126 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



IOWA STATE FAIR AND EXPOSITION. 



The Iowa State Fair and Exposition, wliich was held in Des Moines, 

 August 26th-September 4th, inclusive, set new high water marks and was 

 more successful in many respects than any of the preceding fairs. We 

 can truthfully say, without fear of successful contradiction, that it was 

 the greatest live stock show that has been held, or will be held, in America 

 this year. It was complete in all its various departments; educational 

 features were in the foreground. The music and amusement features 

 were the best that the management could secure. 



The agreement the management has had with the weather man for the 

 past four or five years evidently expired last year and was not renewed. 

 While the records of the weather office do not indicate there was an 

 excessive amount of rainfall during the period of the 1914 fair, never- 

 theless, with the exception of one or two days, the weather and atmos- 

 pheric conditions were not what you would call good, fair weather. We 

 had two general rains throughout the state; it was cloudy and threatened 

 rain a great deal of the time. The days, and especially the nights, were 

 quite chilly, so much so that it was uncomfortable for the people in the 

 grandstand during the night performances. This, however, did not affect 

 the exhibits, but did reduce the attendance quite materially. 



The management had anticipated a large attendance from the rural 

 districts and from cities and towns throughout the state by means of 

 automobiles. This, however, was made impossible on account of the 

 weather conditions and the condition of the roads during a greater portion 

 of the time. A general rain throughout the state on Thursday night of 

 the first week of the fair cut the automobile attendance on Friday and 

 Saturday, and the threatening weather on Monday and the rain and wind 

 storm on Monday night greatly reduced the attendance on Monday, Tues- 

 day and Wednesday. I find on Monday and Tuesday this year an average 

 of 1,800 automobiles passed through outside gates both days, while on 

 the same days a year ago approximately 3,000 passed through the gates 

 on each of these days. The windstorm on Monday night, which assumed 

 the proportions of a hurricane, demolished all temporary structures, such 

 as refreshment stands, tents, etc. It did not, however, damage to any 

 extent the permanent buildings, or the exhibits housed therein. News- 

 paper reports went out over the state the next morning to the effect that 

 the grounds were a complete wreck and that a number of the people 

 were killed on the grounds. This also had a tendency to reduce the 

 attendance on Tuesday, and possibly Wednesday, or until the newspapers 

 had time to correct these erroneous reports. 



The total attendance of the 1914 fair was 273,073, and in 1913 the total 

 attendance was 280,462, thus showing a decrease of 7,489 in the total at- 

 tendance during the entire period of the fair. The heavy falling off in 

 attendance came on Monday and Tuesday. Monday fell off 16,816; 

 Tuesday, 26,853. The falling off in attendance on these two days, how- 

 ever, was partially overcome on Wednesday and Thursday by an increased 

 attendance on these days over a year ago and by the attendance on Friday, 

 which was an added day this year devoted to auto races. 



