Tractor show is a big drawing card

From the Waitsburg Times, April 25, 1919

WALLA WALLA—Thousands of farmers with their families are in Walla Walla Attending the tractor and power farming demonstrations this week. The events are scheduled for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday with private and special exhibitions to take place Saturday and even next Sunday for some of the late comers. These tests, however, will not be official and have been especially arranged.

No event in the history of the West has proven the drawing card that the tractor show is. Not only farmers of Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana are here, but hundreds of business and real estate men and bankers have watched the demonstrations.

Walla Walla has been crowded all week with visitors. The Commercial Club’s housing committee has thousands of rooms listed, all hotels and restaurants have doubled their food supplies and their working forces—the result that the city is handling the crowds in fine shape.

Out at the demonstration grounds, near the heart of the city, all types of tractors and trucks are being demonstrated. Round-wheel and the caterpillar or track-laying type of tractors have received some severe tests on grades of from 10 to 70 per cent. Discing, harrowing, plowing and seeding by power farming methods have been a daily feature at the exhibition.

Acting Governor Hart, of Washington with heads of agricultural colleges and schools in Four states have witnessed the educational features of the big show. From Montana came a solid train of Pullman cars loaded with farmers. Under a great spread of canvas, larger than any traveling circus, accessories and power machines for the farm home are on display.