The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1920-01-16
TALK UP: COUNTY FAIRS
MEN WHO LOOK AFTER
THEM AT FEAST
BanquetWas Held In OWatonna
Several Mankato People
Were Present

Owatonna, January 8.-There will
be exciting horse races. huge stock
shows, novel free attractions and
night displayss of fireworks at most
of the county fairs in Southern Min
nesota this year if the majority of
opinions expressed at the fair ban
quet in the Hotel Owatonna last
night are CARRIED out.
Called as part OF the program for
1.-The session Of the Federated Fairs
of Southern Minnesota, the banquet
. was followed by a general discussion
of questions sent here by J. w. Hare,
secretary. MI Hare, who lives at
Austin was unable to be present.
Horse racing is the principal at
traction at every fair" declared Geo.
| Atchison of Mankato, former member
of the Minnesota state fair. Racing
! has no value except as an attraction
and it will be an attraction just as
: long as it draws people to the grand
stand. Thus.l far no substitute for
races has been found An attempt
to find attractions to take the place
OF horse racing was made at one time
at the Minneyaota state fair but moth
ing could be found"
! w. l.. Mercer of Rochester said
| that racing would be feature at
traction at the Rochester fair this
year and that the races would be put
j on by the 0dmstead Race Horse as
ISOLATION. I'm the past we had diff
ficulty because many of the farmers
believed that more money should be
put into premiums than into purses.
J. We have bfen putting up a $1,000
/, purse"
| Fireworks Big Drawing Card.
| William Schultz of Mankato de-
clared thati night displays of fire.
works were the best drawing card al
Mankaio. He also explained how the
! grounds were policed and automobiles
protected by maintaining sufficient
force of watchmen and by checking
/ all cars onthe parking plot.
L. T. WHship defined county fairs
as an educational center. They are
the places where people learn how
TO grow two blades of grass where
enc grew before and how to raise
cattle, that will produce more milk OF
more beebthan their ancestors.
ITO make fair a success" he
said, sit is necessary to have both
exhibition and attractions. One
without the other will cause the fail
tc be failure. In this county the
fair has been responsible for the
development of cows that have in
creased butterfat production from
$50 to $50 pounds yearly
Horse sracing could be made more
of a drawing card il more attention
was paid to details. Ahn6uncers
should be in the grandstand where
people can hear them. They Should
explain the result OF each. heat. and
give ont all information; thai has any
bearing on the race. This would
mean rage horse fans and n genuine
interest In the sport.
Children Should Be Given Consider
"rhe children should be given con
sideratiop at the fair because we are
doing al of this educational work
for thepI with the expectation that
, the will take up the work when We
ARE through
That children under the. age Of "A
should be admitted to the grounds
free was, expressed by NJ. J. Parcher
who declared that this :, was the
; quickest way to interest the coming
generation in fairs. a
There was much discussion relative
to establishing turnstiles at the gates
as the ,Surest way to get every ad
mission. into the ground No action
was taken on the proposal to buy
tnrnstiles to be used in turn at the
i various, grounds in this part OF the
stale.