Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-12-04
SHALL THE FAIR GROUNDS BE
S4bEnP


For the credit of our city, county,
and State, we sincerely hope not. 1t
win take but forty thousand dollars to
prevent it. This sum can be raised by
the sale of bonds, which are now ready
FOX delivery in sums of fifty and one
hundred dollars. Every citizen of our
State, being more or less interested in
the maintenance of our State fair, it is
hard to believe that these bonds will
not find purchasers here. AS a city,
Nashvilleis more deeplyinterested than
any other town in Tennessee; while un-
der the plan proposed every county,
town, and city within the State will be
immensely benefited For in the great
museum to be inaugurated on the
grounds, each Will havean unprecedented
opportunity of displaying its resources.
There will be space set apart for each
county to exhibit its mineral resources,
and its agricultural productions, and
every city its wares and manufac-
lures. But this great State
museum is to be at Nashville,
To this point all must come WHO desire
to be conversnt with the vast resources
of Tennessee; and the advent of SO
many must inevitably benefit the gen.
eral business of the city. Should
fair be held semi-annually (as is pro-
posed, it is not unreasonable to sup
pose that twenty-five thousand persons
would be thereby induced to visit Nash
vile during the year. Now, setting
down the expenditure of each person
at say ten dollars, "a sum entirely too
low,) it will be seen that quarter of
million dollars will be brought here by
these fairs-divided among our rail
roads, hotels, retail stores and places of
amusement. The way to bring bust
ness to city is first, to make your city
attractive, then display your wares
and sell at reasonable prices.
None will deny that here our
wares are well displayed, and our
prices are reasonable. But what
attractions have we to induce the
stranger to sojourn in our midst? IF
we leave out our Exposition and permit
our Fair Grounds to be sold, we have
nothing particularly worthy of his at
tention. He will, therefore, pass us by
and seek some more attractive place.
We make these points simplyto call the
attention of our citizens to the advan-
tages of retaining the Fair Grounds in
a business point of view. But there
are other interests involved in this mat
ter, of no less Importance to us. This
property can be readily converted into
a magnificent public park. The associ-
alton is willing to lease it to the
city for twenty years, to be
used as park, provided the
authorities will furnish water, embelhsh
the grounds and have them properly
pOliced This without cost; the Asso-
citation merely reserving the right to
hold semi-annual fairs, exhibitions and
stock sales, say for two weeks in the
spring and two weeks in the fall. How
or where can we get a park on as easy
terms? Surely this is a chance not to
be lightly thrown away. Is it not an
inducement even for our city to lend
its aid to this project by taking a num-
Der of these bonds, and would it not
pay the county to do likewise? But we
could dwell at much greater length on
the advantages to be derived from keep
ing up this institution, were it necessa-
ny for us to do so, which it is not. The
work now to be done is to sell forty
thousand dollars worth of the Associa-
TONS bonds. Let us do it, and save
our city I'D State from the disgrace Of
having this noble institution sold.