The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1877-04-05
A QUESTION TO Be ANSWERED BIZ TEE
FARMERS OF SEDGWICK COUNTY.
Shall We Go Ahead or Shall We Give It Uc9

With the farmers OF sedgwick county we
desire Z few words relative to a County Fair
this fail. Not since our lrst annual exhibit
ton has the county had anything of the kind
worthy the name. The failures are attribute
able 10 several reasons that might be given,
but all OF which might easily have been over
como with proper effort on the part of those
most interested. The principal reason why
our last fairs were not successes was because
the plans for their execution were not in the
proper hands. The enterprise, as an entire
ty, wa. under the management presidents
of the town instead of the country, where il
properly belongs. Not that we would for
moment reflect upon the energy or capacity
OF the gentlemen who reside in this city; but
an agricultural and stock exhibition belongs
| to tho farmers. Without the farmers sympa-
thy and active aid, we care not how much
money is expended or how great energy and
capacity are eyiEeed. any county fair viii
prove a failure. Because of this conviction
and the knowledge that our farmers, as
class took no interest in the matter whatever,
we refused last fall making any effort to
awaken an interest. Had il been possible
through the medium Of these columns to have
prevailed upon ten thousand farmers of this
and adjoining counties TO come out we should
only had lett the notifying result of ten
thousand thoroughly dsgasted men. They
would have gone away believing that they
had bsen swludled out Of their time and
money, and right their convictions would
have been. such bluader would have ef-
fectualy barred all prospects OF successful
exhibition FOR years to come. In the mean
time the land, the improvements and stock
would have been swallowed up aud lost. We
shall not here enter Into discussion OF the
bcuedts, materially and socially, 10 be de-
rived from a grand and successful county fair,
they are many and well understood by every
agFeultur.st and stock raiser worthy the
name But we Do want TO know whether
you are or are not going to have grand fair
this fall As paper devoted more to your
interests than to any other single one, we
deem 1t nothing more than our right to be in
formed. rive are TO have . fair that VIII not
only attract the best farmers and stock raisers
from ii! the adjoining counties aud that viii
be the talk OF them all for 4 year after, we
want to 10 our part, but il not, then we do !
not want TO be fooled into pulling a hunbug |
concern by a few Interested town fellows. |
We have ne State or National elections this |
fall, tue lnalcisi times arc Frightening, and If
heaven smiles upon the labsrs OF tie hus-
bandmau the coming season there VIII be no
reason, providing the farmers don't say no.
why we shouldn't have a magnificent exhibit |
ton that will pay 10 every light in which ii
might be viewed. These few queries and suS-
gestions are the result Of Inquiries from this /
and other counties adjoining, viz: Are you |
going to have fair in Sedgwick this fall? = |
Time plenty is time little enough, and now /
before The regular sturdy summers work sets |
in. we earnestly invite farmers from every /
township to give Us, their brother husband |
men, aud The people generally, their views as
to whether Sedgwick county'shali have fair |
in 1877 worthy the name, making any sus- /
gestions or pledges that they may individual
IL deem proper, through these columns. At
the same time we Should like to hear from
our farmer readers Ia the counties OF Sumner,
Harvey, Reno. Batter and Cowley. Bat with
the farmers of Sedgwick, principally, viii rest
the result. We don't want no "hoss-trot'
aaair-not that we have any objection to
to speeding horses-whal We mean is, Ne
want no mere race show, but regular agri-
cultural, stock and mechanical exhibition.
As far a. tie gentlemen who have had con-
troll OF the organization in this city are con-
cerned, we have not spoken to one OF them.
but We know aud can promise that they VIII
90 their part IN full.
Now let us hear from at least twenty farm
ers in each township, yes, or no! 50 that every
other farmer may see what every other one
thinks. If only to the extent o. postal card
or your name send 1t along.
p. s. Since writing the above we see that
the society has had an election and that the
new organization shows much larger per
cent. OF actual farmers, which is encouraging.
The names OF the new officers are printed
llsa1-nere