, 1867-07-19
me ArrtcuIturaI Fair.

The Agricultural Fair of the Valley is to
be held on the first week in October next,
in the grove near town, where it was held
last year. Our citizens generally will be
glad to learn that steps are being taken to
have the County Fair credit to the Valley,
and as friend to the movement, your col
umns, no doubt, will be cheerfully open to
any suggestions that may help the enter
prise, and so few points are submitted to
your readers:
LIST. Let the matter be fully advertised.
Money spent in this way will be money made.
Get out large bills and send them to Lewis
ton, Umatilla, Grand Ronde, Dalles and
Portland, and post them all over the Valley,
so that every mans wife and children may
read them. If the old woman reads the
bills, the old man will have to bring her and
the children too. This matter is new, and
to succeed, must be brought to every mans
door.
I'd. Be careful to select competent judges
for the different committees, and make these
selections from all parts of the country, and
have positive pledge from every man to
attend and discharge his duty. 1t is due to
exhibitors, that those passing on their arti-
cles should know something about them, and
by distributing the committees all over the
Valley an interest will be created in every
neighborhood. Many on the committees
failed to attend last year and persons had to
be gathered up on the ground. This might
have been expected at the first fair, but
there is no necessity that it should recur.
Sd. Let the premium list be carefully pres
pared. The productions Of the Valley should
be studied manufacturing enterprises stim.
ulated, and the various articles of interest
that the ladies may contribute, especially con-
sidered. With the smiles of the fair the
Fair will fare well, and need ask odds of no
one, and may snap its fingers in everybody'S
face. The society is too poor to give large
premiums, but the premiums may be numer-
Gus, and there should be first, second, and
third premiums for most articles exhibited.
4th. Let every citizen of the Valley re>
solve to make something for the Fair, or to
bring some Of his stock, Somebody may
have finer jack, but yours may have longer
ears; may look wiser, aud may have more
musical voice, and if there should be fuer
pig, yours may be better grunter, and may
be capital in roofing around, and bring him
for these qualities. 1t is no discredit to any
man if somebody may have something at
the Fair finer than his, but it is a discrcdt
to him if be have anything at home that
would be of interest to the Fair and county
aud fail to bring it.
5th. Let some competent person be selec-
ted to prepare a good address, and give him
time 10 do justice to the subject. If I'VE have
farmer in the Valley suitable, select bin.
The man following the plough and watching
the dirt turn over, thinks Of many practical
matters which never suggest themselves to
one who knows nothing except what be may
see in books or some one may tell him. If
we have no such timber iu the Valley it
might be policy to kidnap some Oregon
bloods--say Colonel Kelly, of the Dalles,
Governor Gibbs, Judge Deadly, or Applegate,
whose eccentricities and abilities would per-
baps draw better than any of these other
fellows. 1t is not known of course, that any
of these men would come, but as they all
think themselves very smart they might not
be unwilling to impress that fact upon US.
These suggestions, Mr.. Editor, ere .ade,
not so much for any value that may be 10
them, as to open the subject and call out
something from others. If we all keep our
mouths shut no body will say anything. To
as intelligent a. people as we have in the
Valley, nothing need be said of the benefits
conferred by these fairs. Not the least among
these, in my opinion, is the good resulting
from getting our people oil together in a
friendly way, and having them know each
other, and having our wives and chile en-
see and know our neighbors' wives and chill
dren. Let ell then, come to the Fair aud
bring something with them, and it will be
in every respect a success.
-
The MAILs.-Professedly there is daily mail
between Walla walla and Portland, but in re-
ality it scarcely amounts to a weekly service.
1t is true that SOLITARY horseman" reaches