, 1879-10-18
4 GrOHl.

Our eontempories all over the country
who were unfortunate enough to be bam-
boozled into visiting the thing called by
courtesy fair which lately came off in
our city, all unite IN proclalming 1t TO be a
fiZZle and tiZZle of the most ridiculous kind
at that There were no eXtenuating cIrcum-
stances about it that left a pleasing impres-
sion on the minds of any one sonl who WIS.,
tied it. Some of the papers lay the entire
blame on the farmers because they dld not
attend, and bring along with them their
wives and families. This is too absurd for i
moments serious contemplation. The fact
is the whole blame for the failure hes entirely
on the shoulders of those who had tie man.
agement of 1t. 1t may be that they con-
sidered 1t an honor to have the name of con-
ducting II, and were satisfied with that
empty honor IN the ti-sy place, the pre-
MUM list was arranged with a view, appar-
emily to disgust exhibitors, and have the
poorest show possible for the money col
| lected from our business men, Some of the
| best work ever done In this whole upper
country was put off with the sop of paltry
blue ribbon while the snbliuiity of some
school girls folly, bed quilt, was awarded a
premium of s. 90. No agricultural nipple
ments We're to be found because no induce
ment was offered, yet s. 90 was givea for
two loaves of bread, for no other reason that
| any one can see but because there Was no
competition against them. In fact the arti-
cles of general ability were almost entirely
debarred from the premium list, and such
trash as pincushions, fancy bead work, patch
work, worsted and bead embroidery, gained
in the aggregate prizes of hard cash amount
ing To over $50 90 But more especially IT
is the parsimonious manner in which the So
ciety has dealt with its supporters that the
public has Just cause To complain; the papers
of this city were expected to do everything
In their power to make the thing a success,
and yet they were ungraciously refused even
an advertisement in short, the whole affair
was of that cheap and nasty" character
which the go-ahead. enterprising. great
American people hold iii detestation above
all other things. Another thing deserves
notice, and We think our farmers have good
reason to complain of. Three men only
! entered horned cattle amounting IN all To 23
| head OF these one man gained II preml-
ums another 10. and the remaining man one,
so the whole lot entered gained a prize
These cattle were well deserving of prizes
| for they are hard to beat, and We are salts
| fed that they were entered by legitimate
enterprise for competition; it Is impossible
that even the men who gained the prizes
were satisfied, they would have been far
happier hal there been mere entries. The
same thing occurred with other articles; they
gained prizes because they were single and
alone Bread the same way; the whole
thing showed either the greatest Indifference
or terrible mis- management. The sooner
these annual farces are put an end to, the
better it vii! be for all concerned. If, in the
future, another attempt is made to resurrect
1t let our citizens first be assured that Ire
business men have the management. The
past affairs have proved failures, and as our
own county is so fast taking the lead OF all
Others it is detrimental TO It's whole interests
to be shown up in a ridiculons light again.
We cannot afford it. Our farmers showed
by their absence that they had no faith in it
therefore we do but speak their sentiments
In saving "enoaeh.' If the society can
long succeed under such management, 1t has
more vitality than we give 1t credit for