Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1859-07-29
Farmer"

We have given place tn the comm MICA
ton of Farmer because he raises some OBJ
iections to the doings of the Trustees at their
late meeting which may he entertained hy
others, and which ought to be met With
out claiming to be the champion by authori-
y,ot the Society, or the Trustees, and only
being simply member of the Society, like
= Farmer We may be permitted to make a
ter &c
Last year, it required urge amount of
time gratutouSly rendered, as well as money,
to get the Society organized and i'll working
order. Ten persons, of which the writer
was one, pledged themselves to give. or to
raise three hundred dollars as a basis uron
which to offer premiums. Every single
member of the board of officers. from the
President to the Secretary, we think, made
one of this number. la addition t. this fire.
quent meetings wer. held, costing the Trus-
tees both money and time, and for which
they never received a cent The undertake
Ing was one Of that kind, of which 50 many
are willing to look on, and watch the pulse
which indicates either life or DEATH and
whichever way the indications are, they are
attracted or repealed. 1t 50 happened in
this case, that the patient that was so closely
watched, jumped into vigorous life, and now
1t has many friends who are willing to offer
advice, pay fee, lend helping hand, and
otherwise help the enterprise along. But
when assistance, and sympathy. and soris,
rather than words were needed, with too
many, mum was the word. There is moth
ing peculiar in all this. for such is the rule,
always. But we may add when the patience
and the ingenuity of the active friends were
severely tasked, because of the GOODNESS and
distrust of those who should have entered
into the enterprise with alacrity, it being
their peculiar privilege, the Engine compa-
MES of Ellsworth, stepped forward, raised a
hundred dollars by subscription among the
members, and permitted the Society to offer
this sum as coming from it, AMI to reap all
the benefit incidentally arising thcrefrom =
! The Engine trial WIS one Of the grand fea-
lures of the Exhibition. Because of it, hun
| dreds of persons came u the Show, who
might not otherwise, and mlny Of these
brought something to add to the general
stock. The funds Of the Speiety were aug
mented in consequence Of it: and thus the
Society was benefited many ways, and all
through the generosity n the Fire compa-
MES of Ellsworth. This year, these two com
panies, asked the Society t. appropriate
$500 for prizes for Engine trials. promising
at the same time to complete a certain work
on the Fair grounds. which will cost about
$780, and which otherwise the >rciety will
have to do. So that in reality, only 800,
Of the premiums comes from the funds of
the Society No one can regret the small
amount offered for Stock Ne, any more than
the Trustees; but this year they are fitting
up grounds for the Exhibition, fencing the
same, making the track for the race course;
all of which in the a .reyratc will amount to
a large sum; but they supposed that the
money appropriated for prizes for Engine
playing at the request OF those who assisted
so much in the time Of need, might return to
them again in the larger receipts on the Fair
grounds; and besides this, they did not care
to 50 act, as to lie under the charge Of ingrat-
tude
We do not care to discuss the propficty of
getting up those features in an Agricultural
Exhibition, which seem foreign to its purpc-
ses. We would as soon discuss the propric-
/ ty of Fairs, Levees. &c, and all the other
modern contrvances for raising money for
sustaining the preaching of the Gospel or
for charitable purposes.
In answer to the remark, that 'thosa who
dance should pay the fiddler" and that all
may see its applicability to Ellsworth, as it
is probably intended for this town, let a few
facts be stated
lst. Most of the gentlemen, whom Far
mer' speaks of as running ovid de ma
chine,'' are the business men of Ellsworth
and have paid their fee and become mem bers
Of the Society-theretore they help pay the
fiddler"
ID. There are more men in Ellsworth who
have become members of this Society by
paying their dollar, than in all the othe,
towns of the county-These therefore, "helE
pay the fiddler"
Sd. Ellsworth citizens this year, have sub.
scribed more than four hundred dollars as a
gratuity to the Society towards preparing
the grounds-these therefore, "help pay thu
fiddler"
4th. The Fire companies have offered
and will perform what they have promised
to make Improvements on the Society.
grounds which will cost about one hundred
dolars-this is helping to ''pay the fiddler. >
We do not care to extend our remark.
upon this point further, only to say, thai
the Trustees of the Society. both last ven,
and this, have acted 50 literally, and hay,
expended their time and money So generous
ly, that they should be shielded from an,
unehartable suspicious, CT unsenerous char
gas.
We have written this, not SO much to an
swer Farmer. as to undo any wrons O,
injurious impressions which might 20 abroat
in consequence Of his communication. w,
do not want "Flrmer,' or the pcople of III,