Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1872-10-19
THE INDUSTRIAL FAIR.

Washington some twenty-five years ago.
When Sylvester, in 1913, came to occu-
py the claim taken two years before BY
his partner. Levi i. Smith, the slope
upon which the city of Olympia is built
WAS covered with heavy growth OF
timber. under which was tangled
thickct of brush, vines and fallen trees.
One narrow trail led southwark to the
Columbia; from this deer paths were the
only openings to the otherwise trackless
forest Mr.. Sylvester is in the prime
of life, but in the twcnty-four years
that have elapsed since he first looked
out upon the waters of Budd's Inlet, so
great has been the change, that all must
seem to him like a dream. Then, In
dams were his only neighbors, his rife
supplied him with meat, and the native
berries were his only fruits. In striking
contrast with those days, was the scene
presented last week at the Industrial
Fair. The long array of tables in Col
umbia Hall were literally loaded with
fruits and vegetables, the production of
settlers all the way from Olympia to
Bcllingham Bay, one hundred and fifty
miles northward. Stands of choice
flowers of outdoor growth, frightened
and perfumed the room, while tasteful
fabrics, the work of women s fair fingers,
decorated the walls and Illuminated the
white tables. Below on the walls of
Fireman's Hall were many pictures,
pencilinss and chromos, displaying a
love for and appreciation of art, such
as is rarely found in pioneer country.
All these things show the progress
made in less than quarter of century,
under the genial influences of our ia
vored climate and fruitful soil. They
also indicate how much more rapid will
be our advances in the new era now
opening before us.
Last year we family expressed the
thanks of the citizens to three gentle
men, through whose energy, tact and
enthusiasm, the question whether West
ern Washington could hold fair was
satisfactorily settled. To what we then
said we now add what we were not per-
mitted to publish. The fair last year
grew out of suggestion of one of our
most esteemed pioneer women. It
would probably never have been at
tempted, however, had not Governor
Solomon urged it upon certain gentle
men, and guaranteed them one hundred
dollars towards making up any deficit.
All he asked in return was, that his
agency in the matter should be kept Sc
cret, SO that his motives might not be
misrepresented, and that he might Sc
lect samples of the fruits and vegetables
for shipment to the East. The success
of the fair made it unnecessary to draw
upon the Governor. The choice sam
pies were selected and forwarded to
Jay Cook, and exhibited by him in New
York and Philadelphia, where they at
tracted great attention. More than fif-
ty of the papers in the Eastern States
published long and interesting articles
descriptive of them, and of the region
where they were produced.
The fairlast week far exceeded the
former in variety, quantity AND quality.
All the samples Of products Of the soil
to which premiums were awarded have
been carefully packed, and will be
shipped to the Northern Pacific Rail
road Co., to be exhibited by them
throughout the East. Such displays do
more to convince the doubling than all
the pamphlets printed, Or ,elocution
spouted for the benefit of intending
emigrants.
In closing, we should fail in duty if
we neglected to notice the clear bust
ness tact, the though tfulness, and the
taste, which have characterized the su-
perintendency of Capt. Fl. NJ. Gregory,
from the commencement to the end of
this excellent Fair. While all have
done admirably in their respective
spheres, his has been the guiding mind,
bringing order out of chaos, and giving
symmetrical beauty to the whole.
AN ENGLISH Colony IN M1NNEsorA.-
DR.. Rogers, an English clergyman, with
a few friends, has recently visited Min
nesota with view to selecting q place
for an English colony to be brought out
next season. He has decided, it is an
nounced, to join the Red River colony
on the line of the Northern Pacific Rail