The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1877-10-19
A NEW DEPARTURE.
''or the Times,

Mr.. EDITOR IL would like to know what our
friends, ''pacolct' or the "OlL Farmer thinks
of the new programc of the State Agricultural
and Mechanical Society. Col. Aiken seems rath-
or to like the idea. lie says: ANY who
has had any experience with Fairs, knows that
people can't be got together without unusual at
fractions
Well, have thought Of Il great many ways TO
help out a lair,-Monkcy shows, Tablcaux, the
Belgian Giant the Bearded woman, Tom Thumb,
Punch..apd, Judy. Mrs. Jarley's Wax works,
with representations Of the President and Cabi-
nets, Sitting Bull, Joseph and Gen Howard,
Horse Racing and Gander Pulling-but the idea
of Military Drill is something that never en-
tered my head. One thousand dollars offered
in Premiums by the State .iyr'cuhnr0i and Ne
chanicai Society, for the best drilled Military
Companies Goodness alive Haven't, we had
enough Of the military for II century. ! thought
the white winged messenger now to be our
emblem--not grim Mars, with his improved
implements of destruction, the car, piercing
fife, the spirit stirring drum, and all the pomp
and pageantry of war. Is there anything
new in this Why, if they wanted To create n
sensation, and draw the back country, didn't
they get up Firemen', Parade: Very few of
us have ever seen anything of the kind and it
would have been treat and much more in keep
ing with Agricultural and Mechanical subjects
than military drills And, rs Fircmen are no.
tsriously aggressive, we might havo got up an
elegant row into the bargain. Water is plenty
in Columbia, and house two, might have
been set fire for the purpose of testing the
skill of Amateurs.
With all Difference for the opinion of other
gentlemen, | cannot see the propriety OF intro
ducing such features into an Agricultural Ex-
hibtiOn. If you want to draw big crowd to-
gether for social enjoymcnts for the benefit t
the hotel keepers, saloons grog shops, gambling
houses and merchants, Of Columbia it is all well
enough, and everything that will create IA SEN
sation is admissible; but if you want TO improve
our Agricultural and Mechanical interests, if the
object is TO throw light where there is darkness
and to show the old fogies and young beginners
how to make two blades of grass grow where
only one grew before, and your mechanics to
learn how labor may be saved by tho use of i'm.
proved implements, this is not the way to go
about il.
have attended good many Fairs, and am
sorry to say the horse racing was more attractive
10 the mass, than the finest specimens of needle
work, painting, machinery or Agricultural I'm
plements. have seen the whole crowd break
away from the ring when the horses were OH
exhibition, TO see a scrub race on the other side
of the fence. Horse racing has broken down
every Fair the North or West, where it has
been INDUCED in. 1t draws the wrong sort If
people together; and all sober. moral religious
people will, in the end, become diSgstcl and turn
their backs upon such demoralizing exhibitions
If Agriculturists and Mechanics cannot he
drawn together for the purpose of mutual i'm
provement without the demOra izing influence
of these rare, exhibitions attending them, the
sooner they arc given up tho better for al! classes
Of society.
1t is manifest that there is something radical
ly wrong, and am inclined to agree with "Our
Old Farmer that the intelligence Of tho agri.
culturist is nj fault, and that if tithc of
the money spent upon horse racing military
drills and al! that were spent in dilusing IN
formation of the ght >,r, among the people
the progress Of mproycmUu; woui soon lac up
ward and onward BAELIN