The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1866-05-12
Agricultural Societies uujs Fairs.


.Mess,s Editors: have long thought that
IN article on county Agricultural Societies
sad Fairs, would De interesting to your
readers, and vast good to the cause of our
fairs could we have good one. Nov con.
Tossing my willingness u begin = defense Of
these, let me cal! the attention Of my brother
farmers c0laborers in agricultural fairs, &c,
Ia = few items of deep interest to all
The legitimate object Of these soc cites and
their annual fairs is, to disseminate know
ledge-the useful. the pleasant and the agree
abie--among all trades, professions sul
employments. The only people injured by
them are those who are too lazy to work, toe
indoleut to think, and too proud to beg, all
persons who add nothing to the general stock
Of good in art, science, or general occuPa-
tions.
The motion Of these societies which have
JUS, begun. their work in it. infancy, their
influence for good /, just beginning to be
felt.
But, as in oden times, when the sons OF
God presented themselves before the Lord,
Satan came also: even SO is it now. These
very fellows who do nothing, produce moths
ing and think in blank, are swarmin- at our
fair. like the locusts Of Egypt, and threaten
to devour every green thing. Ihev come in
the shape Of gamblers to bet, play tricks.
and seduce young men into crime. at rour
trot,ing matches and horse rings. They are
foun nd with yoIr side shows, exhibiting fit
women ahd monstrosities IN the shape OF
long bearded men and idiotic chil!rea, whom
shey call dwarfs-
Now the question is, shall the rirtuous or
the satanic influence rule? Good and christ
ian people are already seriously inIuitjrg 2
whether they ought to ard, by their presence
and influence, the prostitution of these agr!-
cultural gatherings, or abandon them at
once.
Itmay come to be an important question,
which ought to be done? Shall christian
men give up these yearly festivals, or so to
double their efforts as to make their influence
felt and acknowledged ?
A few years since. AMI all our gatherings,
from the child's pic mic to the celebration OF
our national anniversary, were much under
the influence Of evil. Now we are rejoiced
to know that the Lords children may eat
strawberries ard cream, and shout for Union.
berty and equality, withou: running the
gauntlet of sectarian accommodation
No one doubts the utility of Agricultural
Societies AMI Fairs; but it may be seriously :
d,ubted whether their usefulness may not
very soon, as things are tending, be over>
shadowed by the evil and abuse. 1t is quite
Impossible t. visit any of our Stale or County
Fairs without noticing the undue prominence
given to our horse shows, t:ottir g matchesi
gambling, side betting, &c.
The writer would be the last man to
depreciate the horse, or his noble and gen"
erous qualities. From the days of the
Arabian patriarch till now, his neck is cloth
cd with the thundsrtiash yet in civilized
and enlightened communities the horse does
not occupy the highest rank in usefulness
among domestic animals. Why, then, should
our agricultural fairs be turned into horse
shows, and wherefore the necessity Of the
unm:tigated nuisance of side shows and
drinking saloons?
Once more, Kessrs Editors, there is both
An inside and outside view to be taken oil
our fairs. When properly conducted, they
may be, and should be. .hoice places OF
socisblity. pleasure and renown. Some oi
our scribes seem to pride themselves on the
fact, that no outsreahing conduct and intoXi-
cation are seen on our grounds. This Is not
enough We must strive to so manage them
that we shall have the choicest of IN joyments
conversation, meeting of friends and exami-
nation of best and rarest specimens of arts
and workshops, and the domestic animals
should ell have ample scope and sutiicien;
reward.
Then will these yearly carnivals go foith
eonquering and to conquer, till it will be
almost literally true that ths wilderness AND
solitary places shall be glad for them. and
the desert shall blossom as the rose.
On the other hand, shall christian people
abandon these societies driven away by ths
improprieties and mismanagement of then
Affairs, they will in some degree become like
the cities of the plain not having ten righ
teous men left in them, they viii be ft fol
destruction.
therefore counsel all good and true men
who know how important it is to have FIN,
stock, GO d supplements and good husbandry