature but it has come
about that they are nearly equally ball
anced as to the sexes. ANstate fair. or
tor that matter any good fair can no
longer be barn and field exposition.
1t is not for the men alone. 1t III
cludes practically everything that in
terests the average family and that in
cludes a great deal for the garden, the
Kitchen. the parlor. the reading room.
The development of the baby health
contest idea in recent Years shows
how far they have gone in doing the
things which interest people who don't
care Very much about patent corn
shelters or the slatest breed of swine.
The employmert of the finest concert
bands that money Scan secure shows
that the state fair scrowds are cult,
waited and love the delights OF life. But
there is also an eyident change among
the people. Gogdown thru the horse
barns. where hundreds and hundreds
of splendid horses are lined up one ar
teri another. or oY egFtp the cattle barns
where the choicest animals. are to be
seen that sthe hest breeders can pro-
duce. and YOU will find women and
children alongside of the men making
careful study Of these products of the
farm, all taking great delight in these
things. In the stock Judging pavilion
the women Will sit for hours watching
the stock judging. Really there is moth
ing more inspiring than this scene in
the judging ring That SO many go day
after day and follpYsshe work. Off the
judges arglfes thar Iowa men ard
women are sincere admirers Of the best
livestock. And then at the race track.
that is always mixed audience OF men
and women. for the women of Iowa, like
the men. have rich red blood in their
Veins and delight in the contests of
strength and training there to be seen.
Over in the machinery and implement
section again it will be surprise TO
find how many women there are going
about to .see,. all that there is to be
seen. Still once moro It viii be inter
esting to note that among those who
habitually make the fairs by going
about with stock or machinery OF. con :.
cessions there is a very large proper
ton OF women. An Iowa fair is for
men. and therein it has gained i'm
mensely over its ancestors.
One thing is a little difficult to
understand about crowds. 1t relates to
the trade of the souvenir seller. Why
is he? What excuse has he far exist
SiSS let II IL llteIdtlN lItle llidt u
every seller of trinklets and tomfoolery
should be driven off the fair grounds,
there would be many persons who
would go home with a feeling Of dis
appointment. 1t is not exactly that
they want to he fooled or want to
waste their money, but it is habit
frseparable from the going away from
home custom. For very large pro-
portion of the visitors at the State fair
this is the one outing Of the year. 1t
Is all sufficient for them. And just as
naturally they turn to the small stands
and buy woolly DOG or slim cane
or tin pincushion as a souvenir. They
wouldn't think of doing such thing
at home. But when they get away
from home they want to do something
different and about the cheapest and
most innocent thing is to indulge the
souvenir buying habit.
Some very cheap efforts at sensa-
tionalism have been attempted in re-
cent years by sham reformers setting
out to clean up" the state fair and
to drive out the shocking prurient
shows and to enforce the laws against
drinking intoXicants. They have had
little to work on. Iowa fairs are COM
paratively free from anything object
TYst- H.