OBSERVATIONS ON EASTERN FARMERS AND EASTERN FAIRS. 



IOWA. 



Mr. J. C. Simpson is the efficient secretary of the Iowa State Agri- 

 cultural Society and G. C. Fuller his able assistant. These gentlemen 

 gave me their time during my visit to Des Moines and extended every 

 facility for acquiring information regarding their work. Their offices 

 are in the capitol building. Iowa has a very strong State Agricultural 

 Society, and holds large and profitable fairs. Their attendance and 

 cash receipts are not equal to those of Minnesota, but Des Moines, the 

 city at which their fair is held, has only 75,000 people as against nearly 

 half a million people in the cities bordering the Minnesota fair grounds. 

 This may largely account for the difference in attendance. All their 

 buildings and attractions are in one inclosure. Their general admission 

 is 50 cents until 5 o'clock p. M V after that 25 cents, grand stand 25 cents, 

 bleachers 15 cents, reserved seats in grand stand 50 cents. They make 

 a strong feature of vaudeville and other special attractions, especially 

 for evening entertainment, when they resell their grand stand seats 

 for more than enough to pay the performers. 



They get only $1,000 a year from the State, which goes toward their 

 insurance. The Society is and has been self-supporting, except in the 

 matter of an occasional special appropriation for buildings, etc. It 

 has eleven directors, one from each congressional district in the .State, 

 and they are elected by the representatives of a State Agricultural 

 Convention composed of delegates chosen by County Agricultural 

 Societies and other farmers' organizations. No party consideration 

 enters into the choice of directors, the conditions being that the candi- 

 date must be a resident of the congressional district in which the 

 vacancy occurs and qualified for the special duties he is supposed to 

 assume. Each director is superintendent of a department, and the 

 candidate must be qualified to superintend the department his prede- 

 cessor is about to vacate. In getting up the annual fairs each director 

 is held largely responsible for the success of his department, and while 

 this involves some work and hustle on the part of directors it insures 

 good fairs and proportionately large gate receipts. 



The Society gives a race program each day, devoted largely to harness 

 horses. Out of four races a day they have one for runners, and while 

 their largest purse for runners is $150, their largest purse for harness 

 horses is $1,000. The conditions are the same for running and harness 

 races, five per cent to enter and five per cent of the winnings. Their 

 total purses this year amounted to $9,000, while from privileges alone 

 they took in $16,000. Their total receipts this year from all sources 

 were $111,767, and their total expenses $73,511, leaving a balance on the 

 profit side of the ledger of $38,256. They permit no pool-selling, no 

 book-making, no strong drinks, no games of chance, and no concessions 



