The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1917-09-27
FROM OTHER DAYS
RELICS AT THE FAIR REVIVED
OLD MEMORIES.


One of the most pleasing of exhibits
AZ the Southern Iowa Fair of last
week and one that will be the subject
OF talk and comment for months TO
come was special collection of old
time curios of pioneer days, imple-
ments of the life of long ago and tools
employed in the daily struggle Of the
first corners to the central west. The
Collection was of considerable value,
the property of Colonel Joe C. Kennel
OF Prebble County, Ohio, cousin of
Dan Unsicker, president of the South
ern Iowa Fair Association. The exhibit
was displayed to the best possible ad-
vantage in the section devoted to farm
displays and it was surrounded at all
times by crowd of interested people.
1t was through the solicitation of the
president of the fair that the exhibit
features of the big show in the new
exhibit hall. Only one thing was lack
ing, the owner The people asked
where the owner might be, who he
was and how he came to make such
collection. The people wanted to
see Uncle Joe" as the crowd good
naturedly chose to call him. They
wanted him on hand to explain many
of the old relics, to tell of their use
and age and they wanted to hear how
he came to collect the things.
President Unsieker promises his
good offices and his influence In ex-
tending the efforts to persuade Colon
ell Kennel to come to the next
Southern Iowa Fair in person and
to repeat his exhibit next year.
The collection contains long list
of the old implements and tolls of
the life of which We of today know
little or nothing, excepting as we read
in tales of the old pioneer life in
Ohio and Indiana. BY way OF explana-
ton it may be stated that Colonel
Kennel is an auctioneer of state wide
reputation in Ohio and he has made
his collection, piece at a time, here
and there through the state as he has
had occasion to officiate at sales of
old property. The collection is valuable
from a historical point of view, and 1t
is not likely that another such exhibit
exists anywhere in the land
Prominent among the things shown
was an old fashioned step stoves"
one of the first cast iron heaters in
existance introduced at a time when
everyone depended upon the open fire
place for both cooking and heating
purposes. There is only one such stove
known anywhere in Iowa today and
this is preserved in the historical So
ciety building in Des Moines. Other
features were, an old time pillow, a
clumsy wooden affair, spinning
wheel that has a history reaching back
to colonial times; corn planter, one
of the first in use and complete set
of wooden, domestic utensils, the use
of many of which have passed from
knowledge.
This exhibit was instructive, inter
esting and gave much pleasure to the
big crowd at the fair. Thank you much
Mr.. Kennel. The people OF Southern
Iowa hope to have your exhibit at the
1918 Fair and to be permitted the
pleasure of meeting you personally.
And may it be said here and now that
this one exhibit w2s the means OF
bringing a host of old time visitors to
the fair. Word was passed out of the
wonderful display and many old tim
ers, pioneers of the early day in Ma
haska came to the fair personally for
a glimpse of the things in use in the
days of their grandparents, few OF
which they remembered and some of
which they mad heard. And many rec
objection this show called up and many
a story was related in exhibit hall OF
the pioneer life made vivid again by
the sight of these olden time works
and helps of the long ago.