Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 189, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 August 1913 — INDIANA FAIR IS BIG [ARTICLE]

INDIANA FAIR IS BIG

Exposition Is Huge If Measured In Any Way, and It Belongs to People of State. Of course it will be big—the Indiana state fair, to be held at Indianapolis beginning September 8. It always is, for from its beginning in 1861 the fair has been growing both in magnitude and quality. Measure it by the 214 acres of ground it occupies, by the $66,044.50 it offers in premiums this year, in which exhibitors have over 5,000 chances to win; measure it by some forty acres of machinery, by 3,000 fowls in the poultry show, by 2,500 plates of fruit in the horticultural show, by 400 sheep, 600 swine, 500 cattle, 700 horses—and the state fair is big! It is not surprising that upward of 200,000 people from all over Indiana flow in at the exposition gates within five days every fall—the great run of these patrons being from the smaller towns and from the farms. So many thousaad Hoosiers have been acquainted with the fair for so many years that there is no longer any question of its importance as a factor in the upbuilding of the farm resources of the Hoosier land, and there is unending evidence of its force as an educator and entertainer of the Indiana public. The visitors from the farm go to the fair both for information and inspiration which can be turned to account on home lands and In home flocks, for the state fair stands for improved herds, better soils and increased output with less labor, and it points the way to the farm men and women to these ends. The country men and women turn to the fair as they would to a school—for information. The visitor from the town finds the exposition a bubbling fountain of enjoyment. It is a fair covering five days, with each day’s program as important as the others. And the fair belongs to the people of Indiana. Through their patronage at the gates they have gradually built it up to what it is today, and their increasing patronage enables it to become greater in magnitude and better in quality. It has risen to the level of the great state fairs of the United States both in character of displays and in number of patrons, and it gives glowing promise of going beyond its old records* along both these lines next September. The exposition should produce a still higher standard of exhibits, for some of the most noted-authorities of America have joined in revising its premium list, in renovating the classso that former classes which showed signs of weakness have been eliminated and those retained have been enriehed by greater premiums.

Besides the money prizes offered, exhibitors are lured to the coming fair by many special prizes in silver cups, gold and silver medals and other trophies. For draft horses alone four silver cujto, twelve gold medals and as many of silver are offered. The money prizes for horses amount to $88,870, of which $3,970 goes to draft classes, to animals in the night horse shows, $1,900 to saddle horses, and the remainder to other classes, including $920 for ponies. The speed purses amount to $26,200. In the cattle show, $12,265 is offered, $7,800 on beef cattle, $3,500 for dairy ciafeses. The prizes In other departments are: Sheep, $3,387; swine, $3,785; poultry, $2,178; agricultural products, $1,399.50; horticultural, $2,838.50; arts and crafts, $1,573.60. Because of the ever increasing importance of the Hoosier poultry interests, unusual preparations are under way for the poultry show at the Indiana state fair, which opens on September 8. The amount of prizes offered Is $2,178, and, since every breed raised in Indiana is represented In the premium list a great exposition of blooded chickens will be assured. To enable the show to expand, the Cultry house on the fair ground is ing remodeled so that its capacity for coops will be increased about onethird, so that the comihg show will have more poultry and visitor* than aver.—Adv. ]