Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1915-09-28
over FIFTY YEARS old
STATE FAIR PROMISES TO EX-
CELL PREVIOUS EVENTS.
Largest Attendance in History Of
Growing Exposition Will Be That
of the Present Year.

The Oregon State fair for 1915 will
be held at Salem during the present
week. From 1860, the first year of
the fair, it has grown in size and i'm
portance. 1t is the pride of the state
and the delight of the agriculturist.
Its diversified exhibits, its practical
educational program, its amusement
features and its day and night shows
are attractive. The premium list of
the Oregon State fair covers every in
dustry and the exhibits are transport
ed free from railroad stations in the
state to the entrance of the grounds,
giving the dweller in the interior of
the state the same advantages as the
one living in sight Of the grounds. On
some special days the transportation
lines make rate of one and one-half
cents per mile, thus permitting the
interested individual to see all that
the state offers at its annual show
The exhibit of cattle is a credit to-
any state, and the Atlantic seaboard
will be represented here. The dis
play of fruit is sample Of that which
has commanded the highest prices in
such markets as Berlin, Dublin, Lon
don, Vladivostock and Cape Town.
The trials of speed are the exciting
features. With long life of So years
in its wake, the Oregon State fair to-
day stands as a landmark of pioneer
days, and a monument to present time
Oregon enterprise. The state fair has
made Oregon history 1t has seen and
helped to make Oregon grow from a
wilderness to a commonwealth. In
early days the fair was the one great
event Of the year for the people of
the northwest. They journeyed by
thousands, coming in wagons and on
horseback. Railroad mileage was but
little, telephones were unknown and
there was no daily mail. The camp
grounds, which then covered 100
acres, was the common meeting place
where news was exchanged, trading
carried on, politics nodded, and
glorious time enjoyed by all.
The property of the Oregon State
fair is owned by the people of the
state of Oregon. The fair was organ
lied to further the educational inter
ests of Oregon farmers and it has
never deviated from that policy. 1t
is managed by five persons known as
the board of directors Of the Oregon
State fair, They are appointed by
the governor to serve a term of four
years. The members are: John H.
Booth, president, Roseburg; William
H. Savage, vice-president, Corvallis;
N. K. West, La Grande; Edith Toz- ,
Ter Weatherred, Portland; M. L.
Jones, Brooks. W. AL. Jones is secre- {
tary, and A. N. Bush, treasurer, both 1
of Salem. The board is accountable t
to the governor and can not sell or c
cucumber the state fair realty with I
out the consent of the legislature. The c
state fair has paid out 100000 in i
premiums in the last 10 years. No i
person earning a premium fails TO re- t
ceive that which the state fair board {
promises. There will be $4,000 cash v
paid in premiums at the 1915 fair,
which opens September 81 and closes
Saturday night, October 2, 1915. The
oJdbc ldll ncCuS bnc 5
port of all the people that it may be- C
some a greater force in the upbuild- d
ng of Oregon's farming interests. a
The imperative needs are larger t
building, more stock barns, E
L coliseum and three more miles of f
modern streets and an extended sewer L
system. Last year the state con- c
'tructed a pavilion and auditorium at [
in expenditure of $65,000. This year L
800 square yards of paving was done V
IN the grounds, some barns repaired [
md a rest room constructed, besides n
! farm cottage. n
The race track at the Oregon State S
is among the best on the D
Pacific coast. Four and one-half miles j
# tiling were placed in the infeld j
asst year, making it possible to train N
he entire wear. +