Wednesday, May 1, 1940
THE DAILY NEBRASKAN
5
History of Farmer's Fair tells
story of development thru 24 years
By Jean Lambert.
Farmer's Fair is no longer just
another activity. It is and has been
the crowning event on Ag campus
so long that it has become an in
stitution. Foralmost a quarter of
a century it has been the biggest
student-sponsored event in the uni
versity. There is some reason to look
back with pride and satisfaction
on the record of this time-tried ac
tivity, for Farmer's Fair has not
just come about by accident. It
has been the result of hard work,
ingenuity, and perseverance pitted
against no small number of ad
versities. It has survived a war
and a major business depression,
to say nothing of typical "Farm
er's Fair rains," which more
than once have almost become
blizzards.
First in 1916.
The first Fair was. staged back
in 1916 with L. A. Townsend as its
first Manager. The idea had been
borrowed from the ag college at
Missouri. As in many such innova
tions, the first year's show was
not a colossal success. That first
Fair board had to blaze new trails
and travel uncharted paths. They
even had the hard luck of drawing
a cold, rainy day for the initial
show. Despite these facts, though,
they did show to about 500 visitors.
Farmer's Fair had como through
the pangs of travail and birth.
In 1917 preliminary plans were
laid for another fair. Then in April
of that year the United States cast
her lot with the Allies. Farmer's
Fair activities were relinquished
for the more serious business of
making war. Many of the men of
the college of course left and were
called to training camps; others
had to return to the farms to pro
duce "food for the world." For
three years conditions were not in
the least conducive to such a non
bellicose activity as a Farmer's
Fair.
Resumed in 1920.
The school year 1919-20 came and
'with it came the return of many
of the A. E. F. boys. Peacetime
Activities were resumed. May of
1920 saw the second Farmer's Fair
planned and this time staged. The
management of the fair was
largely in the hands of the ex
service men. This second effort
proved much more successful than
the first, and as a result Farmer's
Fair gained a nice foothold.
In 1921 and 1922 rain dampened
the fair's operation to some extent,
but each year saw the fair expand
its program and its reputation. In
1921 the first "tanking" occurred,
and this same year the Wild West
bhow was added to the program. It was in 1923, when the Fair
The first pageant was put on by Board with memories of rainy
me Jiome a.c girls in 1922. It was days the two preceding years de-
Imported Mexican
HuaiacHcs
Only ZapotecanMcxican Indian
k weave thin aturdy, comfortable
and am art looking flat heel
huarache from atrip of atwr
hide leather. Do not ronfuae thin
shape-holding huararhn with
soft-woven huararhen . . . mark
ing in the leather are quaint
designs and every pair has dif
ferent weave designs.
IDEAL fr SPORT r not PK WEAR
SIZES : ALL SIZES AND
WIDTHS FOIt MEN. WOMEN,
(JIKLS AND CHILDREN.
COI.ORl N.tur.l btlft ttMrhidr. '
PERFECT FIT 11Y MAIL
Mail orders filled anywhere. Add
20c postage, ('hock and money
orders accepted. WE ALSO
Mill' C. O. D. ... HOW TO
ORDER: Mention size and width
of shoes now wearing, or send
outline of foot, both if possible.
We have remarkable success
fitting huarache by mail.
However, we make necessary
exchanges.
quite large proportions. Tents,
stands, and bleachers were spread
over much of the campus. To
handle a crowd of eight to ten
thousand people, though, required
a lot of space.
Rain again.
It was in 1923, when the
also 1922 when admission to the
fair was first charged.
By 1923 the fair had assumed
Home ec schedule -
11:00
Dressing the Salad, Foods
Laboratory.
Flower Arrangement, Design
Studio.
Fine Points of Pressing, Tex
tiles Laboratory.
11:30
Card Weaving, Design Studio.
Stain Removal, Textiles Lab
oratory. Draping, Clothing Labora
tory. 12:00
Slip Cover Finishes, Design
Studio.
Textile Testing, Textiles Lab
oratory. 2:30
Around the Clock with Rice,
Foods Laboratory.
Fine Points o Home Press
ing, Textiles Laboratory.
3:00
Card Weaving, Design Studio.
Stain Removal, Textiles Lab
oratory. Give the Cushion a Break,
Design Studio.
3:30
Slip Cover Finishes, Design
Studio.
Textile Testing, Textiles Lab
oratory. 4:00
Good Cakes Made with Lard,
Foods Laboratory.
Flower Arrangement, Design
Studio.
