The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-10-12
A Model Far

here to trade furs with the French, |
coming over Lake Ontario in their
canoes, and trailing down from the
forests. Now, on the same ground !
where the Indians met, Canadians
gather every fall at what has become
the biggest annual exposition held
anywhere the Canadian National
Exhibition.
Expeditions and fairs are held all
over Canada. much like our own state
and local fairs. But the Toronto ex-
hibition claims to hold the record for
elaborateness, size and popularity.
To Toronto, the exhibition is the
event of the year It has been an in
stitution for 43 consecutive years. All
year round, the 264 acres of Exhibi-
ton City on Lake Ontario stand prac-
tically deserted, with only caretakers
to keep the buildings, fountains, band
stands. lawns and flower beds in trim.
But all the time the board of directors
of the exhibition and their committees
are working. The day after the exhi-
bition closes the heads begin consider
ing improvements for next year. To
be on the board is one of the most i'm
portant honors Toronto can confer
upon her leading citizens. The city
is proud of the record that it has kept
politics out of it's exhibition.
When the affair opens. visitors pour
into the city. They come not only
from all over Canada, but from every
state in the Union, and even a good
many from South America and other
more distant countries, for the Canad-
ian National Exposition is famous for
being a model fair.
The fair grounds present the sort of
panorama of any big exposition. There
are long streets with more than
hundred stands running paddle wheels
ball tossing games and other contests.
Not one of the games is a gambling
device, you are told. The board of
directors is firm about that And
prices are reasonable The board
makes the contracts with the conces-
sion holders. fixing fair prices, and
close watch is kept to see that there
is no profteering
Beyond the games and amusements
and the big white eating tents, is the
grandstand. When you consider that
there we're 10000 children on this
grandstand at three performances on
Young Canada Day-30, 900 at time
you get an idea of the scale on
which the Toronto exhibition has to
be planned.
Community Singing
This grandstand faces four circus
rings where vaudeville and circus acts
are shown followed by a pageant,
community singing, and at night fire
works. How to get an audience of
some 10000 people to sing does not
worry the exhibition managers at all
Words are thrown on two big screens,
~
An ordinary megaphone or piano
would scarcely carry to the front rows
of so large an outdoor auditorium. But
a rolling booth, open on the side to-
ward the people, is pulled to the CEN
ter of the stage. OF the apparatus
only three horns on the top of the
booth are noticeable. A man sits in
side the booth and plays a xylophone
and sings in an ordinary tone of voice,
and every word can be caught at the
far corners of the stand.
Canada takes kindly to singing. AL
=. sorts OF well known songs are quickly
caught up and finished in a climax Of
enthusiasm Old songs like "Ta-ra-ra
boom-de-ay." "In the Shade of the Ole
Apple Tree" and Garry Me Back tc
Old Nirginny," are alternated with the
newer popular tunes. Sing loud like
last year." the screen urges between
two numbers, and Canada laughs anC
complies.
AS many entertainment features a:
there seem to be at the exhibition
there are even more of an educationa
character. The management prefer'
TO stress this side of the spectacle
Toronto insists that a stranger car
learn more about Canada in two hour:
at the exhibition than in a year o
travel over the country. This is prob
ably true. Few Americans woulr
credit Canada with producing the val
led assortment of things that can b.
seen in this all-Canadian display.
The manufacturers building, for in
stance. has elaborate displays o
rooms furnished in brocades, exper
sive looking furniture, and ornament
of glass and china that might hav
come from the famous potteries c
Europe. Here, too, makers of piano
and talking machines display the beat
tful wood of their best wares agains
velvet hangings.
Further on, are big glass cases wit
women's clothes on wax modeis-th
same sort of thing you see on FIT
Avenue. And there are long aisles
booths where less artistic but equal
significant products are shown A.
parently Canada makes everythin
from drug supplies and electrical a.
paratus to umbrellas and chocolate.
y A Complete Exhibit
7 Among the other so odd building
are headquarters for dairy and poultr
shows, flowers, machinery, art, aut
mobiles. The automobile exhibits alor
were valued this year at $1,000. 600.
Bands are considered an importal
educational feature of the exhibition
There is at least one band playir
somewhere all the time. Then on ce
tain days there are special attraction
races. either horse, motor boat,
automobile, contests between ban(
and between vocalists, cat, dog ar
baby shows.
From morning until late at nigh
every attraction on the ground has i
crowd of interested visitors. tt
throngs seethe back and forth alor
the walks Fifty thousand to 200 on
people a day are scattered over Exl
bition City. Generally, the grounC
absorb them without uncomfortab