The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1924-10-16
1925 FAIR WILL BE
HELD IN SEPTEMBER
LAST WEEK IN MONTH SELECT.
ED; DEFINITE DATES TO BE
DECIDED UPON
PLAN WILL BE CHANGED
ANNUAL MEETING OF ASSOCIA.
TON HELD TUESDAY NOT
LARGELY ATTENDED

The attendance at the annual meet
ing of the Agricultural Society Of
Stearns County, held in the Sank
Centre Community Club rooms Tues
pointment to President j. B. Schoen-
hoff and the other officers of the as
ISOLATION. The meeting was set in
the afternoon in the hope that numb
ers of farmers from adjacent COM
munities would attend. Sank Centre
business men were also very con-
spicious by their absence at this
meeting. -
After reading of the minutes Of
the previous meeting Treasurer Fred
Fischer gave a resume of the condi-
tions of the fair covering a three
year period. He called attention to-
the fact that three years ago the
fair found itself $500 in debt and
that Sank Centre citizens very large
ly had subscribed for the $1,000 in
certificates of indebtedness to clean up
the old bills of the association. The
1922 fair was a distinct success
financially and $1,000 of the indebt!
edness was cleaned up. The 1923
fair permitted the association to pay
the interest on the certificates of in
debtedness but it was not possible to
reduce the outstanding debt. The
early dates of the 1924 fair caused
a material falling off in attendance. :
Although strict budget system was
enforced, revenues from the fair were
not sufficient to pay the interest on
the outstanding Indebtedness. In this
connection, at the last meeting of the
association President J. B. Schoen-
hoff was authorized to appoint COM
mittee to work with him in putting
on entertainments to raise money to
care for the interest. Mr.. Schoenhoff
named William Parker, G. Hillerud,
and Asa M. Wallace to assist him in
this work.
County Superintendent VIM.
Boerger was then introduced and
gave most interesting talk. Mr..
Boerger has been closely identified
with the Stearns county fair for Ia
wears. He said the fair had been
great assistance to the rural school,
and all the other industries of the
county. He said, however, if the
best results were to be obtained
system was absolutely necessary in
conducting the fair and men who
would and could take over and intel
ligenty handle the various depart
menB of the fair, should be enlisted
in the service. He said that he was
not particularly alarmed because
there was not a large attendance out
at the meeting because it was the
general experience in all public mat
tiers. it took a small crowd to do
thiigs; small crowds were usually
successful in putting over all move
mnts that they get back of.
Mr.. Boerger showed the develop
rent of the interest of the rural
chools in the Stearns county fair.
The first exhibit was made in 1912
and potato growing was the main OBJ
fject of the demonstration. The first
year, 600 children grew Early Ohios !;
the second year 500 and the third
year, 1000. Prior to the organiza-
ton of the rural schools there were
practically no potatoes shipped out of
Stearns county in carload lots, but in
a few years 500 cars per year were
shipped.
Mr.. Boerger called attention to
the fact that in 1913 the rural school
officers, at meeting in st. Cloud,
voted to take steps to erect suitable
building at the Stearns county fair
by contributions from the various
districts. The teachers and pupils
went to work with will and in three
years, $500 was secured for this
purpose, the district fartherst away
from the county fair, contributing
the most money. The splendid
building on the grounds is q monu-
ment to the rural schools.
The speaker said that while it was
necessary to have entertainment at
the fair, the main purpose should be
educational and inspirational. He
suggested that perhaps there had
been too much sameness to the
fairs heretofore and that plans ought
to be devised to prepare not only
novel exhibits but unique entertain
ment. He thought that the premium
list should be thoroughly revised. Mr..
Boerger also. believed the best re-
suit could be obtained if the fair was
held the latter part Of September IN
stead of the latter part of August.
Mr.. Boerger stated that Stearns
county had about reached the end of
its grain growing activities and, that
the farms were too large. Dairying
was developing and should be the
principal industry Of the farmers. He
emphasized the fact that Stearns,
county produced more butter than
any county in Minnesota, and that
the county butter output for 1928
sold for 5000, 900. The dairy ex-
hibit at this years fair consisted of
20 exhibits, representing as many
creameries in territory adjacent to
Sank Centre. The Herald is mighty
sorry that it hasn't space to more
thoroughly cover Mr.. Boerger's most
excellent and instructive talk. How
ever, at the 1924 fair, exhibits from