The Oskaloosa herald., 1915-03-25

ropean species OF wild animals to the
leopard and the tiger.
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THE RoUsTA5oUT.
After wolking seventeen miles ask,
ing eleven guards and reading two
guide books from cover to cover. we
finally found where Iowa is going to
have displays in the Agricultural and
Horticultural building at the Panama
Pacific Exposition. 1t Is rather hui
initiating at this stage of the game
to try and uphold the dignity of the
greatest agricultural state in the I'm.
ion with such poor backing, when
even Vermont and Nevada have dis
plays from field and orchard that will
make us go some to equal. Illinois,
New York, Ohio and other states have
twice the space allotted to Iowa, and
their exhibits are all in place and are
already drawing the "ahs" and the
"whews" from the passers by. AMI
they even say that some of the other
states have bought Iowa corn with
which to decorate their booths. All
this Is encouraging but lowa's policy
of hiding her light under a bushel, or
climbing on the band wagon after ev-
cry seat has been taken, makes one
want to say something that might not
look well in print. Is it any wonder
that our population is lodging the
shadows for the enthusiasm of other
common wealths?
| - -
But the boosters are putting Iowa
on the map at the fair even If the
Legislature did leave them with the
sack to hold. Many of them have al
ready visited the fair, and some have
said they will double their subscrip-
lions rather than let the good old
Hawkeye state look like thirty cents
in the bottom of travelling bag. And
after all the greatest product of any
state is it's men. And the men who are
footing most of the bills for the glory
of Iowa at the San Francisco fair are
building better than they know. And
some day they may succeed in push
ing the state to the head of the pro-
cesSion,-a place to which she is en-
titled by all the rules of the game, if
she could just imbihe a little ginger,
or swat the biennial hoodOO at Des
Moines.
| And by the way OskalooSa is get
ting a lot of advertising that counts.
Mr.. Clum of Clinton, and Mr.. Marsh
of Waterloo, the boosters in charge
of the Iowa building, preach it public
ly from the floor of the house that
Oskaloosa turned the tide in favor of
greater Iowa. When the bunch OF
boosters started out to canvass the
state for funds to erect the Iowa
building at the fair, they had reached
the test of the balance when they
rode into OskalOOga. The project was
at a precarious stage. If OskaloOSa
had turned them down, they would
have been ready to give up in des-
pair. But when Oskaloosa boosters
pledged $4,000 in less than half an
hour, the curtain went up. on a flood
of daylight AMI the reputation of the
state was saved.
- - -.
The Iowa building is we'll located
and was completed for the dedication
on March 10. 1t Is LAT feet long and 62
feet wide, finished in Travertine, and
equipped throughout with furniture
made in Iowa" The total cost was
100000. II is a fine resting place for
the native sons and their friends AMI
the influence it will exert will be far
reaching. Its popularity is attested by
the fact that before dedication day,
nearly two thousand residents of Iowa
or former citizens of the state had
registered at the building.
From years of association with
Iowa it strikes Us that San Francisco
needs Billy Sunday. But we do not
know of any one here who wants
him. Like the heather in his prist-
inc ignorance, the ordinary citizen of
the city of the Golden Gate wants to
be left alone TO run his own business
seven days in the week and let the
saloons and threatTes and dance halls
hold forth "a hours a day with
the keys buried in the waves of the
bay. II is well for San Francisco
that it has the worlds fair ON itG
hands right at this time. The bust
ness depression has been keenly felt
along the Pacific Coast, and many
enormous projects have been temper
arily rooted and left standing until
the money stringency let's UP, or
is elected president But
San Francisco is being benefited by
the fair and business here is at
high tide,-in striking contrast to
conditions in other western cities.
- - -
And the attendance at the fair is
he proud boast of every Californian,
except perhaps a few at San Diego.
where the other exposition is bidding {
or public patronage. In just IL days
Ifter the opening the paid attendance
lad passed the million mark. IL
ook Chicago nearly month to make
he record, and St. Louis over three !
weeks. But San Francisco will need ]
he money as the show here will cost
much more than either OF its big pre-
ecessors. The promoters, however, '
ave the nerve and we are assured {
nat they have the cash also TO make b
God any deficiency. c