■ Tc l?7 jfijjsjra 
NEW, YORK. SEPTEMBER 2. 1922 
f(^n.ro-) 
Oft; <• :.I 
Puhlislii'il liy Tlit> Rur:il Pub! Uluiig Co., 
3:;.’! \V. 3Qlh St.. New York. Prire One Hollar a Year. 
| Second-Class Matter .Tune 2ft. 1 8 7 r >. at the Post 
ctv York, N. 1'.. under the Act or March 3. 3379. 
How They Make a Successful County Fair 
When tin- goldeu-hued October 
Tells us we have time to spare, 
We’ll just hiteh up Buck ami Briudle, 
And whoa-haw-gee to (he fair. 
We will polo the ribs of yearlings. 
Listen to the Ideal of calves. 
Tumble over .nnmmn’s darlings, 
And get squeezed up into halves. 
I1E CHILDREN'S PART.—No oue around Hills¬ 
dale. Mich., asks the reason for theirs being one 
of the best and cleanest fairs in the country. What 
does surprise them is that other fairs are not up to 
their own county’s standard. The success of the 
fair may be due to each of a number of interesting 
features. Hillsdale Fair is, first of all. a children’s 
fair. Back in the hard times of the ’90s it is said 
by the writer would gladly have their big day com- 
•pare with School Day at Hillsdale. It is the event 
which makes the old young from association. Sun¬ 
rise would find the wagons in pre-automobile days 
well on their way. and the youngsters singing the 
“Fair Song." a folk-song known to boys and girls, 
two stanzas of which have been given above. “Uncle 
Sam will have a long ride.” some one remarked, as 
the prize, a few years ago, was awarded to a small 
rural school in a far corner of the county. Uncle 
Sam was the driver, the teacher was Miss Columbia, 
and the pupils were costumed to represent leading 
States. Michigan, of course, the most prominent. 
HIGH STANDARDS.—It would be safe to send 
dale Fair came. The same suave, diamond-bedecked 
faker, escorted by a deputy sheriff from the grounds, 
was hooted by the crowd. “Where are you going 
with the guy?" "To the cooler, of course," was the 
officer's reply. When asked why an airplane might 
not be featured as an attraction, and this was in the 
early days of. flight. Captain Terwilliger emphasized 
his opposition to anything out of the ordinai’y to 
attract a crowd. He had tried a ballooon ascension 
at one rime, but he felt that those who came to see 
the ascension did not come to see the fail’, and the 
money paid out for such features might better be 
added to premiums, to boys’ and girls’ work or to 
the Woman’s Congress, which is one of the outstand- 
.4 Bunch of 32 Beef Cattle Prepared for Show and Market by Club Boys and Girls of Hawkins County , Tennessee 
that school children gathered nuts to earn a few 
pc odes to buy decorations for their wagons The 
gi' on houghs were not quite sufficient, they thought, 
to place them high in the judges’ favor ’ Re- 
aged women and men look back to 9 u Day, 
always Tuesday of fair week, as the outstanding 
day in their lives. Captain C. E. Terwilli" ••• secre¬ 
tary of the fair, has annually given prizes for the 
best decorated wagon from the district schools of 
Hillsdale County. No oue knows the feeling of pride 
which the boys and girls have experienced as their 
ga.vly decorated wagons paraded before the grand 
stand on the Hillsdale fair grounds. Children gtv 
admitted free on School Day. Even Buckskin 1,1 . 
a show of the Wild West type, softened auti 
proved by suggestion of Captain Terwilliger, " 
its best in shooting and horseback riding for tf 
benefit of the boys and girls. 
A BIG DAY.—Hillsdale County people freely 
patronize the fair this day, and many fairs attended, 
the boy or girl alone to Hillsdale Fair. Captain 
Terwilliger is still a boy in spirit, and in spite of 
pressing duties takes greater interest in this than 
in later days during the fair. Captain Terwilliger 
insists that no games of chance shall have a place on 
the grounds. There are no knife blades or doll baby 
racks, with the almost impossible possibility of win¬ 
ning. three throws for a dime, lit fact the fair 
management is so critical that cigars are not given, 
bid pea nuts, gum and candy are only allowed, and 
L. a under genuine sporting conditions. Fakers 
•vi- mod to slip in. pull some easy money and get 
away. Every foot of the grounds is patrolled by 
deputised ouicers. The countenance and methods of 
...Main faker became familiar .the writer, having 
• oue or 'wo fairs preceding Hillsdale 
I don’t stand a ghost of a -’how at 
* * ’ -v ' • • over and see if I can 
slip ’’ d • 1 ■„ -eon. suite of assur¬ 
ance thsv ~ ' e to.v d. Hills¬ 
ing features of the fair. Several years before club 
work became popular throughout the country Hills¬ 
dale had a number of junior classes. The boy with 
his colt or pig, the girl with her calf or lamb, could 
be as important an exhibitor as the leading breeder 
of the county. Other classes were open—cooking, 
canning and baking. One boy 15 years of age, won 
first not only in the juvenile class, but also'in com¬ 
petition with the cakes submitted by the best women 
cooks in the county. 
FUTURE FARMERS.—Perhaps too much has 
been said about the hold the fair has on the young 
people. However, it is Captain Terwilliger’s opinion 
that they will become the future farmers and busi¬ 
ness people of the county, and he looks upon the fair 
as a sacred trust placed in Ids hands, which must be 
safeguarded. The fair has a feature which com¬ 
pares with the.field meets held among high schools. 
The boys prepare with as much eagerness for the 
races, jumping and games held at the fair as they 
