The New York herald., 1868-05-09

be, 1We they are the greatest fairs In the world"
but further inquiry would reduce the sage 70 the
dernier resort Of modern philosophers wnat
they are not Under this latter head almost every
thing that an American associates Win the idea
OF q fair might be denied OF them. They are not
held In large enclosure outside OF the town,
and do not p0ach on the preserves Of horse
races and cattle shows; they are not the
attraction for the villagers Of miles AROUND; are not
ruled over by presidents and committees Of societies
self apponted to difuse red and blue ribbons and
propagate jealousies throughout intelligent agricu
tura communities and strangest Of all they give no
opportunty to erratic editors popularity seeking
politicians and vouble gentlemen farmers to speak
their peces and spread out" their manifold yaga-
ries before the public view. ''-
They do, however, resemble the spring and fall
trade seasons in New York, when Western and coun-
try merchants nock Gothamward for the where
wihal to repenish the stores at crossroads and in
quasi cties but instead Of sending their wares be
sold on commission or disposing OF them to middle
men the manufacturers are present In person.
Both classes OF these perennial visitors come from
all parts Of the world--from Europe and ASIA from
Africa and even from America. Such an influx Of
strangers gives the city busy, bustling air. quite
novel in Europe The thorOughfares have an almost
New York like appearance, with the crowds Of foot
passengers hurryng to and fro the hackmen striving
streets, with much cracking OF whips and the dray
men and pOrters shouting and vocierang az II their
own burdens were the only ones carried In this
weary world. Any such Illusion as that one Ia across
the water would be quickly dispelled by jostling
ever and anon against caphlaned trader from Tifs,
| swarthy Turk, with tawdry red cap and tassel.
or Russian in long begirdled mantle. A
glance at the houses makes the contrast equally
for little to be found iS the
''new church" was built In the fifteenth century,
where, instead OF plain spars Of marble or iron,
nices and windows OF three different stories peep
| through the long steep roof.
| In lair time the Lepscers, to speak hguratively
and respectfully, draw In their horns and resign
| their streets to the invaders. From the many an
Of rooms to rent ~ many any, Of the In
houses also. For the rOugher sorts OF goods, such
hides and leather, long Of booths put up in
damaged articles are displayed in the broad
house entries and IA spare rooms, to
Many Many of the native a storekeepers sa''0i nd It
profitable to pack up their own duds and temporarily
retire from business that they may rent their ware.
motley thr0ng OF buyers and sellers, wayfarers with
hafat-home, half foreign air. So many OF them
with the inquiring look Of strangers, yet something
In their brusque, restless manner and nOt-everyday
attire tells that they have here no continuing city.
When the custom took rise no one knows. Tradi.
ton carries back its beginning almost to the time
when Sclavonic fishermen dragged out their proven
Parthe and their nets in the waters Of these placid
streams, and when the now fourshing city was Of SO
little importance that 1t went by regular name but
sported so many appelations, from Lip to Lpszky,
that philol0giss and antiquarfans can never be at
one what TO call 1t. The institution has grown
through and with the centuries, and has been pro-
tected and favored by royal and imperial edicts and
even Pope Leo issued a bull threatening the penal
fere with it. 1t has done the major part towards
making Leipsic the first commercial city m Central
Ge,, Germany, and, excepting Hamburg. in the whole
1t is wonder, then, that sort of nlial feeling
should make the trades people Oath to admit that II
Is losing In importance and prefer to say that 1t has
not grown with other things. The gathering Of the
nations Is as numerous as ever; there are, perhaps,
so this year than ever before and SO those who
make harvest OF their coming need not repine.
Every lodging Is Occuped-sO occupied that at least
one person deemed himself fortunate at securing
last night for q taler and q half sky parlOr; II a
wlndowess closet, scarcely large enough for moder
ate sized coffin in the Hfth story can he dignined
by that name II Is Ill hcut to believe that the tralc
was ever greater, when one walks along whole
streets lled with cloths and cottons glances down
aeep aeys 81 suIs ana passes Sy rows
w0oens, nany-coored silks and shawls, corsets ana
crnoline, lannels and stockings watches and artih-
But the strangers are less dependent on the fair
than formerly and the removal OF the restrictions on
our trades and handcraftsmen In the Bund will make
them less so in days Of yore tho merchant knew
that this chance to buy must be improved. The
goods ana their owners were here, and
would not be again before the return OF
one OF the great festivals-Easter, Michaelmas
New Ycar-on which the fairs are held. II was .
carry him through; 1t was equally unpleasant II lie
bought too heavily and found himself at the recur-
ring feast time saddled with shop worn goods. The
manufacturer lad also his trials for II he did not dis
pose OF his wares he had no hope of meeting custom.
ers during the interval. tf.l FI
All this has changed with the facilities for travel
ling and communication, and the consequent changes
in camille Intercourse The commercial traveller
now carries his sample book or case to the buyer or
the latter visits the factory or warehouse and selects
for himself. Though the means OF transportation
have been increased many many fold, the quantity
Of goods annually brought here Is small when COM
pared with the multiplied production. To many the
fair has become sort OF sampng institution where
see what has been done during the season,
and make plans instead OF actual transactions. Citi
zens fond OF the ways of the oden time may look for
ward with regret to the days when the
resolve itself into an exaggerated "Gostinni Dwor''
and shall pursue the even tenor Of Its way through
all seasons, forgetting Its Mecca-ike character.
It's great tradesmen will, however gain by the
change ana the consumers will then be the gamers
also. Those who profess to believe that that day viii
come ascribe what Others take to he indica-
tons Of its approach to the cotton crisis the cholera
the deplorsiblc financial condition In Austria and
Russa-whcnce the best customers wont to
come--to the hard times in the Danublan Principa
ties and to the Danish, American aud German wars
some idea Of the amount Of business done at the
fairs may be obtained from the statistics OF the year
SG5, when II was little In excess Of the two follow
ing years. In that year nearly hall million hun
dredwciglit Of goods changed hands. or this enor-
nous amount which. OF course, excludes contracts
for future delivery So 600 cwt. vi cotton goods,
OF woollens, besides carpets, there nearly double
5000 cwt.
One-third Of all the furs cured in the world are
sold in Lcipsic. In 1853 the sales In this branch
footed up G3l 500 thalers-2 622 800 thaers' worth
coming rom America alone. During 1867 the exports
FROM Leipslc 10 the United States amounted to
s2i0g. s27 for the quarter ending March 81 s6225j;
June 30, sS04, $50; september 80 f730194; December
81, 1882, 10S.
if every thing sold here for the United states
ket but billed elsewhere. and therefore certified 10 at
other consuiates, was added to the above 1t would
make still larger sum. 1t need not be added then,
thai the New York markets arc watched very closely
In saxony and that everything tending TO favor trade
With the United states receives due praise, that
any measure which throws a danipcr on the exports
thither has equal aud opposite notice The recent
reduction OF the taxes on domestic manufactures.
without corresponding alteration Of the tariff.
has been denounced within the past few
days with something approaching bitterness.
The probability Of Mr.. Johnson being sup
planted by Mr.. Wade has provoked much
unfavorabc remark account OF the latter's known
protectionist procvites and not afcw have accord
Ing TO the Butler doctrine made themselves I'M
pcdchable for indecent speech Even those who pro
fess to speak Dro doinO shade their heads when