New Orleans Republican., 1873-05-02
"DAY AFTER TIE FAIR"

IN such other cues as oINclAHt.H III W
lection Of articles exhibited is almost en-
tirely domestic. This results from 'ne
fact that there are much larger mechanlcal
interests in other cities than IN our o"h'
and that again, from the tact lha' 'Ie
talent and capital Of those cites IS ra'her
invested in industrial pursuits than IL
nolit;col or other business Reviewing,
therefore, the exhibition and AWARDS OF
the past week, we see hatperhaps eighty
FIVE per cent of the useful inventions rep
resented were the product OF other com
muuities. There were some merltorloUs
specimens from the workshops CT our
citv. but the blue ribbon has been
chiefly awarded to gentlemen who sell
pianos, sewing machines, engines anu
cook stoves pu: up in Boston, Cincinnati
or Elmira, among others our excellent
fellow citizen Mr.. Haller, agent, Camp
street, 'where he is always pleased to see
bis friends, for premium rolls baked IN
Cincinnati Brilliant while the sponge
cake which received the highest award
was baked in a Guarantee made by
Messrs. Buck & Bright st. Louis. "
There was very large assemblage OF
citizens, but the stockholders Of the asso-
citation were greatly indebted to thelr
sacacious selection Of attractions. There
was the race course and there was the lot
terv. With neither of these institutions
have we any discomfort in their proper
place: but the selection Of the lottery
drawing as a means of bringing people
together in New Orleans could only have
occurred to the directory Of street rall-
road or the holders of shares in an
association dependent on popular
assemblage for dividends. The ticket to
the fair was skillfully combined with a
chance in a lottery A short glance at the
published report Of the drawing will sat
isfy our citizens how far 'the spirit OF
enterprise and progress" had been pro-
NOTED by the thousands on the ground
as happily alluded to by the president OF
the fair in his address Of congratulatlon
to the lottery committee upon the sue
cessful termination of their "aTduous la
bors." Judging alone from the numbers,
it may be inferred that the lottery scheme
was composed of at least two hundred
thousand tickets. The value OF the prizes
we may only approximate, because while
the gross amount Of prizes was, we think
officially stated at S37,4S5, we have no
means of knowing how much Of that
amount is "still in the wheel" The draw
ing shows splendid solitaire Of five thou
sand dollars in gold, and sparkles with
six or seven hundred prizes Of one, two
and ten dollars in gold, each of which
looks as large as a circus poster to the
needy woman who has withheld fifty cents
from the market basket. Intermiyed,
however, with these tempting bats,
and with still more sagacious
attention to the main chance, appears
very heavy list of shares in the capital
stock and mortgage bonds Of the assotia-
ton itself Some Of these last securities
afford prizes as high as "a SlOcy bond.
There are, it is true, various sewing ma
chimes, cook stove or two, pianos, shot-
guns, and ladies watches strewed through
ont the drawing, but conspicuously ap-
pear among the prizes about three hundred
shares of the stock and at least $50 600 OF
the bonds Of the association. The opera
ton of the enterprise FOR "the encourage
men of agriculture and the mechanical
arts" was the contribution Of given sum
Of money, amounting perhaps to
$4,000 in gate money, in return for
which they received a useful oppor-
tunity Of inspecting the perfected
machinery Of Cincinnati, Philadelphia and
Pittsburg, with a chance for various
glittering prizes, as set forth in the
scheme referred to. The stockholders in
the association gave in part exchange for
this contribution sight OF the races and
show cases, with a chance at the stocks
and bonds as stated. One operation OF
the Fair was thus to sell these stocks and
bonds for cash, and as We presume such a
sale will aot much promote their market
value, they may be bought back again by
any who may wish at their Carordelet
st eet value. We are far from rejecting
upon the enterprise of those citizens who
bought and built up the Fair Grounds.
1t Was judicious idea to attract crowds
from abroad to fill our streets and
hotels. 1t was even more patriotic
purpose to improve the application Of
of science to agriculture and to promote
commerce and the mechanic arts. But
tie attendance of strangers has this year
been by no means large; tie exhibition
even of foreign manufactures not greater
than heretofore. The effect, then, Of the
management has been to award blue
ribbon to tie most successful s2lesmen of
foreign mGnufac lures among Us, and a
throa.tul Of dust, and blank lottery
ticket to ten or twelve thousand others.
As these comments come the day
after the fair, they can not haze ilps
paired its popularity or profits. The
ticket sellers ave even now smoothing out
and putting in packages the grimy dimes
which the poor have saved up for q shy
at that highly luminous five thousand dol
lars in gold, with the Hypothetical '.ladys
watch, piano and cook stove in the dreary
perspective. The directors are 'fliina
their glasses with that l;fe-stirring bever-
,,a Eeuv- C1;c,,Cfi ~ ~, +,,.rra W.,