A POULTRY SHOW IN MULLEN
Although March of 1926 was rather an uncomfortable day to hold a poultry show, fully 2,000 people were present in Mullen to greet the Burlington Special Poultry Train when it pulled in at 1:30. The Band struck up an air that put the spice of life into the vast throng and started everything to going. They led the march to the opera house where within a few minutes the interesting program of the day got underway.
A.G. Humphrey, chairman of the village board, made a short welcoming address, after which C.C. Campbell introduced F.L. Taylor, assistant agricultural agent of the Bur-lington, and with a few introductory remarks, Mr. Taylor discussed poultry. There was a judging of 25 or more exhibits. These were carefully judged by officials of the State Agricultural Department. Mrs. John Vinton won the 1st prize of $5 given by The Citizens State Bank. Mrs. E.C. Pickett won the $3 given by W.H. Wigent for 2nd place. The 3rd prize given by the City Barber Shop, went to Mrs. A.R. Olson and the last prize of $1.50 given by M.M. Peterson went to Maxine Garrett. There were 6 prizes given by Senk Merc. Co. for the best essays on Poultry by Grade School pupils, awarded in the order given as follows: Inez O'Brien, Altha Burnett, Berniece Canida, Velma Pickett, Lenore Dietrich, Chester Campbell and – ? Wines-teer.
More than 1,740 people passed through the special train to view the exhibit and the special talks of those in charge. The Commer-cial Club was instrumental in bringing the exhibits to Mullen.
A free show started at 7:30, after which the dance, men's beauty contest and the old fiddler's contest were held. A special prize was given by C.C. Campbell and also J.J. Motl to the winners of the Men's contest; a pair of silk “bloomers'' and a bottle of perfume. These were won by B.G. Eivins Jr. and Dr. Walker.
The winners of the Old Fiddlers contest was won by Wm Stierlen, a $5 pair of shoes by the Sand Hills Commercial Co. Frank LeLaCheur a purebred Barred Rock Rooster by Otto Pearson. G.W. Johnson a $2.25 throw rope by Steve Yagadich. Albert Berzina and G.A. Johnson each $1.50. The 2 prizes offered by Motl's Drug Store for the 2 best cartoons drawn by Mullen High School and Grade School were won by David Walker of High School and the 2nd & 3rd grade of the Revere School near Hecla, Nebraska.
The dance broke up at 2 o'clock in the morning. It was the largest crowd ever gathered in the opera house. The $3 picture offered by Dave Wright to the party deliv-ering the greatest number of pounds of butter fat to his station on poultry day was carried off by Tom Kyser.