Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1875-03-25

/ oOUNI1 Il AIh.-OOuctful0 u6At
month there is to be held at Lancas-
ter meeting of the executive COM
mittee of the Grant County Agricul-
tural Society. The object of this
meeting is to devise ways and means
whereby the next annual Fair may
be rendered most attractive to the
community at large, and thus secure
large attendance, which is the es-
sential requisite to its success finan-
cially and otherwise. Amidst the mul.
tlplicity of these institutions in our
land, many of which have been fall
ures, it is highly important that the
programme adopted by the meeting
snoald harmonic with the general
voice of the people, so that all may
be induced to lend their aid to the
full attainment of objects desired by
the society. The County Fairs
of the present day. while they differ
materially from the homemade cattle
shows from which they originated,
should improve upon those institu-
tons instead of degenerating and if
the public taste has changed, that
taste must not only be considered,
but be ministered TO insure success.
Many of the indulgences and amuse-
ments which are now considered in
noceDt, were extremely obnoxious to
the moral views and feelings of our
forefathers. Less than fifty years
ago instrumental music in churches,
and the sound of the fiddle anywhere,
was discordant to the ear and Jared
the moral nerves of the great mass of
the people. Gambling of all discrip-
ton was abjured and condemned in
all moral circles But oil these
things have changed. No church
could now secure an audience with>
out an organ no concert of music,
even sacred, would be acceptable
without the violin and the TRIM
mings to the pulpit, the lamps for
the church, and the salary of the
pastor, can now be morally raised by
the distribution of prizes, through
fictitious postoffices with fascinating
post-mistrosses, and alIuring grab
bags held by lady managers. And
so it is In our agricultural institutions.
The purity and character of the stock
must be tested on the ground, and
the speed of the horse can only be
known by the trial, consequently
grace course" has become q necessary
part Of all successful Fair grounds;
and at this day it is a fact which
cannot be denied, that the great mass
of the people, including ladies, refined
moral and sensitive ladies, will travel
further, stand longer in scorohing
sun or pelting rain, to witness the
race, and exhibit more emotion at
the coming in than they can be in
duced to do over all fat hogs or ella
borate embroidery produced in the
county. These facts make matches
of speed q necessity upon the fair
ground, and if they cannot be purged
of their ordinary concomitants of
sideshows and Juggling, they should
be SO guarded as to prevent, as far as
possible, the sim ple-minded and un-
wary from falling into their meshes
and being feeced by their wies. For
the safety of all, and of women and
children especially, we could suggest
to the committee the policy of ex-
Guiding horses and carriages from the
inside Of the course; this would
greatly add to the safety Of specta-
tors, would doubtless largely Increase
the numbers in attendance, and
would not materially abridge the
rights or privileges of any.
THE SPELLING SCHooL-The enter
tainment at the Methodist church on
Tuesday evening was not as largely