Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1914-08-19
S14O0 IN PURSES
FOR RRACEsAT THE FAIR
"A Fine String of Horses Have Been
Entered, And the Old Time
Horse Race Excitement VIII
Prevail at the Winnie
shiek Fair. -
CALMAR AND ossIAN %s
WILL PLAY BALL
A Big Program of High Class Free
Attractions VIII be Given ard
the 1914 Fair Will be
Hummer.

neshiek county fair is getting busy
advertising the Winneshiek county
fair, which will he held this year on
Sept. S-9-10-11. A large line Of
up-to-the-minute attractions have
been booked, and this year a fine
harness horse program will be given,
$1400 in purses being put up. A
list of the entrys will be found In
an advertisement in another column
of this paper.
In the base ball field Calmar and
Ossian will contest for honors and
that means some great base ball. De.
corah has no regular team this year,
so will not be in the running.
The free attractions will be the
best ever given here. A Baby Heath
Show has been arranged for by the
ladies of the Monday Club of Decor
ah. The floral and agricultural halls
will be filled with the best products
of the county, and the horse, cattle
and hog departments will display
the finest Winneshiek county produ-
ces.
The success of the county fair
depends upon the patronage Of the
farmers of the county, contends a
writer in Wallace's Farmer, which
is all very true. Such fairs are
usually managed by the people of
the towns; but if the farmers do
not attend they are failures. The
character and influence of the fair,
therefore, will be 5ust about what
the farmer wants it to be. Here and
there in Iowa and neighboring
states there are county fairs that
reflect the highest. credit upon the
management and upon the people
of the county. Their exhibits are
highly educational, the amusement
features are wholesome, the atten-
dance is large, and they are sue
cess,ful financially and in every
other way. In by far too many
counties, however, the local fairs
are anything but creditable to the
community. Half hidden gambling
is permitted, the amusement fea-
lures are degrading and corrupt
ing, and the fair is made an ex-
cuse for a yearly debauch in the
course OF which many clean young
men and young women are started
on a road which means ruined lives.
The decent people of the commun-
ity have learned to stay away from
such fairs, thus in a measure safe
guarding their own families. But
this is clean Sinking of a plain
duty. Whether active in it's man
agement or not, the farmers Of the
county are responsible for the char
acter of the county fair. They can
ence for good or an influence for
evil. For the protection of their
own families. they should keep it
clean because, TO matter what pre-
cautions they may take, sooner or
later the evil influences will reach
their own young folks.
ATTEND your county fair. Note
carefully the character of the
amusement features. If they are
unclean kick-and kick vigorously
Do not tolerate the nasty shows
which have been driven away from
the larger fairs and are seeking
victims in the country. Insist upon
clean and wholesome things. Half
a dozen resolute farmers can clean
up the nastiest county fair in the
west If they want to do 1T, and
three resolute farmers wives who
have boys and girls growing up can
do the job in less time.
The officers of the Winneshiek
county fair have put forth every
effort to give the people of this vi
cinity clean, wholesome fair.
They engage none but high class
attractions, and nothing Is permit
ted on the grounds, which would
bring the blush of shame to the
most fastidious. This is a rule they
have followed for some time and 1t
pays. The day of the CRATER and
smutty shows have passed. Such
things only enthuse some of the
coarser element in any commupitY
and the day of such amusement, n
1t can be called such, has gone by.