The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1867-12-09
OUR FAIR GROUNDS.

Programme for N ext Year...islectiOn
or Board OF Directors.
Pursuant 10 public notice the regular
annual meeting OF this association was
held ON Saturday afternoon, at three
o'clock, In the Council Chamber OF the
City Hall building. On motion WIN,
+. Peterson was called to the Chair. and
John Bishop appointed Secretary,
The President stated the business oil
the meeting 10 be the election OF Bonrd
OF Directors for the ensuing year, and
also 10 take into consideration the ways
and means necessary to carry out the
objects OF the association and make It's
operations prom0tive OF the best inter-
ests of the community.
Quite conversational discussion
took place among those present, us 10
how the joint interest OF the communi.
~ and the stockholders OF the AssocIa.
ton were 10 be best subserved. There
was conflicting opinion on this point,
Some held that using the grounds for
any other purpose than purely as an
whereat the products OF the farm and
the workshops were 10 be exhibited,
VIII In contraventiOn Of the original
organized. Others held that the modern
Idea OF shch u society was 10 revive,
under new name, the old and pOpu.
lar sport OF horse'racing. The people
were not supposed, now. a.1ays, to care
very much Tor large pumpkins, man.
moth turnips, or lnOnstrOus beets, as
actual experience showed they we've
attracted chiefly by an exhibition Of
| thHrn1ub hruH HnHguungh lNI,n s.,,.,
ton, therefore, for the Society to de.
to this understood popular preference,
or whether they would undertake TO
excite the same interest IN some other
and less Objectionable direction,
The general drift of opinion seemed
to be that 1t was not probable that such
an interest could be excited by what
was known as a purely Agricultural
and Mechanical fair-tbat Is, u fair al
which hor 'es and trials of their speed
were not made more or less OF promi.
nent feature. II was prevailing prac.
tice at all fHirs TO introduce this feature,
hlbitiUn Of fine horses. The original
idea in regard TO fairs was In u manner
pluyed out. Even those who objected
to the track" us leading phase OF the
fair, were comparatively indifferent to
any other programme. And It was
pretty certain, that II the Society uu.
dertOok 10 run the machine on the
purely vegetable and mechanical idea,
they would net Il loss instead of pro.
| tit At the close OF their exhibitions,
Those who favored the horse feature OF
the exhibition did not mean to be un-
dersto0d as approving of horse racing
or gambling. Their idea simply was
that In getting up and carrying on
Fair there must necessarily be some
thing TO attract people 10 the grounds,
Some come to see fine sheep, others
tine cnttle and hogs others, again, to
see displays Of mechanical urt IN the
way OF machinery, or In the way OF
skilled manufactures. There ought to
be rs great II variety as possible NO M
TO attract and satisfy the universal
public. But 1t was well known that n
great many people-in fact, most every
body-aduIired tine horses and enjoyed
seeing them move IN harness or under
the saddle. Tbs managers OF the Fair
could not, were they disposed, ignore
this popular taste, and while they
might regret that betting on trot
should at any time occur, yet that was
an Incident which the association could
not provide against. there was but one
way 10 get rid of II aud that was to
abolish the "trAck" altogether, and
have no triAls OF speed, aud 1t WIS with
the association 10 say whether what
would remain after doing no would
prove sufficient 10 ensure the success
Of the annual Fairs.
After good deal OF general and In
| definite talk Of the foregoing character,
Capt, George W. Robinson stated that
he knew Il man who would rent the
grounds for $1,000 per year, and would,
III addition to paying that price, allow
the association TO use them ut any time
for one OF their annual exhibitions.
| The party In question was Veterinary
/ Surgeon, and II would be his idea In
renting the grounds TO throw them
open to public entertainments occa.
siOIAlly In the way OF II trOt, and also
10 keep up course where those
who owned horses might train them
for their own or the public grutitica.
Lon. After hearin. Mr.. Robinson's
statement, Mr.. Josiah Updegratf offered
the following resolution:
| ReS)irtd. As the sense OF tho StOckholde
| Of the SUrth West Virginia Agricultural Az.
NciNt,On, that ths proposition made b. MI
koblnhon IN regard To n lease ~ tho Fair
Gi0unhs TO IA Tespni Hible party for u klir
| con- peuaAtIUn, would bs, under the ClTcum.
stances, the DesIl disposition 10 make OF the
gtoundS, leaving 10 the Board u directors
Inc arrangement Oi nll details.
The above resolution seemed TO meet
with general Hpprobntiun, and there
were no dissenting opinions expressed
nstO It's proposed disposition of the
grounds. On being put TO vote II pass.
ed unanimously.
| la the course Ortalk on the general
merits OTtlle fair business nnd the pro.
per steps To be taken in regard TO the
RrOHnd-, Capt. Andrew Wilson said
that the property could now be- sold nj
a price sufficient 10 pay thirty or forty
per cent. advance to the stock holders,
II WIS valuable property. So TINT II
tho stockholders could mt pny them.
selves by going on M FAIR Society Z
they could easily yet their money back
by winding up.
Mr.. John Bishop thought II might hr
n good IDEA To get up II skating "rink"
on the grounds. Such Institutions
were popular over the country,
wherever the people were fortunate
enough to live In n frCeXing region.
Capt, RUbinsOn suggested that ihIa wHH
To heh Hpit wlnter. The corn ShuGkS
wer" lin mud the mnHkrntS were build
ing above water mark, MIR. BshOpd Jd
not press his suggestion.
Among IN" other business transacted
whH the following resuIutiOn offered by
Mr.. Reilly:
RTWiUhi, Tint The lIrani NJ Directors liz,
lh l, 20 w me delinquent stock by