Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1867-09-14
THE FAIR.
FOURTEENTH ANNUAL EXHIBITOR
OF TIE
Scott County Agricultural Society
sIxra AND LAsf DAY.

Fair stand to-day head taller in the essi>
nation of the people than ever before.
The former fairs have all been good FOR the
past ten yeas, and the beauty Of the thing
is she last is always the best Year By
year there has been . steady increase in
receipts--a corresponding increase in prem.
ums, and perceptible increase in populari-
ty. This betokcns . healthy state Of af-
fairs. Our first reports Of Scott County
Fairs was made when the Society was not
worth cent. though il had been in opera
ton several years. Its receipts hardly
reached eight hundred dollars, and the at
tendance from . county Boosting twenty
thousand people amounted TO scarcely
thousand people. The entries were mesgre
and it was an unworthy arrangement oil
round-consequent upon lack Of vitality.
Proper management has enthely changed
tia. unpleasant condition OF affairs. Live
men took hold Of the institution, and such
Inducements were held out and such mann
agement ;nauguratsd As to command sues
cess. So handsomely are the exhibitors
treated that they always come back and
bring their friends along with them. They
go away satisfied because they are we'll
treated and because they always get their
premiums promptly, and every cent they
are entitled to and generally more too.
Numerous exhibitors receive liberal p.emi>
ums where no premiums we're offered in the
books. These unexpected favors have
their influence, and . most powerful influ>
euce il is too
Furthermore, and without mincing tho
matter, We may truthfully say that the great
success Of our fairs 10 chiefly owing to the
svpe, or Horse Shows that are given every
yea-. People who don't care to see exhib>
tions Of speed may talk a. much % they
please about the evil influences Of
horse trotting and horse running j.
It is utterly impossible 70 get up and keep
up enterprising and profitable Fairs without
them. Leave out the sports OF the turf,
and you might as we'll lock up the entrance
gates and throw the keys away Some of
our worthy farmer friends have long and
earnestly protested against this feature of
the f.ir-our wise men and ministers of the
gospel have come down sternly upon the de-
mora'izing effects Of trots and races, but af>
ter all when these magnificent tests ofspeed
which characterize our fairs are being made.
We are glad 10 notice that many Of these
persons who have so much to say asains.
them, are foremost among tte most esger
spectators. This is nothing ofcourse-
We, it speaks volumes for the popularity Of
the tro:ting feature Of our fairs. Il proves
that horse racing, SO called, 10 the very life
Of our fairs
1pg WEEK
has been most profitable one TO the Soci>
ETY.. Probably the receipts will exceed ten
thousand dollars, which 10 over two thous>
and better than last year. The threatening
weather Of yesterday cost the Society fully
two thousand dollars. The resui. is all tha.
could have been antic: :pated-and little
better than the average increase.
THE PREMIUMS
have been paid off promptly by Treasurer
smith to>day-with some exceptions, and
these will be paid as soon as called for at the
Treasurer's office-at the office Of the Ma.
iional Insurance Co o.-Main street above
Second. In the absence Of the Treasurer.
the premiums will be pAid by Mr. L d.idge.
at ibe same Office.
THE OFFICERS
and their ale corps Of assistants have suc-
ceeded nooly in the management and exe>
cuton of affairs this week, and for this the
thanks .! the community are justly due
.ne course, rnder the direction OF Judge
Cant hos been managed with great tact
and even-handed justice has teen meted
OF, 10 all Wnen there was nothing in
the programme 10 interest the
crowd, 10 nan knew better than
VIA; was necessary to fill the
bill. Then there are five or ten thousand
people seated in the Amphitheatre expect
ing to be amused any disappointment would
work serious mischief to the institution,
hence, upon direction Of the Judge, more
than five hundred dollars were expended to
please the intelligent assembly present. 1t
IS sen ioie way to disburse funds-for
every dollar so laid down eventually brings
back two.
The entire machinery has been 80 ca.e>
ful handled By the OfIicers and Directors
that scarcely complaint has come 70 our
ears.o ccssionally, rs is ever the case, an
exhibitor has considered himself mi.iudeed
by the Committees, but this canno.
be helped. Very naturally every mafI
thinks his horse, OK, Cow. sheep, buggy,
butter, pumpkin or potatoe the best, and 10
Committee man or woman is going to change
that opinion. Consequently there 10 some
Slight tings Of dissatisfaction, but 40 only
ore first premium can be awarded the mat.
ter is overlooked and soon forgotten.
When it is understood by the public that
all this work -or the greater portion of il
is done BY men who never get a cent for
their time or labor, it is wonder that the
work 10 done so we'll, and that everything
is 90 admirably managed. They could not
do better if they were working upon salaries
Of thousand dollars each.
ln the past ten years, Edwin Smith,
Chauncy Krum, Judge Grant, W. X. Haight
j. A. LIE Claire, W. A. Remington, John
Lambert, A. J. Hyde, John Madden and
others have sp,nt months of ti.ne-partc.
ularly such Of them as live 10 town-with.
out any other hope Of reward than 10 see
that the Fairs ere made perfect success.
Truly are they richly entitled 70 the high
est praise for their untiring and highly lsu>
dable effort. Their efforts have not result.
ed favorable to the Society alone, but all
these things tell greatly in favor Of the
growth and prosperity Of our city.
rHE NEW FLORAL HALL
has been grand feature this year. Chaun.