EIGHTEENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK — PART IH 133 



he went out judging in July and judged until the fair season was over, 

 and he said Adair county had the best exhibit of hogs of any fair that 

 he had attended, outside of the state fair; and that, gentlemen, was sim- 

 ply because we went and asked them to come and participate in the fair 

 and bring their stuff to exhibit. 



Another thing that helped to build up our fair was we never promised 

 any concession man, or any horseman, or any exhibitor anything that 

 we didn't iigure on fulfilling. If we said, "John, we'll use so-and-so, no 

 matter what it costs," we would absolutely abide by our agreement. 



Another point is fair treatment to the exhibitor, the concession man, 

 and the horseman. When I read the account relating how Mr. Lauer had 

 banqueted his concession men, I said, "I'll take off my hat to you," and in 

 a conversation with the Mt. Pleasant man he said, "We banqueted about 

 350 horsemen," I said, "I'll take off my hat to you, too," because they had 

 never done a better thing in their life. Gentlemen, you are not buying 

 any better amusement or any better attractions than when you spend three 

 or four dollars to get Mr. Horseman to come out to the races. When the 

 bell taps at half past one, go look in your Midway, and on the race track, 

 and in the grand stand, and see where the people are. When Mr. Free- 

 act man comes out and sets up on your center field and says, "We've got 

 to get a tent for a dressing-room," you get him one and it's all right, and 

 you never charge him a cent; but when Mr. Horseman comes in there's 

 nobody to care for him, the track has not been cleaned up since last year, 

 he is charged $2 stall rent, a man comes in and holds him up for hay, the 

 drayman jumps the price of draying 50 per cent, and the auto man hauls 

 him out and holds him up — why? because he is not a free-attraction man, 

 Or anything of that kind. You are paying your free-attraction man $1,200, 

 he takes the $1,200 and goes home with it; but you pay the horseman 

 $1,200 and the town gets 40 per cent of it back again. And I say, treat 

 these men all alike hereafter. 



Another thing that we have is a loving-cup proposition, or prize cup. 

 We went to the banks — we have three — and each one of the banks gave 

 us a cup worth about $25. We had three large cups and we offered them 

 for the best cow or heifer, the best sow or colt, and the other for the best 

 horse or bull, and any one winning a cup twice in succession would hold 

 it permanently. The rivalry developed among the breeders there has been 

 an inspiration and incentive to them to improve their stock, and has been 

 of advantage to us in getting out the exhibits. Last year the Duroc- Jersey's 

 won it; this year it was a battle between the Durocs and the Poland 

 China's, and then it centered on the Poland China's, and then among the 

 men of that breed there was competition until the winner was chosen. 

 In the cow class, the Angus man won the cup last year and again this 

 year, so that next year we will have to get another cup. Our cups given 

 by the banks have been one of the best events that we have ever pulled 

 olf in the county fair. 



Another thought I would like to have you take up is the 50 cent 

 ticket. We charge 50 cents at the gate and that takes you in everywhere, 

 except that we charge 15 cents at the grand stand; but 50 cents is charged 

 at the gate for one ticket. You are not held up here and there after you 

 get into the ground; you just pay your price at the gate and that takes you 



