FIRST LADY MAKES NEW FRIENDS HERE

Rob Landgraf stood nervously in the Show Tent at the SEMO District Fair as First Lady Barbara Bush presented him a purple ribbon.

The 13-year-old Jackson 4-Her had a tight rein on his champion Brown Swiss heifer calf, but that didn't stop the calf from mooing during Bush's comments, especially in response to her remark concerning beef trade to Japan.

"She was saying encore," Landgraf translated after Bush left.

Bush spent just under an hour at the Fair. She talked with a crowd of mostly senior citizens at the R&R Tent and then presented ribbons to youngsters from Future Farmers of America and 4-H competitions at the Show Tent.

Landgraf, obviously elated over his brush with fame, said: "I was afraid I would just be in shock, but once she got here I wasn't too nervous. She looks younger than I thought she would."

Landgraf and the others selected to meet Bush didn't find out they had been selected until Wednesday, some about 15 minutes before she arrived.

"I was kind of in shock," said Nathan Adams, a sophomore from Jackson, who received his grand champion ribbon in FFA dairy from Bush.

Adams' mother, Nancy, who was cheering in the stands, said: "This is very exciting to have a son participate in something like this, the only time in Cape. We're real proud of all those students."

David Wells, FFA adviser at Jackson High School, served as emcee for Bush's visit to the agricultural tent. He helped select the youngsters to meet the first lady, and explained that the White House had set the guidelines.

"They wanted a lot of involvement with Mrs. Bush and the youth. They wanted a good photo opportunity with animals that are easy to control in the ring and those with the best appearance," Wells explained. Cattle were selected.

"We tried to pick a balance of 4-H and FFA boys and girls," he said.

"I think this was an opportunity of a lifetime, not just for the students but also for me," Wells said.

Before Bush's arrival, Wells, who shared the podium with her, was instructed to hold her microphone as she read prepared remarks.

"But she held the mike and opened the notebook," Wells said. She didn't read what was inside.

After her impromptu comments, Bush tucked the microphone behind her back and whispered to Wells. Wells related that she said: "`I was supposed to read what was in this notebook, but it didn't sound right. Did I do okay?'"

While the FFA and 4-H competitors were at the Fair Wednesday anyway, thousands of other people packed the fairgrounds just to get a glimpse of Bush.

Brenda Hasty arrived too late for a seat inside the R&R tent, but managed a front row spot near where Bush entered and left the tent. As the first lady was leaving the R&R Tent on her way to the Show Tent, Hasty began shouting: "We love you, Barbara. We love you, Mrs. Bush."

Her shouts captured Bush's attention and she made her way through the Secret Service agents to shake Hasty's hand.

"I think a lot of her family values, and I just wanted her to know that we love her," Hasty said, breathless with excitement. "My voice is loud, I guess. This is very exciting. She's much prettier than what she is on TV."

Standing next to Hasty near Bush's exit route were students from The College School of Webster Groves. The youngsters were in Cape Girardeau doing a research project on the Fair and discovered the added treat of Bush's visit. Thanks to Hasty's remarks, the youngsters all had a chance to shake Bush's hand.

"We're little," said Stephanie Cranston, a fifth-grader at the school near St. Louis. "We could squeeze through the crowd and get up close."

Seated front and center in the R&R tent were Freda Graham and Vivian Hart, both of Fredericktown. The two had arrived at the fairgrounds shortly after 10 a.m. Wednesday to ensure a good seat. They sat in the stifling heat for four hours waiting to see Bush.

Hart said: "The only reason we came today was to see Barbara Bush. I love her, I really do. She just seems like the lady next door. I've never seen her before, but I always vote that ticket."

The ladies were actually seated on the second row of chairs. Graham explained, "We had front-row seats, but they told us those seats were reserved and we had to move."

Ruby Stearns of Millersville also was seated in row two. "I wanted to see her because I'm a Republican. I'm going to be 79 years old. I may never get another chance."

Actually, she came at the request of her granddaughter. "She wanted to come so bad, but she is in school. My granddaughter sent a picture for me to try to get Mrs. Bush to autograph."

Reva Sample, who said she is "just about" 89, arrived at the fairgrounds at 12:30 p.m. to see Bush. "She's a wonderful lady. I love her. And George Bush is my pick."

Sample said she attended the Bush-Quayle inauguration. "But I never got this close to her. She is such a nice lady."

Bush rode from the R&R Tent at the northern end of the Fair to the Show Tent at the southern end on one of the Fair's trams. Escorting her were seven somewhat nervous officers of the Jackson FFA.

Jeff Peters, president of the club, said: "We found out Monday we'd be over here with her. We found out this morning that we would be riding with her."

Brad Pittman said he thought they were chosen for the duty because their adviser, Wells, was emceeing a portion of Bush's visit. But Chris Jones said, "Not to mention, we're the best FFA chapter."

As the young men waited for their brief ride, they debated what they should do. At the end of the ride, Peters said their worry was for nothing. "We didn't get a chance to say anything."

Horace Hitt, a member of the Fair board who several years ago helped construct the tram, had the honor of driving Bush on the tram. "Slow and careful," he said had been his instructions.

Joyce Brown of Perryville had purchased a bouquet of roses to present Bush, but Secret Service agents told her she wouldn't be allowed to give her the flowers.

"We are with Missouri Right to Life," she said. "I was going to give her these flowers to tell her thanks for all she has done."

Fifth- and sixth-grade students from St. Joseph Catholic School in Scott City had a field trip to the Fair to see Bush.

"We hardly ever get to see her," said fifth-grader Donnie Wiley.

Sixth-grader Sarah Amrhein had made a sign saying, "Welcome Mrs. Bush from St. Joseph 6th grade."

"We wanted her to notice us and why we're here," said Amrhein. "This is probably our only chance to meet her."

Not everyone at the Fair Wednesday was a Bush supporter. A mule wearing a sign for the Clinton-Gore ticket was paraded through the fairgrounds as the first lady left. Several Perot signs were displayed and one man held a sign that read, "Another day, another billion dollars in debt."

But most people seemed pleased at the chance to see Bush. Aleene Sander of Jackson and her 4-year-old grandson, Sam Sander, stood outside the R&R Tent decked out with stickers and signs. Aleene Sander even made a headband of a bumper sticker.

"I decided to bring Sam. He's known who the president is since he was 2 years old," she said, as Sam nodded shyly. "We made signs and got in the spirit of this. It's a lot of fun."