TWENTIETH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART III 223 



We built a hog barn of 72 pens, and the interest that the breeders 

 took in that is indicated by the fact that the week before the fair 

 started we didn't have nearly enough equipment to take care of ex- 

 hibitors. The result was we had to build 60 additional hog pens 

 around outside. We had to get a tent for our sheep and we filled 

 70 of our stalls with cattle. The sales barn proved mighty helpful 

 during the fair. When we hired the judges for the livestock depart- 

 ment, we hired them with the understanding that they would give 

 talks on the classes as they judged them. That feature proved a 

 great attraction both mornings and afternoons for the whole three 

 days. The farmers would gather in there in large numbers to hear 

 what was going on and one man living 35 miles from our town made 

 the remark that that fair approached nearest the state fair of any he 

 had seen. He said he had got more out of it than he got out of the 

 state fair — that he had just the same class he had got there, only it 

 was in smaller groups and he could understand it all. 



We ran out water from the town and have three water tanks and 

 the buildings are also electric lighted. The entire plant cost us some 

 $8,000. I have a few pictures here of it that I would be glad to show 

 you afterwards. 



This may be an old story to you, but I hope some of you may try 

 out some of these things. It did a good thing for us this year — it 

 increased our attendance 200 per cent, it made an increase of 300 per 

 cent in the grand stand and the number of exhibitors, and 400 per 

 cent in concession money and 800 per cent in the number of our live- 

 stock. 



In closing, I would say that in building a fair by cooperation, the 

 first thing to do is to get the cooperation of your board, and I want 

 to say that I had the finest bunch of men to work with that any fair 

 secretary could hope for. Next, get the cooperation of your county 

 agent. He is the biggest asset you can get. And lastly get after the 

 pure-bred interests and the agricultural interests, and in doing that 

 you will have two or three hundred people back of your fair and that 

 is what makes it pay. I thank you! 



The Chairman : I was in Chicago last week at the meeting of the 

 International Association of Fairs and listened to a paper read by J. 

 P. Mullen of Fonda, Iowa. That paper was so good that I have 

 asked Mr. Mullen to read it here at our meeting and he consented 

 to do that. I am going to ask Mr. Mullen at this time to read that 

 paper to you and I know you will appreciate it. 



