The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1874-10-01
The Fair and its Lessons.

~~~-~1~A~~ O~~J N~~~@
ETY. was held in Kenosha. Since
that fair, the fairs Of the Agricultural
Society have been held in the town
of Bristol. First on the old plank
road near Dutton's, and then at
Bristol Station on the Kenosha and
Rockford railroad. Before railroads,
the farmers of the county thought
Dutton's the best place for holding
the fairs. After the Kenosha &
Rockford railroad was constructed
they thought Bristol Station was
the best place for holding the fairs.
Recently the farmers of the county
have been divided in opinion as to
whether the fairs better be held
at Bristol Station or at Kenosha.
1t had become evident that fairs
held at Bristol Station would prove
failures. The people Of Kenosha
thought that if the fairs were held in
Kenosha they would prove successes,
and the people of the county were
about evenly divided in opinion
whether they would prove successes
or failures. To bring it to test it
was agreed to hold The present fair
in Kenosba. And the test has re-
suited decidedly in favor of Kenosha.
OF this we think the people of the
country generally are satisfied. But
few, if any, would desire to nave
the fairs hereafter held at Bristo!
Station. All, or nearly all, have
become fully satisfied that Kenosha
is the right place for holding the
Fairs of the Kenosha County Ag-
vicultural Society. And, in this
respect, the Fair has been a great
success. And, in the number and
quality of articles in some classes,
compared with some of the fails here
tofore, the Fair has been a success.
And, financially, too, the Far, com.
pared with some of the late fairs,
has been a success.
In several respects. the Fair has
been failure. it failed to call out
the best productions of Kenosha
County in several Of the classes of
articles on exhibition. 1t failed in
the arrangement of the articles so
that visitors could know their names
and the names of the exhibitors.
1t failed in afording facilities for
getting information before the public
Of articles on exhibition and the
prospects Of the Fair. And it failed
to bring out the numbers to the
Fair which might have been brought
out, if proper information had been
given, or facilities afforded for OBJ
tanning information.
There are various causes for the
failure to bring out the best produc-
tons Of the county. One cause OF
this failure was the uncertainty, till
late period, that the necessary
buildings would be in readiness for
the Fair, Another was the urwil-
ingness Of farmers to enter into
competition with amateurs, as a
farmer said after the Fair He was
willing to compete with the farme, 8
OF Kenosha County, or farmers gen.
orally, but he would not enter INTO
competition with amateurs. He
said he had better articles, and had
brought some Of them into Kenosha,
which some of the judges of the
classes to which they belonged ad-
mitted to be better than any on ex-
hibition. There is some Justice in
the objection Of farmers to compete
with amateurs, or with those who
make a particular part of agriculture
horticulture a speciality.
Visitors generally like to know
the names of the articles they see on
exhibition and who the exhibitors
are. This they can not always
know, But by proper arrangement
and proper labelling much more sat
lsfactory knowledge might be obtain
ed than there was at the Fair. There
should be labels giving the names Of
the articles and of the exhibitors as
well as the classes 10 which the ar
t!cles belong. And any rule or prac-
tlce OF the society, not allowing or
not y, providing for such labelling, we
believe to be detrimental to the So
ciety.