Copyright © 2019 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett
In 1913, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “Did an exhibition for the Dairy Show at the Coliseum, November 1st.”
Three Educational Expositions were held in Chicago during the fall of 1913, the National Dairy Show, the U. S. Land Exposition, and the International Live Stock Exposition (“Journal Gazette” Mattoon, Illinois 22 Oct. 1913, age 4). The National Dairy show was held from October 23 to November 1, with exhibits of milk, butter and cheese. Activities included judging cattle, instructive laboratory work, and discussions on problems of breeding, feeding and fitting dairy cattle. Dairy Association meetings were also held throughout the event at Chicago’s International Amphitheatre and the Union Stockyards; the stockyards included a coliseum. There were also a series of athletic events staged at the Chicago National Dairy Show, such as motorcycle polo (Joliet Evening Herald-News, 0 Dec. 1913, page 10).Very little is available about the Chicago Dairy beyond a few advertisements and some souvenirs for sale online, so it is difficult to know what was delivered by Sosman & Landis that year.
I did come across one entertaining article that described the milking championship at the 1913 Dairy Show. On October 30 ten dairymen contested for the milking championship of the world. Of the event, the “Indianapolis News” reported, “Milking Cow is an Art,” describing the event in detail(30 Oct 1913, page 18). The article reported, “Although in the aggregate they handle nearly two hundred thousand quarts of milk daily, not one of the contestants had milked a cow in the last twenty years, and several had never sat on a one-legged stool before, trying to soothe “bossie,” and hold the milk pail, drive off flies, dodge the cow’s tail, and milk. The first prize, a leather medal, big enough to half sole a pair of shoes, was won by S. C. Shedrick, of Buffalo, proprietor of the Queen City Dairy Company. S. O. Dungan, proprietor of Polk’s Sanitary Milk Company, of Indianapolis, won second prize, a glass of milk. While third honors went to John Bingham, president of the Ottawa Dairy Company, of Ottawa, Canada. Bingham started under a handicap. In the first place, he forgot which was the proper side to introduce himself to “boss” and was kicked to remind him of the breach of conventionalities. Later, when his pail was half full, he moved his one-legged stool and spilled the milk. John LeFeber, of Milwaukee, claimed fourth honors and clamored for a prize, although only three were offered. He said the cow selected for him did not know how to be milked.”
To be continued…
