The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1915-01-20
R. StenSvad Gives
Practical Help to
Fair Officers
President of Redwood County Fair AS
!. ISOLATION Presents Topic Before Fed
Grafton of County Fairs
OFFERS PRACTICAL HELP
Believes Buildings and Equipment Are
Most Essential to Success of Fair;
Advertising Also a Factor

Mr.. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen:
This is not the first time it has
been my pleasure and my profit to
follow Mr. Sanger. The Cottonwood
County Fair Association under the di-
rection of Mr.. Sanger has been the
guide of the Redwood County Asso-
citation during its period of rebuild
ing. We have never gone wrong in
following Mr.. Sanger's advice, and
have gained much.
While my experience with County
Fairs has been with the management
of the Fair as whole, rather than
with any particular exhibit, | am glad
to have this opportunity of telling
you what have learned of the prac-
tical side of the stock exhibit.
In submitting this paper to you,
am doing so, not from any theoreti-
cal standpoint, but based upon my
experience as one of the Officers of
the Redwood County Agricultural
Society, and l hope you will pardon
me for referring frequently to our
County Fair Association, as neces-
sarily the results and suggestions
which | am submitting to you were
received through the management o.
our Fair.
In the first place, allow me to ca-
that we are practically new organi-
cation. While the Redwood County
Fair has been in existence for more
than forty years, the Association had
been conducting Street Fairs but this
arrangement was not satisfactory to
the exhibitors, and the demand was
almost unanimous that we put on a
regular County Fair.
In the year 1912, new Board OF
Directors and new Officers were cleo
ted by the Association, instructed by
the members to conduct a County Fair
that would give entertainment and be
instructive and be credit to the COM
munity.
Up until this time our livestock ex-
hibits as we'll as all other exhibits
had been very small, for several rea-
sons, principally because of lack of
Accommodations for the exhibits The
Board of Directors were well or
gained, each Director had his duties
cut out for him and he performed
them faithfully, caused the others to
give no attention to the department
fL
although, our Board acted in an adj
visory capacity; but when our Fair
was well under way, no member OF
the Board had occasion to worry as
to the management and progress of
the other departments which were not
under his personal supervision.
Buildings Are Essential
AS I have stated, acting under the
directions of the members of the AS
ISOLATION, the Officers proceeded to
build up a County Fair, and we rea-
lized from the very beginning that
we had to have attractive and con-
venient exhibit buildings, particularly
those for the stock exhibits.
If you will consider why the farm
er brings his exhibits to County
Fair. you will find that the first req
\ son is because he is proud of his ow-
nership of the exhibit, and Graves the
honor of winning prize, the money
value of the premium being second
ary matter with him. If man brings
a herd of cattle to a Fair, you can
make up your mind that he would
never bring that herd there for ex-
hibition unless he were proud of the
fact that he owned it.
Then again, we must not for one
moment consider that the livestock
exhibit, or the poultry exhibit, or the
|. fancy work, or the free attractions,
or the sports and horse races, or any
exhibit alone, makes successful
County Fair. 1t is human nature fer
one to first visit those exhibits which
are most interesting, Or which are his
hobby. One man being interested in
swine would naturally first go to the
swine pens; his brother farmer would
probably examine the Holstein breed
of cattle, or the Shorthorn breed, and
their children would find their amuse-
ment in gazing at the race horses in
their stalls, or perhaps at the merry
go-round, their wives and daughters
carefully examining the fancy work
and the fruits and vegetables; in 9TH
er words, each person is not inter-