PROCEEDINGS IOWA STATE FAIR MANAGERS ASSN. 55 



your entries and classes are so the horseman if he starts out in the 

 spring before he starts sort of likes to know where he is going to race 

 that summer and fall. He gets that from the newspaper. Your entry 

 blank may never reach him. If he can fix a circuit for himself before 

 he leaves home he is more likely to be with you. He is down with you 

 and he has his route. 



When he comes over to your place you should have a man in charge 

 that has an acquaintance with these people more or less, the more the 

 better. The average county fair secretary is so engrossed with other 

 things that he does not know just what little attentions or whatever you 

 may call it, they appreciate. When they come in at night they like to 

 have the stalls in order for them; don't like to have to clean a lot of 

 rubbish out of the stalls to get the horses in. They like to come in and 

 find the roof repaired before the fair is opened and like to have an op- 

 portunity to buy hay, straw and feed on the ground, they like to have 

 you arrange for that for them. They don't like to have you sell off the 

 privilege so they can be "gipped" on it in-order to let the feed man 

 get his money back. It should be sold to them at cost because they are 

 part of the show. 



Then you have to take an interest in the races. How can you do that? 

 You hear people say the races are made up in the barn, they are not 

 good fun any more. The secretary that says that exposes his ignorance; 

 he doesn't know his business. They are not made up in the barn unless 

 you ignore the horse races and allow them to do it. I have given races 

 I suppose for twenty-five years and in all my experience in my town I 

 don't believe there has been one race made up in the barn; if there has 

 been it has not been able to be pulled off according to schedule because 

 we have stopped it. That is because there has always been an expert 

 there who knows what is going on. If you haven't a man that knows 

 what is going on you are liable to have some trouble. 



It is a harder plan to make up what you call specials. You say you 

 have to do it. I don't believe you have to do it if you advertise long 

 enough ahead and make your circuit so compact that the horsemen will 

 travel from one town to another. You don't have to give a whole lot 

 of money. They want to get what is termed added money. You can't 

 give races in Iowa unless you do give added money. They want to be 

 paid the same as you pay your vaudeville or anybody else, and you 

 are doing that when you give added money. I think if you do this 

 your troubles will be entirely eliminated. Get a man who knows how, 

 turn it over to him, then make them perform their part of the con- 

 tract through him. 



But don't make it one sided, thinking the horse races are the whole 

 fair, because they are only a part of the fair, but they are an outstand- 

 ing feature as an amusement. 



President Estel : I understand Mr. Smollinger, Secretary of the 

 American Trotting Association, is here today, and we would be very 

 pleased to hear a few words from Mr. Smollinger. 



Mr. W. H. Smollinger: It is not necessary for me to tell you how 

 popular harness racing is when it is properly conducted, nor is it neces- 



