Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-09-20
THE GREAT FAIRS.
An Eastern view--A Spectacle Never Par
alleled in the History of the World.

The Spirit Of the Times, New York, devotes a
lengthy editorial to review of the two great
fairs recently held in Minnesota the one in st.
Paul and the other in Minneapolis, from which
we extract:
During last week spectacle was presented
IN the State of Minnesota, which We think has
never been paraleled in the history of the world.
The cities of st. Paul and Minneapolis, both
belonging to the same member of this great
union of States, Minnesota, happen to be stu
ated few miles apart, and also are about
equal in population, enterprise wealth, and
prosperity. Nowhere else in the West
ern country are two cities of cor
responding magnitude in such close prox-
unity. Rivalry between them is matter of
course, and that it exists the residents of the
two municipalities are constantly, and visitors
to either of them occasionally, conscious. The
feeling is tempered by sense Of the common
good of the section and the State, but will crop
out in the expressions Of the local newspapers.
and in the uDguarded utterances of the resi-
dents of either city. Like that very disagree
able ghost it will not down. Even those who
have not, through experience, become aware OF
this lively competition between the two cities
can imagine what it would naturally be, con-
sidering that each has about 80, 600 inhabitants
and that they are situated iu the same State,
on the same river, and not more than ten miles
apart. But when the condition of internecine
warfare, which must ordinarily prevail between
two such communities. is intensified, as was
the case last week, by the fact that fairs, each
purporting to be State fair, and each sup
ported by abundant claims to the title, are held
in either city, on the same days of the same
week, can it be doubted that the opening
sentence of this article is strictly true?
1t was several months ago that we noted
in an editorial article. the fact that two fairs
both Sta.e, were to be held in these contiguous
cities during the same week, and at that time
having our locks parted iudiciously in the mid
die, we cheeringly made remarks to the effect
that the conflict like the local discussions of a
political party that often bring out more votes
for the general ticket, would cause the
fair at each place to be more sue
cessful than similar event
would have been in either locality, without
competition. Frankly do we now confess that
we seriously doubted at the time, the sound
ness of our position, but events have shown
either that we were possessed by spirit of
prophecy, or that which is more likely, we I'M
derrated. in our mind, not in our language, the
wonderful resources of the great North
west. We did not believe that dual
fairs of such colossal proportions as
we knew these would assume, could
be successfully carried out under such parallel
circumstances and in such propinquity. But
after this we shall have no doubt of the State
of Minnesota. The two fairs have been held,
for six days each, and the number of people
that have attended has exceeded the widest
anticipations, and there is little doubt but that
the census of the entire State could have been
taken at both fairs during the
week. 1t has been, indeed, almost
funny to notice the remarks of
the local papers when the crowd, owing to the
lack of some special attraction, such as Presi-
dent Hayes, Rarus. Senator Blaine, or Hopeful,
has not been quite as large as ordinary. AS an
instance, on one day St. Paul paper said that
the attendance was very light, not more than
5000 people being present at any one time and
not more than $4,000 during the entire day.
What fearful deficiency of spectators that
| was! But, in matter of TACT, neither st. Paul
| nor Minneapolis felt that they were fairly
treated unless over 40, 900 people came within
the gates of their fair grounds on each day.
"And the attractions offered justified them.
| Each We'd with the other to please tho people.
The strongest cards in every class Of sport were
engaged at one or the other place, nothing be.
ing neglected that, by any possible chance
| could prove seductive to the bucolic mind. But
the strongest card proved to be the trotters
| The luminaries of the turf were all there and
| never in the history of the world such a
| fever stirred up over one horse as Rarus
excited. BY virtue of his speed he was
recognized as the star, par excellence,
and when the idea dawned upon the Mime
| apolis public that st. Paul was having more OF
|
tion that was showered upon poor Splan was
| something unparalleled. The papers of st. Paul
| queerly enough, also published in Mime
! apolis and during the excitement of last week
instead of taking position the fence. they
devoted half of their space to city, and the
other half to the other. and the utterances
on each side deeply part
san. This course was truly wise, as ii
enabled the impartial reader to ascertain the
real state of feeling, and had it not beer
adopted, we should not have known what g
double-dyed villain John Splan was, until h.
brought Rarus to Minneapolis, and capped tn
2:14A made by Hopeful, with mile trottet
in 2:l4119, after which performance he wa
hailed as the embodiment of all the virtues
and made the recipient of bouquets and horse
| blankets galore.
1.-THE details of the racing during these fair
will be found elsewhere. The enormous crowd
which attended them abundantly proved tn
truth of the proverb that there is n
greater attraction for the ayerag
man than wonderful trotter. Befor
Rarus, Hopeful and Edwin Forrest, Presi
dent Hayes and Senator Blaine paled their in
effectual fires. 1t is matter of record tina
each of these statesmen paid quarter of
dollar to see Rarus, while no countryman in
vested nickel, directly, for view of the hu
man dignitaries. What better indication coul
be given of the comparative power of attrat
tons?