Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1871-12-31
To the Friends Of the Eastern Division Fair
Throughout East Tennessee.

You cannot object to few earnest words
with regard to the Eastern Division Fair.
| 1t is an institution which belongs to you
and therefore you cannot feel otherwise
than deep interest in its future success.
| 1t was inaugurated for your benefit, and
for your benefit alone. That it is calculated
| to aid you in your domestic, agricultural,
mechanical and manufacturing pursuits,
needs no argument to demonstrate. East
| Tennessee, without an Institution like this,
| would be i'm no enviable condition. Her
material welfare would be widely leopard
lied, as you must admit yourselves. There
| would be but little to stimulate you in the
prosecution of your work. The Industrial
classes, like all others, must have some
| thing to arouse them, and to bring into
requisitiOn their dormant energies. Emu
lation is the spirit that must transform the
| age. Laudable rivalry is what we need.
Lofty incentive to the performance of dar-
ing deeds must pervade the body polite.
For too long a time we have been
moving along in the ancient ruts, vene-
rating the worn-out customs of our fore
fathers, and casting our blighting scowls
upon all attempts to bound forward in the
imperishable work of progress and active
development. Why is this ? 1t is not be-
cause the people of East Tennessee are
less intelligent, and industrious and provi-
dent than those of other sections? They
are sensible, honest and capable. What
then is the matter? There is but one an
swer-there is distressing lack of big
heartedness and robust action. We have
slip-shod way of doing things, and an ut
ter aversion at having our own case at all
disturbed. We never seem to think that
we should perform heroic deeds, or make
extraordinary eXertion to excel in our
business. That, unfortunately, is the bane
of East Tennessee. ....l.
[ have no hesitation in affirm
ing that, among the living and powerful
agencies calculated to arouse and to excite
us to high and manly efforts, and to bring
about warm and emphatic competition
among the industrial classes, there is
nothing equal to well conducted fairs.
There is not an instance on record, dare
say, where they have failed in the accom-
plishment of such a sesult Invariably,
they encourage and foster a spirit of ag-
gressive and progressive enterprise. They
have arouset and quickened into life en-
ergies which have lain dOrmand from time
immemorial Whole communities have
been suddenly metamorphosed and trans
formed from the pl0dding gait of creeping
Incidence to the impetuous charge of bold
and resolute action.
The reason is obvious. Competition
sharpens ambition and creates the uncon-
querable purpose not to be out-dOne.
When skill and industry are brought into
contact, then the tug of war" commences.
Let us, for example, take the farmer. He
goes to one of these fairs with his stock,
but, to his chagrin, he finds himself utter
ly defeated. His stock are overshadowed
by others. Instead of having the finest,
as he vainly supposed, he has the most III
ferior. His scrub animals sink into merit
ed insignificance when brought long of
the magnificent Durham, the stately Cots
void and the thoroughbred horse. He
has just opened his eyes upon new world.
1t is a grand panorama. He looks and
wonders, and for the first time in his his
tory, discovers that he Is behind the age.
From this moment he dates a new era,and
begins to look upward. Five years there
after we find him competing with the best
stock raisers of the country.
This, gentlemen, is the sequel of these
fairs. Am |, then, wrong in urging you
to sustain and rally around the Eastern
Division Fair? Can it be that have mis-
conceived its grand objects and results? /
think not If taken hold of vigorously
and pushed forward with the strength Of
giant, in ten years or less Fast Tennessee
will have undergone radical change for
the better. The whole system of practical
industry will be torn down and remodeled.
New races of animals will be introduced,
new methods Of farming will be adopted
and higher intelligence will control our
destiny. I long to see the time when our
honored section shall come up to the full
measure of her glory and her strength. 1t
only remains for her noble sons and her
fair daughters to do their duty. Let them
do it. c. w. CHARLTON,
Secretary E. ID. Fair.
DECEMBER %, 1871.