The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1878-12-06
State and County Fairs.

find that the suggestion in the editorial of
The 1EgiS of fortnight since, with regard to
the time of holding the State and the county
fairs is very generally approved. That The latter
seriously interfere with and stint the former
there can be no doubt and mainly for this rea-
son Every man who really deserves the name
feels kecner interest in affairs near home than
in those at distance; and the nearer home the
keener the interest. We like our particular
neighborhood to excel all others. We like our
county 10 be ahead of every other county in the
State, our State ahead of every other in the
whole country, and our country ahead of every
country in the world and we have no doubt
had we an inkling of what is going on in other
worlds, we should feel pride in our world get
ting ahead even of them. This almost universal
preference of the near to the distant was doubt
less implanted in our breast by the Creator for
a wise purpose. BE this as it may, every project
which runs counter TO this widely prevalent
principle will almost invariably go under, in any
collision that may take place. Now, in the
matter of State and county fairs this is peculiar
y the case. All agricultural fairs, TO offer any
hope Of success, must be held in the fall of the
! year, when the productions of the earth do most
abound Consequently, if held the same year
these two classes of fairs must come at furthest
| within few weeks of each other Now, al
though there are thousands of people who look
| forward with keen pleasure to one gathering of
the kind every year, Ito the vast majority it is
in fact, but trolic) there are very few who
would not become tagged out by repetition,
within two or three weeks, of almost The same
| scenes. They would go home from the second
one with something akin to oathing; several
| years would probably elapse before they would
| feel return of appette-so TO speak and this
despite the varied bills of fare usually spread
before them at these cheerful reunions Two
fairs year, then, are too many by just one-half
People feel in duty bound to attend their local
fairs; it is fortunately duty with which pleas
ure goes hand in hand and although they may
| feel 1t equally duty to be present at the State
far-which always comes after those of the
countics-peasure no longer lures them, aud
the duty is neglected.
That the State fair should not only be KEPT M
but brought TO its utmost perfection, must be
al once obvious t. all. Mere local fairs tend to
beget narrow-mindedness and blind ignorance
OF everything mcrltoiious outside the county
limts-io say nolhng Of mean and contempt
Bile prejudces Take Worcester for example
the jumping off place of Maryland. (Of course
wespeak geographically, with no invidious men,
tai or moral distinction whatever between our
respected sister and the other counties in the
State) Why, if sister w, were to become so cn-
tirely absorbed in her own fair 1--WE really don't
recollect whether she has one OF not-this is
oGly hypothetical case,) as to take but little
interest in that of The State of the other coun.
ties, she would without doubt soon come TO
labor under the deluson that she was the leading
agricultural county in Maryland And if she
should ever awake from her Rip Van Wrinkle
sleep, it would be only TO find such of her sisters
as nau not Deen so exclusive grown quite DeyOnd
her recognition. Become II kind of Celestial
Empire on small scale, she would think all be-
You'd her bourne barbarans or like the corner
ed ostrich with her head thrust under her wing,
she would think everything lovely, even whilst
her ruin was close at hand. So would 1t be with
Hartford under the same circumstances and SO
with any other county.
Thus it is plain that the State fair ought TO be
encouraged and fostered, and this could be done
by little sacrifice or rather non-action; for an
intelmisson every few years in the county fairs
would be, as we shall presently endeavor to show,
no sacrifice at all, but rather gain.
In order to economic room at the State fair
no premiums should be offered except on such
stock or articles as have already taken premiums
at some county fair. For obvious reasons srch
things as have only transient existence-as The
productions of the field, the garden, or the or
chard, could not be SO excluded nor could ami. |
mails of one year old and under. This regulation |
would also, as already limited, have the good
effect of promoting the interests of the local
fairs for, in addition to those who ALWAYS ex. |
Eiblt at these fairs, persons who wish to exhibit
at the State fair would be obliged TO show first |
at the county fairs, thus increasing to that ex. |
tent the number OF articles exhibited at the LAT
ter. These preliminary fairs, in fact, would
serve to winnow out the worthless chat, SO to
speak; and while reducing the number of the
articles shown would improve the quality.
The buildings already at Pimlico should, we !