NINETEENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART 11 63 



to compete for the prizes. In addition to the demonstration of 

 Hawkey e talent there was a fine collection of canvases loaned for 

 the occasion by the artists of Chicago and vicinity, also one from 

 Minneapolis presenting the work of Minnesota artists. A notable 

 feature of the exhibit was a group of seven characteristic studies 

 by J. Laurie Wallace, of Omaha. These loan exhibits are to be 

 commended as they serve to acquaint low^a people with the work 

 of artists in other centers and keep them in touch with the world 

 of things artistic. Those in charge of the exhibit insist that fair 

 visitors this year showed much more interest in this department 

 than ever before. Time was, not so very long ago, when the aver- 

 age lowan was too busy hustling bread and butter and lifting 

 mortgages to have given an exhibit of this character very much 

 consideration. 



A significant sidelight on things mechanical was the entire ab- 

 sence of buggies and carriages in connection with the machinery 

 exhibits. Not a single vehicle of that kind was to be seen. Horse- 

 drawn vehicles were limited to farm wagons and manure spreaders, 

 and the farm truck is boldly pushing the first named to the rear. 

 A few years more and the farm wagon, like the buggies, will have 

 been eliminated from such shows, depending on the progress made 

 in road building. 



The auto show, for obvious reasons, was not up to the shows of 

 1917 and 1916, so far as numbers went. Farm trucks were in evi- 

 dence and helped to make up for the lack of pleasure cars. The 

 real auto show, and it was a mighty one, was spread all over the 

 grounds. It is assuming stupendous proportions. What to do with 

 it in the future is a problem that is giving the fair officials grave 

 concern. The tract of ground east of the race track set aside a few 

 vears ago for auto-parking purposes is ridiculously inadequate. 

 The overflow fills every available nook and corner of the grounds. 

 Grand Avenue, Rock Island Avenue and other thoroughfares were 

 thickly lined on both sides with cars. The woods on the hills east 

 of the main buildings were literally full of them. They stood 

 thicker than the trees. More than 44,000 cars passed through the 

 gates during the fair. During the busy hours of entrance and 

 again at departure following the afternoon and evening programs 

 the congestion at the gates was so great that it taxed the best efforts 

 of a big force of traffic officers. 



A record-breaking crowd assembled on Thursday to welcome 

 tlie "Flying Circus" of war planes due to arrive from Kansas 



