The Mena weekly star. (Mena, Ark.) 1904-1977, 1919-10-16
S|DEL|CHTS ON
FORT SMITH FAIR
9Th Neighboring City's Newspapers
vciceless, Stars Representative
Gives Celebration the "0nce
Over and Tells About 1t.

Those Polk county folks VINO at
tended the big free fair which ended
saturday at Fort Smith had much Of
;oterest to see and comment upon.
par4icularly do they point out the
s,rSlaritv in some respects and the
great dissimilarity in other respects
-ith our own fair, held last month il
Eena.
Because of the typos strike at Fort
smith that city had no newspapers to
len the world of the fair, and The
star. always alert to keep it's read
ars posted. reached out of its usual
territory to get news and supply de-
6ciencv caused by Fort Smiths lack
q publicity mediums.
There was one feature of the Fort
smith fair that was particularly inn
pressive to the visitors from Polk,
snd had il been staged in Mena it
~ould have caused an uprising in eer-
tain circles that would have required
governmental intervention to settle
This feature was the number of con-
eesgions where patrons were permit
ted 10 risk their coins on chances OF
s~'@ -
getting kewpiie dolls, lis knives es, reyely-
ers boxes of candy, whole hams, live
chickens and so on.
Kewpie Dolls in Evidence.
To one unacquainted with the kew
p,e doll industry it didn't seem pos
sible there were so many of these
picturesque little ornaments in the
world. But they had 'em by the thous-
apds in Fort Smith and on the two
main street, where the concessions
we're permitted the booths stood close
" packed together for block after
block
The favorite method of obtaining
ose of the kewpies or other prizes
seemed to be by playing the wheel
while in most Of the stands the
sheels were kept busily buzzing, 9th
cor offered patrons the opportunity
to throw a baseball, or guess at num-
-SFs,.; 81 (! ;..s :.-ss;, !. .. .eshla IN a slot OF
toss d ring. The manner of playing
seemed to be in almost as much vari-
ety as the articles to be played for.
These booths were well patronized
~ one who pens this sketch stood
and watched the crowds play tbs
wheels along Garrison avenue Fri
day III the midst OF heavy down
poar Of rain. The same observer saw
tie crowds play early in the morning
aAs the play was still going on late
ii night These things were interest
~ because the same sort of device:
we're barred at Mena's fair.
Where Virtue Prevailed.
TIE virtuous Fort Smith folks how.
ever. made it strict rule to prohibit
anyone under rs from playing any o.
aese games of chance and one of this
choke bits Of unprintable conversa.
ton overheard during the fair, was
when s'fly dick called down a con
cessionaire and made him refund tht
money taken from school girl, whs
.eAemently protested she was more
tkaa l6. but didn't look it.
When it came to amusemsnts For
Smith had big carnival company
with big variety of shows, and they
certainly drew the crowds. Where II
stopped to view the prize pigs and the
blue ribbon corn, there were 80 ou
at the carnival grounds. Which onls
goes to show that fair crowds wan
entertainment more than they do in
straction. And. say. some of thos'
shows wow If they had been al
hesa's fair they would have kicked VI
bigger row than did the playing ths
wheel
Additional amusements were dali,
aipiane flights, magnificent parade
cz Friday, plenty Of music, and lott
of fireworks. The crowd certainly hat
something to keep 'em busy every
minute.
Where Fair Resembled Mena's.
Bat the fair had one point of simi
larity TO Mena's. 1t was not all II
one place. The distance between th'
farx products display on Garrison
avenue to the hog show on sid'
staeet. was much greater than any O
hena's scattered exhibits. Yet th'
crowds kept moving from one to th'
other for there was plenty Of enter
sainment in between.
The exhibits themselves were no
so overwhelmingly greater than wha
Ne Aad in Mena. The quality was no
bit better save in few instances
but the quantity of cattle and poul
try was larger. In farm products ant
fruit the Fort Smith show wasn't al
good as Mena's.
They had big crowds in Fort Smith
Even tho the lack of newspapers han
dicapped the fair while on. it was wei
advertised beforehand, and ever.
train and public road brought visitors
Hotels were filled to overfiowing ev
cry night. and cots even couldn't b
had some nights.
Tor Arkansas Cotton Association.