The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1921-01-13
SUCCESSFUL STA Tt
FAIRS Do NOT SPRING
UP over NIGHT SAYS
K EST Of DALLAS

Dallas. Tex, Jan. 1S.-That success
ful state fairs do not spring up over
night is well Illustrated in the history
of the State Fair of Texas, an insti-
,ution without parallel in its plan of
organization. in the opinion of Edwin
j. Kiest of Dallas. Mr. Kiest was
recently elected president Of the fair
for the third time.
Mr.. Kiest, who is publisher of the
Dallas Times-Herald, has for many
years been active in promoting the
state. fair and has watched it grow
from incipiency to its present propor-
tions.
when the Texas State Fair was
first held in 1886, the bronco horse,
the long-horn steer and the razor
back hog comprised the chief live
stock interests in Texas" W. II. Srlt-
ton, secretary of the fair, said "In
the 1920 fair which closed October
"a, there were more than $500 head
OF ilhe finest pehgreed cattle, swine,
sheep and horses in the United
States. the exhibits being pronounced
as such 10y the best judges in the
country.
THE widwest shows have carried
off many of the few remaining long
horns and the demise of that class
Of cattle has been followed by the
breeding of the best classes obtain
able in the country
along with the growth of the
states livestock industry has come
the development Of numerous other
Industries and potentialties. The chief
of these was discovered only Il short
time ago in the seemingly unbounded
oil pools of the state With the de-
yelopment of the oil fields. an influx
Of both men and capital resulted. In
the new era the state has done it.
self proud.
I'm many lines Texas has much to
show the world. The state fair which
Ia held annually at Dallas has sue
cessfully demonstrated to visitors and
impressed upon the people Of the
state the value Of these vast resources,
ana in carrying out the work has not
only utilized he best features of other
similar fairs in the country, but has
made available to the public features
not incorporated in other exhibits"
The present state fair had its origin
in the Dallas County Fair, which was
launched in 1862, according to Secre-
gary Stratton. lie said the statutes of
Texas on file in the capitol at Austin
show that during special session
OF the Ninth Legislature, on Jan O..
1862, an act Incorporating the Dallas
County Fair was passed. A call for
Confederate government troops was
made soon after the fair was launch
ed, every one of is directors went
to war, and only few returned, Mr..
Stratton said.
In 1872 the fair was again opened.
with Captain W. IL. CASTOR Of Dallas.
well known as a pioneer builder of
Texas, as president. The event had
its rises and falls fL.' several years
afterwards and in fact, Mr.. Stratton
said. until che present fair was or
ganized and chartered in 1856 with
j. Il. Simpson as president and Sid
ncy Smith. secretary.
Since that time no enterprise in
ihe whole history OF Dallas has ever
brought such lasting and material ben
cfits to the Cty Of Dallas ana the
state of Texas at large, as the State
Fair Of Texas, Secretary Stratton de-
clared Its thirty-fourth annual meet
ing was held October to I4th. 1920.
As no state aid can be given to
fairs, under the constitution Of Texas
the state fair was organized and con-
Quoted under private capital until
1901. At the close OF the 1903 fair.
Mr.. Strn.ton said, the stockholders
owning the property donated 1t to the
City Of Dallas for public park and