FIFTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK — PART VII. 681 



grounds. The traction gasoline engine has come to break the steam engine 

 union. Lighter in weight, costing less at first cost and costing less to run it, 

 doing away with the water and coal wagons, skilled engineer, and costing 

 nothing while not actually working, the gasoline traction engine should inter- 

 est the farmer as well as the thresherman. It stands the farmer well in hand 

 to get posted on this subject. He may save money when he threshes. 



There were many new things in gates and fences that it pays to investi- 

 gate. Just because the heavy board gate has done well is no reeson why 

 there is nothing better. 



The farmer no longer has to shovel his grain out of his wagon by hand. 

 What a backache it makes! He can get an elevator that will dump his load 

 and put it into the bin or crib in no time, and fill both fuller than by hand 

 shoveling. Maybe you didn't see those things. They were there. 



Many men will cut corn with a binder this fall. As usual the stubs will 

 stand about a foot high. These stubs will extract profanity from your lips as 

 you stumble over them shocking corn. Those stubs will be there when you 

 plow and cause trouble. But I saw an attachment at the fair that can be put 

 on the binder and cuts those stubs close to the ground, so that they will be 

 out of the way and sooner become rotted. 



These are but hints of the many useful things the farmer can get a chance 

 to investigate at the State fair. 



EVERYONE SEES THE RACES. 



After all has been said concerning what the farmer may learn, what he 

 ought to see at the fair, we must confess that there is but-one thing that 

 they all see when they go there. Everyone sees the races. What there is 

 about it that so universally attracts is beyond our comprehension. The 

 farmer does not raise race horses; he has no use for them on the farm. But 

 somehow he wants to see the race. He will stand all day in a frying sun, 

 stick his toes through the picket fence to catch a cross rail, lean over the 

 pickets and yell himself hoarse to see the horse race. The great amphi- 

 theater, seating five thousand or six thousand people, was crowded with 

 over eight thousand crazy specimens of humanity on Thursday, and every 

 foot of space around the track, inside and out, was packed with some more 

 of the same breed, just to see Dan Patch spin around the track. Each 

 person could only see the horse for^a few rods and the wh®le thing lasted but 

 a few seconds, but that crowd stood all the afternoon to get sight of a horse 

 that had a record. Can't understand it. 



Besides the races by professional race horses, there were some interest- 

 ing contests between fire company teams. Jack and Jack, supposed to be 

 the fastest fire team, received their share of applause. Speed is put to good 

 use when hitched to a fire wagon. 



The acrobatic performances of the Dunbars and Japanese troupes were 

 very entertaining. There were feats of skill and daring that made one's 

 heart stand still. There were feats of strength and coolheadedness that 



