The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-09-08
GREATEST FAIR
fcont,nued from rage one,

IulI ana running over. Inc amusement
program is more complete and more
varied than ever before. With good
weather there cannot be a dull minute
from the time the big Free fair opens
its gates Monday morning until the
last light is out the following Satur-
day night
Today, only few hours before the
fair opens, superintendent of the diff
ferent departments say every particle
of available space has been contracted
for.
w. j. Cody, superintendent of the
swine and sheep departments, has
been frantic for week trying to ar
range for enough overflow space to
take care of the unexpected entries
that came in at the last minute.
Sell No More Space.
The middle of this week Secretary
Phil Eastman telegraphed his men to
sell no more space in the machinery
field; that any further encroachment
upon other departments would throw
everything out of killer.
The superintendent of the poultry
department has been complaining for
three weeks aboutslack of space and
begging that the people with exhibits
of Belgian hares and pets of different
kind be removed from the poultry
building.
The same sort of story comes from
every department manager. Never be-
fore in the history of the big fair has
1t Deen SO easy TO get eXI11D1lS. Two
years of open gates and free admis-
sion have converted exhibitors the
+ country over to the belief originally
held only by the promoters of the
Kansas Free Fair-that the free fair
idea. brings the people. Cattlemen,
horsemen, poultrymen, manufacturers
of farm machinery and every other
class of exhibitors have been convert
ed and they turn automatically to the
Kansas Free Fair year after year.
Fastest Horses in West.
The race horse men have learned
it too. The race program this year is
full and in the list are the names of
score of the fastest horses in the west.
The entries came easily. Horsemen
do not hesitate when they know
purses will be paid promptly and
when a race meet is going to be big
enough to be worth while.
But the people who are most thoro-
ly convinced of the success of the free
fair idea are the concessionaires. Ex-
hibits mean nothing to them but
crowds do. The men who are at the
fair with things to sell must have
crowds. Two years have convinced
them, and the. man who sold the con-
SESSIONS this year had picnic as COM
pared to his predecessors The secre-
tary's office has been besieged by men
who wanted to buy and pay for the
right to sell things on the fair
grounds. The space is gone.
IN the matter OF pa
irons of the, fair will have no fault to
find. Besides the horse races, always
one of the chief attractions of a fair,
there will be constant procession of
amusements every day and night.
Midway Attraction.
The midway, covering several acres,
will be the chief permanent attraction.
Around a common center all of the
Con T. Kennedy shows will be group
ed Tent after tent will go up be-
tween now and Monday morning and
in each will be an entertainment
worth while. Besides the shows there
will be mechanical amusements such
as 'The Whip" the "Carousal," the
Ferris WheeI'' and half a dozen 9TH
ers. There will be dancing girls, per-
forming animals, wizards, dwarfs and
other features common and uncom
mon to side shows.
A short distance away will be the
motordrome where men and girls will
ride motorcycles inside an inclined
circle at breakneck speeds
The horse races will finish Friday
but Saturday there will be some spec
tacular stunts in front of the grand
stand to take their place.
Champion to Defend Title.
Fred Horey, champion dirt track
automobile racer, will defend his title.
He will meet any and all corners on
the Topeka track. He has won every
race in which he has competed the last
two years and half a dozen drivers are
trying to take his honors away from
him. There will be several entries
before the race is run. He has rec
ord as speed demon. His managers
promise for him that he will supply
as many thrills as it is possible for an
auto racer to deliver.
That Girl Aviator.
The same day Horey races. Satur-
day, Katherine Stinson, the girl avia-
Il LIZ ,s-s. nw,f
of thrills. She is the champion avia-
| trix of the world. She is the girl
who calmly turns her biplane upside
down and makes it fly on its back.
| She loops the loop. She makes 1000
| foot drops like an eagle. She shows
| the spiral, sort of a corkscrew drop.
| She does all the things with an air.
| plane that the army aviators are do
| ing on the French front.
Before Saturdays thrills are over
| Miss Stinson and Horey will race
| Miss Stinson lowering over Horey in
| her biplane, attempting to sail around
1 the track at a greater speed than his
| automobile is capable of delivering.
Fireworks Display.
Every night during the fair there
| will be a brilliant display of fire
1 works. The fair management has en-
1 gagged one of the best companies for
1 the entire week. The program ranges
1 from the beautiful to the sublime.
| The beautiful features, such as rose
| gardens and summer storms have
| been seen by Kansans. but they have
1 not seen such spectacles the Siege
/ of Verdun," and Battle of the Skies. -
| or the "Bombardm.nt of the Darda-
| nelles'' The program for the week
| indicates the finest pyrotechnic dis
play ever shown in Kansas
-Four bands have been engaged for
1 the week There will be music at all
| times and each evening there will be
a patriotic concert in front of the
grandstand. The instrumental feat
ures will be furnished by a band of
1 fifty pieces. Forty voices will furnish
the vocal numbers.
Other Features.
1 rauioxv of he T1ropra m