FIFTEENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART IV 267 



The decrease in attendance Monday and Tuesday can probably be laid 

 to the weather. Rain Friday night and cloudy weather on Saturday no 

 doubt held back many who had made their plans to come. Then came 

 the storm Monday night, acompanied by a high wind, which did con- 

 siderable damage to the larger tents. Sensational reports went out over 

 the state, some of them to the effect that there had been a cyclone at 

 Des Moines, and many of the principal fair ground buildings had been 

 demolished. Many telegrams and long distance calls came from anxious 

 friends at home who feared for the safety of their people at the fair. 

 As a matter of fact, there was not a day of bad weather during the fair. 

 Tuesday morning was cloudy and threatening, but the skies cleared and 

 the days following were ideal. 



The city of Des Moines took care of the fair visitors in a manner 

 which left no reason for complaint. Two information bureaus were 

 maintained, one on each side of the river, where courteous clerks fur- 

 nished information of all kinds, and assigned rooms in desirable houses 

 to all who wished them. The hotels and cafes took care of their guests 

 at reasonable rates, and the citizens generally took pains to make the 

 visitors comfortable and happy. In years past a few editors of county 

 papers have tried to make it appear that Des Moines has taken advan- 

 tage of the fair crowds to impose unreasonable prices. If there ever 

 was foundation for this complaint, it was destroyed many years since. 



There were no indications of hard times among the people who came 

 to Des Moines. Everybody was cheerful, optimistic, and thankful that 

 he lived in a country of peace and plenty. As to the Iowa corn crop, 

 the greatest variety of opinion was expressed. Men from the southeastern 

 counties complained of serious damage. One farmer said that in his 

 county there were two or three good townships with prospects of over 

 forty-five bushels per acre, but that most of the county would average 

 under thirty bushels. Many reported that corn on clover sod fall plowed 

 was the worst hurt. The northern part of the state seems generally good, 

 although for the most part not up to last year. Several southern Iowa 

 farmers were looking for a chance to buy corn in the north to ship home. 



From the talk at the fair grounds, we judge that there will be a 

 large seeding of winter wheat this fall. The cattle feeding situation did 

 not appeal to most of the farmers with whom we talked. Some said that 

 it was hard enough to make money out of 70-cent corn when fed to hogs, 

 but that such corn fed to cattle meant sure loss. Many reported the 

 sale of six-month calves at $30 to $35. The general impression given by 

 talking with the average Iowa farmer is that of a prosperous man who 

 has sized up his situation carefully. He may not know much about the 

 science of agriculture, and it is good for him to brush up on that, but 

 he is "right there' when it comes to the common sense of farming. 



