American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1872-11-30
Our State Fair.

We publish to-day some extracts
from a letter TO the PicayuRe, from
a correspondent, in reference to the
recent State Fair at Jackson. 1t
was selected for last weeks paper,
but was /" crowded out" 1t con-
tains some excellent hints and sue-
gestions for the Directory of our
Agricultural and Mechanical AssO-
citation, which it is to be hoped they
will profit by. The display at the
late Fair in all the departments ex-
cept machinery and agricultural
implements, was universally pro-
nounced poor, wretchedly poor
not worth a half fare passage to
jackson to see" In fact, everybody
went to see everybody else, and not
with much expectation Of seeing
anything else to elicit. the admira-
ton of sIght-seers generally. One
cause of the poverty and paucity of
the display in the departments,
especially in needle-work and house
wifery, was the great dissatisfaction
of experts in those departments with
the awards of. committees at previ-
Gus fairs-.who have been even
charged with manifest Partially
and favoritism. We will mention
two instan ces of this dissatisfaction
that came under our own observa-
ton at the fair of 1871. A premium
was offered for the best handmade
pair of pantalOons. A lady of this
city, most experienced seamstress,
determined to enter the field of con-
testants for the premium. She made
. pair of pantaloons, exercising all
the skill and patience she possess
ed, and produced specimen of
needle-work in that line which the
most experienced tailors of this
town said " could not be excelled
by a Philadelphia tailor, and must
take the premium :" and yet they
did not take the premium, to the
as constituent of every one who had
examined them, except the commit
tee of award, who, it was said, man.
ifestly showed favoritism in this in
stance. Again-a premium was
offered for the best handmade shirt,
to be exhibited as it came from the
hands of the maker, without any
polish by the laundress. A lady Of
this city entered the lists for the
premium, and made shirt which,
for elegance of stitching, cOrding,
ETC., challenged the admiration of
especially all beholders. and admir-
ers of Tom Hoods song of 1.-The
Shirt ;" and they said it could not
fail to win. Yet it did fail, and The
premium was awarded to the maker
of shirt which had taken the pre-
MUM at previous fair, and which.
many disinterested persons thought
was not stitch better made than
the neac shirt on exhibition.
OF course neither. of these two Ia
dies will ever again sew a stitch on
anything to be exhibited at our
State Fair. though both of them are
capable of producing most superb
and elegant specimens of needle
work.
These are only two of many in
stances where injustice on the part
of the committees of awards have
been charged and believed.
We know it is impossible to please
every body-some will be disappoin-
ted, and there always are grumb-
lers. But there has been SO much
diss abstraction with the awards of
premiums at Jackson Fairs, that
the managers ought TO take great
pains to guard against it.
In the language of the correspond
emit of the PicayMne, who is {" man
of Junction." and knows what he is
talking abOut
" If it is contended that a fast gelding or a
sharp shooting bird hunter is more useful to
the farming interest of the State of Missis-
sippi than the noble wives mothers and
daughters. who make bread. and butter, pre-
serves and condiments, fruits and vegetables
as much for the benefit of the men as the
women, we cannot agree with those who sup
port such IDEAS"