4:30
Give the Cushion a Break,
Design Studio.
Draping, Clothing Laboratory.
5:00
Fine Points of Home Press
ing, Textiles Laboratory.
Card Weaving, Design Studio.
Peterson tells
teachers of ag
English courses
"Business English for Students
of Agriculture" was the title of
the address given by Professor
M. S. Peterson of the department
of Engilsh on the agricultural col
lege campus at the meeting Sat
urday of the newly organized
Association of Teachers of Busi
ness English in Nebraska Colleges.
Peterson stated that a survey he
made recently showed that the
average Nebraska farmer writes
about thirty business letters a
month. Because of this Peterson
stressed that the farmer needs in
struction in practical uses of Eng
lish. He also described the new
course in scientific writing which
is to be introduced next semester.
Miss Mamie Meredith of the de
partment of English at the univer
sity is corresponding secretary of
the organization.
Chemists go to
ACS convention
Three members of the chemistry
faculty attended the convention of
the American Chemical Society
held in Cincinnati, Ohio. Dr. C. S.
Hamilton, Dr. B. Clifford Hend
ricks, and Dr. T. J. Thompson,
dean of student affairs and a
teacher in the chemistry depart
ment, represented the University.
Chris Keim, Lincoln graduate stu
dent also attended.
Dr. Hamilton, chairman of .the
chemistry department, presided
over the meetings of the organic
division. Dr. Hendricks read a
paper on examinations before the
education section of the meeting.
cided to insure against bad
weather. They got coverage up to
10 p. m., but the weather man
played them another rather dirty
trick. Clouds formed in the eve
ning, and at about 10:10 p. m. rain
started to fall, routing most of the
evening crowd, losing most of the
revenue from the night's entertain
ment, besides depriving the man
agement of their insurance indem
nity by a bare ten minutes.
Nineteen twenty-four is pointed
to as the most prosperous year in
all the fair's history. Ten thousand
people attended. One thousand dol
lar profits were declared. For the
first time the exhibits were housed
under a single "big top" which
covered a space 70 by 100 feet.
The day's entertainment was a
huge success in all respects.
The 1925 Fair was dampened to
some extent by a big rain on the
preceding night. Eight thousand
people were in attendance how
ever. In 1926 the big event of the Fair
was the horse show, which was the
first of its kind to have been
staged in Lincoln.
The new Activities Building was
used in the 1927 Fair. That year
the Style Show was added to the
list of attractions.
In 1928 the horse show was
again the star event of the pro
gram. Riding contest.
The intersorority riding contest
was a new event in the 1929 show
and proved to be such a success
that it was -continued"" in following
years. Kappa Kappa Gamma was
the winner in each of the first two
years.
Nineteen-thirty was another red
letter year as far as crowd was
concerned. 12,000 passed through
the gates that day. The pageant,
entitled "Mother ' Goose Day,"
seemed to be one of the outstand
ing events on the program.
In 1930, apparently, the effect
of the 1929 boom days had not
not worn off, and people had not
begun to feel the pinch of the de
pression that was soon to follow.
Nineteen thirty-one, however, was
a different story. Money was be
coming scarcer, the college enroll
ment was falling off, and there
was a general spirit of dissatisfac
tion and gloom. The "Snorpheum,"
men-sponsored theatrical perform
ance of long standing, was discon
tinued. Other events of the Fair
were also deleted from the pro
gram. The Fair along with other
enterprises fell prey to the busi
ness depression. In 1932 the parade
had to be discontinued because of
the cost involved. Since that time
it has been uphill business, putting
on a Fair. It has been a task which
has challenged the best in the stu
dents of the college. They have
risen to the occasion admirably,
however.
Revival of interest.
With larger enrollments, a gen
eral revival of interest, and some
what better business conditions the
Fair has forged ahead again In the
past two or three years. Last year,
1939, for the first time in several
years the Fair realized a profit.
Now we look forward to another
Farmer's Fair, the twenty-second
one, with faith that it will be an
other of which the student body
can be proud. This year, as In
every previous year, three man ob
jectives of the Fair will be fore
most. They are: (1) advertisement
of what Ag College has to offer,
(2) building and strengthening
friendships, and (3) development
of leadership and co-operative ef
fort. Let's hope old Sol shines on Us
next Saturday.
Get Set For The Dance
Jo In Your "Jkovcric'' with
one of our individual liair stylos
Correll's Beauty Shop
228 No. 13 Ph. 2-2936
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