86 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



it Avas made up in other brandies of tlie department. This was the story 

 told by all of the superintendents. The attendance was phenomenal, taking 

 4nto consideration several discouraging conditions that were unavoidable. 

 The weather of Tuesday and Wednesday was very unpropitious, being 

 cold, raw and unpleasant. These same conditions had much to do with the 

 failure of the night attraction in a financial sense. The death of our be- 

 loved Chief Executive of the Nation, AVilliam McKinley, coming so sud- 

 denly and so unexpectedly, cast a pall of gloom and sorrow over the whole 

 country. This, as a matter of course, kept thousands away from the city 

 and the fair, for in every city, town or liamlet. memorial exercises were 

 held on Thursday, making it imperative that the citizen be at his home to 

 pay his last tribute to the noble dead. The success of the fair from a finan- 

 cial standpoint will be best seen and understood by a careful examination 

 of the reports of the Secretary and Treasurer. I am glad, indeed, to an- 

 ticipate their information therein contained by the statement that the fig- 

 ures show that it was the most successful fair from a financial standpoint 

 in the history of the Board. Early in the year, when the announcement 

 was made that the Supreme Lodge of Odd Fellows would meet at Indian- 

 apolis in Septeml)er. arrangements were at once made for holding the 

 State Fair the same week. While there was a well expressed sentiment 

 among several members of the Board that this mjght be a mistake, the idea 

 predominated, and a conference was at once arranged with the representa- 

 tive of the Odd Fellows, when an understanding was arrived at, mutual 

 concessions made and an active interest awakened. For that part of the 

 display made at the Fair Grounds during the week by the uniform body 

 of the Knights Militant, the sum of one thousand dollars was paid in pre- 

 miums. The State Fair also provided tents for the accommodation of the 

 visitors at an expense of about $150. For the use of the tents, we are 

 under obligations to Governor Durbin, General Foster and General Ward, 

 as well as for other favors and courtesies extended during the week. In 

 making up the program for the State Fair, it was agreed that we should 

 offer some new and popular attraction. With this end in view. I opened 

 negotiations at once with the managers of Sousa's famous band, which we 

 were able to secure after concessions on both sides, at a cost of $.3,500 for 

 the four concerts. This, with the Odd Fellows' Encampment, made th^ 

 extra attractions cost the State Fair about $5,000, and I believe that these 

 attractions not only interested the thousands of visitors on the gi'ounds, 

 but added gi-eatly to the net profit of the year. 



I believe the time for a purely agricultural State Fair has long been 

 past. The people must and will be interested along new lines. We can 

 not hope to keep pace with the times, if we insist upon its being and con- 

 tinuing a farmers' show and a fair only for Indiana. It should be, and I 

 hope to see it. a great annual display of the many and varied phases of 

 the activity, thrift and enterprise of modern life. The State Fair is suc- 

 cessful fir.st, in its power to attract the people and have them pass through 



