Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1915-08-05
THE 1915 STATE FAIR IS TO Be
TRULY A WISCONSIN EXPOSITION
Every Department Has Been Made Notably Stronger
- for This Year, Many Excellent Features Have
Been Added, and All Special Attractions Will Be
Free to All the Patrons.
City acres of machinery.
Many New Features Added.

Many New Features Added.
Those who have visited past State
Fairs will find several new depart
ments to claim their attention.
All of Machinery Hall has been
leased to the Milwaukee Retail Auto
mobile Dealers Association for an
Automobile Show, and this will be
the first great auto show of the sea-
son. All of the important 1916 mod
els will be shown three months ahead
of the regular auto shows. Machinery
hall will be decorated with $4,000
worth of decorations used in recent
shows at the Auditorium, and two
orchestras will entertain visitors.
A Horseshoeing Contest for black.
smiths of Wisconsin will be conduct
ed during fair week, and 1900 black
smiths of the state have been furnish
ed premium lists. Competition VIII
be along lines Of ordinary horseshoe
ing. DR.. E. NJ. Sullivan of Milwaukee
will be in charge of competition, and
the famous DR.. Jack Setter of Chicago
will officiate as Judge
There will be Baby Health Con-
test. Mental and physical develop
ment will be the tests; mere beauty
will not count. The aim of this de-
partment is better race.
Boy aviators will show models OF
flying machines made by themselves,
and which will fly 1000 and 5000
feet.
Boys and Girls Interested.
A criticism of fairs of past years
has been that they were getting away
from the agricultural exposition idea;
that too much attention was being
paid to special attractions.
AS step in the direction of doing
away with reason for this criticism,
the Fine Arts Department has been
replaced with the Boys and Girls Ag-
ricultural Clubs Department, under
direction of Prof T. L. Bewick of the
Agricultural College of University of
Wisconsin. When it is known that
these clubs have thousands of mem
bers throughout the state, and that
interest in the department has taken
on a fever heat, 1t will be readily
seen what a strong step this Is back
toward the idea of an agricultural
fair.
The Agricultural Department alsc
have been strengthened. This will
be especially true of the important
department of County Exhibits. Last
year twenty-four counties exhibited,
and the department was the best in
the history of the State Fair. This
year to date, five new counties have
entered. They are-Douglas, Calumet,
Marinette, Richland and Eau Claire,
and it Is expected that others will
come In later.
Road Building Strong Feature.
There has been much agitation
during recent months concerning
road building in Wisconsin.
AS result, arrangements have
been made with the u S. government
for road building display of twenty
five exhibits. An expert will be sent
with this display to explain modern
road building. The Highway Com
mission Of Wisconsin also will be re-
presented in this department
The machinery exhibit this year
will be much stronger than it was
last year. Present indications are
that every foot OF space allotted to
this department will be taken, and
that many new companies will be
found among exhibitors Although
some OF the big manufacturers will
be missing from many state fairs
egain this year, Wisconsin will have
some OF them
Strong Free Special Attractions.
Thls year there will be eighteen
special attractions, including a daily
Dattie In the sky between two ayia.
tors This Will show as nearly az
possible what fighting bird men have
to encounter In the great European
war.