Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-08-28

children's building, the very heart OF
the state fair Of today, toward which
all gravitates naturally. one can not
well avoid contrasting the present with
the past In special relation to the part
taken by women in the affairs Of Iowa.
Your typical prosperous Iowan doffs
his hat as he enters the palace de-
voted to women. Later on he VIII
vote to strike out OF the constitution
OF the state the sex discrimination. But
| 1t was not always so. A little history
will throw light on the subject Women
OF Iowa Of the middle of the l9th
scentury came promptly to the front
( and played large part In making at
tractive the first state fairs. Their
| forte was in equestrianism The lady
riders were as great an attraction.
proportionately. as Pains fireworks Or
| the aeroplane contortions OF today.
But in musty volume in the state IL
brary which the state had printed and
bound in leather years ago there is
report OF the third annual state fair'
including an account In The North
/ west" wherein is described the eques-
trian contest and then the editor ap-
| ponds the following:
ave will take this occasion to say,
: that though this feature in our state
agricultural fair has its interest, IT Is
| one we do not approve. 1t is one step
i In the path the 'strong-minded women
! of the age would lead their sex, and
! its tendency is to draw woman away
| from that retiring delicacy OF charac-
! ter. and gentleness of demeanor. which
\ ot,t 81 y11ov iv,
lation Of life"
{; There, that was sixty years ago. IN
Iowa. But Editor Miller also made
sure to send home to his Dubuque
Journal a very readable account OF
the equestrian contest. In due time.
possibly very soon, the lady riding
ceased to be so conspicuous at these
fairs Their history would make an
! interesting chapter al by Itself.
Thomas w clagett the first presf-
dent of the Iowa Agricultural Society.
was undoubtedly the person RESPONSE
BILE for introducing at the state fairs
the element of "the strong-minded
woman" After the first premium list
was made public some one wrote TO
! the Iowa farmer complaining that
there had been no offer of premium
for female Workmanship but that such
premiums were regularly given In In
diana, Ohio and other states. Accord
insly, Colonel Clagett made an ofrer
personally of fine gold watch to the
| "boldest and most graceful female
equestrian" and added:
"Now. come on. Miss Louisa. with all
your female friends. as this is to be a
fair test of superior horsemanship
! among the ladies of Iowa. There must
be no backing out now. as the banter
! is accepted and the watch VIII be
ready for delivery to the fair winner.
And so it was that on bright Oc-
tober day in 1854 at the town OF FAR
field. ten ladies appeared with horses
before a state fair crowd which was
declared by Keol<uk editor to Dc at
least ten thousand in number The IN
terest in this event was such that IL
was held over the second day. me
awarding committee included Gen. ..
NJ. Morgan, Des Moines county; Judge
Lowe, OF Lee: Col. 7. ii. Benton Jr..
OF johnson; Col H. H. Trimole. OF
Davis. Mrs. p L. Huyett, Of JEFFERSON:
Miss Albertson, Of Lee, and Miss ms
keep of Wapello. 1t was arranged
that the ladies' should ride around the
ring. first accompanied by cavalier
and later alone and there was pro-
vision for more or less fancy riding.
The story of what happened on that
day has been often told but 1t will re-
nav telling again. Editor Junkfn In
his Fairfield Ledger had this to say
of the event
"The great attraction of the day was
.ha female euuestrianism. which came
off at 9 o'clock in the afternoon or fhe
second day, and at 10 o'clock a. m. or
the third day. The prize was gold
watch, valued at 800, and ten ladies,
accompanied by their cavaliers. en-
tered the list to contend for It, me
number of persons who were present
to witness this attractive feature or
the fair was Immense. The commit
tee awarded the prize to Miss Turner
of Keokuk. much to the disappoint-
ment of the people, who were decided
Nv in favor Of awarding 1t TO Miss
Eliza Jane Hodges, "the Iowa CITY
girl" we were one Of the people. We
had Intended saying something about
how they were dressed. but so soon as
we learned how the prize was awarded.
we were SO put out" that we had no
inclination to note their dress. and
forgot everything else but "the Iowa
CITY girl" In our humble opinion.
Mrs. John Eckert-the lady dressed IN
blue-was decidedly the most grace
full rider on the ground. When the
award was made known the people set
about it and made up purse of $l65
for Miss Elsie J. Hodges. and some
other presents, and further made pro-
visions for her attendance, free OF all
charge, for three terms at the Female
Seminary at this place. and one term
at the seminary at Mount Pleasant. all
of which she gratefully accepted, as n
sensible girl would-particulary the
educational portion Miss Hodges is
quite young, being but 10 or II years
of age: but she certainly displayed the
best horsemanship we ever saw dis
played by any female. The bold man.
ner in which she fearlessly galloped
around the enclosure was really IN
tensely exciting The marshals could
not keep the people from showing their
appreciation in loud shouts. Miss Kate
3. Pope was there We know Kate to
be a fine rider. but she rode a miser-
able hack 70 ra horse; she did we'll,
however. We suppose the committee,
In awarding the prize, acted conscien-
tiously. but there was a large major
ity of tho people against them; and
we want it distinctly understood wei
were one OF them
An extended account OF the same az
fair appeared in the Burlington DAILY
telegraph, probably from the pen OF
C,eperal Morgan the chairman of the