196 ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION 



your right hand — each and all of you — and swear that you filled 

 it out without assistance of anyone. Do you remember?" 



Hundreds of heads nodded in the affirmative, and then Prof. 

 Muckelroy, with the aid of several assistants, began dealing out 

 the score cards. Two long lines of flushed and eager faces were 

 drawn up before him — ^one for the girls and one for boys — and 

 a short time later the youngsters with all the seriousness of pro- 

 fessionals were examining the dairy cattle hned up for their in- 

 spection, and transferring their impressions to the score charts. 



Many a little girl's heart fluttered and many a boy's fingers 

 got cramps as they stopped long enough in their work now and 

 then, to cast furtive glances towards the spot where ''Bob" and 

 ''Kate," all unconscious of the flurry they were causing, weiV 

 quietly munching their luncheon of alfalfa hay and ground feed. 



The "grown-ups" apparently were just as much excited over 

 the situation as the children. Of all those who were intent on 

 following the movements of the children, none showed keener 

 appreciation than President Smith of the New York Central 

 Lines, donor of the two prize calves, who stood near by with a 

 group of friends. 



An occasional remark showed the interest he was taking. 



"They're the spryest lot of youngsters I ever saw," he said 

 "and the best of it all is they seem to know just what they are 

 about. It will be a close contest." 



His eyes twinkled as he followed the contest with a rapid 

 series of comments, seeming to take in the work of each indi- 

 vidual boy and girl with a sweep of his glance. 



First To Arrive on Time. 



The first delegation to arrive in town was the one from 

 Albion. Many of the members brushed aside the train crew and 

 leaped from the steps in order to gain the honor of reaching th« 

 platform first. 



The first farmer in town was Joel Tompkins, who drove ten 

 miles in a buckboard with his wife and two daughters and ar- 

 rived at the court house square at 6 a. m. 



