Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-12-23
FAIR PROMOTER
VISITS 0TTUMWA
G. n. HoLcoMeE CALLS ON SEW
ERAL TO LEARN SENTIMENT
FOR PROJECT.
is WELL PLEASED
Says He Is Impressed With Feeling
Shown BY Those He Met; Urges
Organizing For
Permanence.
is WELL PLEASED

| G. H. Holcombe Of Burlington, secre-
! tary and manager Of the Tri-State fair
at Burlington and the promoter Of
numerous other fairs and expositions
in Iowa and other states, has been q
visitor in Ottumwa today. II like to
look over the ground before take any
interest in proposition of this kind. :
said Mr.. Hocombe, "and came up to
see the town and find out the senti-
ment with regard to fair here and
see the prospective sites for its loca-
ton.
II find the feeling here is excellent
and have been impressed with the
manner in which the men whom have
met seem to view the project. they
say they want 1t and look like they DO,
and they can II they will for its large
ly matter Of being interested. 1t is
not sufficient to write check Tor
stipulated sum that will help such a
project financially, but it is the actual
interest Of a personal character that
the people take in the proposition that
will make 1t success. l am pleased
with what I have seen and heard
Mr.. Holcombe is professional pro-
moter of just such projects as that
proposed for Ottumwa Several such
ventures in Iowa, Illinois and other
states have had his genius and d1rec-
ton in their organization. He has now
q project of this kind on In Aurora,
ILL.,, and says they are about ready to
break ground there. His idea OF fair
is to build with the intention OF max
ing 1t better each year and not to start
a movement Of this kind just for a few
years. He would make it permanent.
Fairs Have Good Year.
The success of fairs in Iowa even
during a year such as the past sum-
mer was, is shown in the following:
Des Moines, Dec. %. = Iowa has a
number of county and district fairs
which are largely attended, according
to figures just compiled by the Iowa
department of agriculture. The Brem-
er county fair at Waverly was attend
ed this year by 41,352 people. Waiver.
ly Is a town of about $500 people and
the county of Bremen has a total popu-
lation of about $4,000. The Marshall
county fair held at Marshalltown had
an attendance this past fall Of Al, 766.
The total population for the county has
not vet been given out. The fair at
Cedar Falls in Blackhawk county had
an attendance Of 40,706 and at Water
loo the fair had total attendance OF /
3O,403.
The Cass county fair had total at
tendance OF $4,000 81 the total pop
ulation of the county Is about 10000. |
The fair at Burlington had an attend.
ance OF 39,436. The Fayette county
fair, held at West Union had an at
tendance Of 10000. The Kossuth |
county fair at Algona had an attend
ance Of $4,000. The interstate fair at
Sioux City had an attendance of 67,-
500. .
The state fair at Des Moines this
past year had a total attendance Of
245,066 In 1914 the attendance was
273,073 and in 1913 it was 280,462.
State Aid For Fairs.
The state aid paid to county and
district fairs this year amounted to
$47,569.83, or an average OF $3.50 as
compared to $21,131.27 in 1914. or an
average Of $235. Ten fairs this year
paid more more than $4,000 In prem
iums and therefore received the max
imum amount of state aid $500. These
fairs were as follows: Interstate Live
Stock fair, Sioux City, paying 1925. go
in premiums: Burlington Tri-State fair
Burlington, $S,016.65; Dairy Cattle con-
gress, Waterloo, $4,97o; North Iowa
fair, Mason City, $3,915.46; Marshall
County fair association, Marshalltown
$770.s0; Cedar Valley district fair, Ce-
dar Falls, $3114; Henry County Agri- |
cultural society, Mt Pleasant. ST.
7OO.5O; Union District Agricultural So
ciety, Muscatine, $2,4S5.50; Bremen
County fair association. Waverly, 3d.
348.71; Cass County Agricultural 80
ciety, Atlantic, $2,121.21.