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Midway. Nobody ever got trampled inspecting a colt in the Horse Barn. But last week many a toe got stepped on while its owner ogled a filly named Jade Rhodora in that brawling half-moon of tents pitched east of the race track. Strip-Dancer Rhodora, who overnight became Des Moines' Sally Rand, took it all in the right spirit, announcing: "I wouldn't do a strip dance in a night club. ... I wouldn't do it at a stag affair either. This is different. The people are really good folks. They don't get to see much of this sort of thing and they get a thrill out of it."
There were plenty more thrills on the Midway, most of whose barkers solemnly swore that their shows were "right from the Century of Progress." "The Classics of 1935" offered for view a bevy of young women whom the barker introduced thus through his loudspeaker: "Ten little beauties, ten little models, undraped, unveiled and unashamed. . . . Human beauty in all its splendor and glory. . . ."
Not far away was a pitch arranged as a series of port holes. Signs peremptorily warned: CHILDREN UNDER 16 NOT ADMITTED and IF YOU CAN'T TAKE IT, DON'T COME IN. Those who could take it found displayed behind the portholes a collection of "art studies" clipped from smutty magazines, a picture of a sail boat and a view of "the execution of six by Chinese bandits."
On the non-sexual side, the Midway offered such attractions as a "jungle show" with some lions, "Percilla" the Monkey Girl and John Dillinger's father. In a permanent Old Mill shy bumpkins could kiss their rustic belles in the dark.
Spectacles. Meantime, for ten days and nights, the rest of the Fair Grounds was a whirlwind of exciting spectacles. The State amateur baseball championship was settled, while 4-H Club teams grunted through their Kittenball tournament. Back of the Live Stock building fiddlers squeaked in competition, while young men in knitted shirts pitched championship horseshoes. The Fair offered no greater sight than the team pulling contest. The first time F. F. Martin of Bridgewater tried to hitch his huge draft horses to the pulling machine (a truck rigged backwards) the beasts took fright when the doubletree dropped against their heels, tossed Owner Martin, bolted into the crowd. The next time they struck the earth with their hoofs until it trembled, tugged the truck down the course in short order to win the event.
Like the live stock exhibitors and carnival people, the trotting racers and speed car drivers make all the Fairs. Nowadays the auto races are three times as popular as the trotters, for the artful speedsters have learned to go through fences without injury, are able to provide a breath-taking accident almost every race. Most hairraising spectacle of all was provided last week by Daredevil "Clem" Sohnn "the bat man," who thrice ascended in an airplane, thrice leaped out in midair, soaring and looping toward earth on his canvas wings (TIME, March 11).