The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1914-11-19
Gigantic Corn and Alfalfa Exposition
Will Be Featured BY Band Con-
test, Beautiful Decorations,
Dozens Of Famous Speak
ers, and Queen Contest.

A dozen of the best bands In
the Northwest, anxious to win the
prize of 500 offered to the best
band at the Exposition, are hold
ing rehearsals to prepare them
selves for the big contest.
Sixteen candidates from sixteen
counties of West Central Mime.
sofa are working as hard as can.
didates can work to obtain votes
enough to make them Queen of
the Exposition, fittingly crowned
with beautiful ceremony on the
last day of the big show.
The business men of Minneapolis
and st. Paul, DESTROYS of making their
special train to Benson, Nov. %, an
extraordinary success, are striving to
assemble the largest number of per
sons ever sent out to any exposition
by the Twin Cities.
The Great Northern and Northern
Pacific railroads. anxious to give those
attending the exposition as good serv.
ice as possible. are arranging the de-
tails OF special train service that
and possibly four special trains q day,
experimenting the regular train serv.
Ice.
Beautifully Decorated.
The State Art Commission, with Di.
rector Maurice I. Flagg in personal
charge, is overseeing the arrange.
ment Of special scheme of outdoor
and indoor decoration for Benson that
will give the second annual exposi.
ton, with its arches, tunnels and
street pylons, the distinction of being
the most beautiful one ever staged.
An army of carpenters and mechan.
les are at work upon the tents and
streets, getting things ready for the
army Of visitors.
Two gigantic tents, each ninety
feet wide and 120 feet long, have been
erected on great open space oppo-
site the Great Northern station to be
used In housing the exhibits and
people.
$4,000 Persons Coming.
Twenty-Five thousand persons from
all Parts of the Northwest-Minne.
sofa, North Dakota, South Dakota
Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, and other
states-are preparing for the three
day visit to Benson, eager to inspect
the corn and alfalfa, listen to the two
score Of famous men and women on
the daily programs, hear the bands,
vote for the candidates for queen, take
part in the big West Central Mime
sofa song tests, watch the moving
pictures, help win the handsome sill
yer loving cup, offered to the county
sending the biggest delegation to the
exposition, visit with friends and
neighbors, and have the best time
that they have enjoyed anywhere or
any place.
Benson Is ready-no matter what
the crowd may be.
A house-to-house canvass has been
made to ascertain the exact number
OF rooms that can be obtained for WIS.,
itors, the prices asked for them, and
the nature Of the accommodations
All this information has been tabu.
lated by clerks at Exposition Head
quarters, and hundreds Of reserva-
tions have already been made for per.
sons who are coming. Carloads of
cots and bedding have been shipped
into Benson to afford sleeping places
to those who cannot be accommodated
in private homes.
Feeding the Visitors.
The hotels and restaurants win care
for many Of the, visitors when they
become hungry. But Benson is not
relying upon hotel facilities alone.
The churches, fraternal organizations.
ana other associations are preparing
to put up large number Of cafaterias
and lunch halls to feed those who can.
not be accommodated In the regular
way.
The Judging Of corn and alfalfa win
begin Wednesday evening. All ex.
hfbits must be in the hands Of the en-.
try department by Tuesday after.
noon, and all corn received later will
not be able to compete for the So 900
in prizes and trophies. Last year at
Morris, where $4,000 ears OF corn
were exhibited, three Judges took care
OF the judging nicely. So much corn
Is expected at Benson, however. that
from ten to twelve judges will tie on
the ribbons. SO much corn and alfalfa
is expected that 1t will try the Judges
to the limit to finish the judging bv
Thursday evening.
To make the big corr and alfalfa
show Of educational value to the pub
lie great pyramid-shaped room is to
be built at the exit of the tent in
which the first prize exhibits of corn
from each cofnty are to be displayed.
This arrangement will enable visitors
to compare the best exhibits from the
various counties, as far as excellence
is concerned, and discover the correct
corn types for West Central Mime
sofa. AS the name and address of the
owner Of every blue-ribbon sample
will be attached it will enable the
farmers to find out who the best seed
corn producers are in the various
counties.