Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1879-09-11
ADDRESS BY. e.. H. WILLIAMS,
At WOOD COUNTY FAIR.

Resolge1 That we extend to Mr. Geo l. vii.
lams. County superintendent. our hearty thanks
for his valuable aid and assistance rendered to
promote the success of our County Fair, and we
hereby request hat he furnish a copy of his
very able address &c our city papers for publica-
ton.
PASSED By the Association unanimously Sep
TENDER 5.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN:
take it that fair of the kind
we are now participating in is in
tended as fully as possible to exhibit
the resources and. capabilities Of a
20. or section. This is done for the
two-fold purpose Of first stimulating
impro cement by grouping and COM
pairing and second, for the purpose
Of showing to strangers and outsid-
ers who may be IN attendance, the
merits, advantages, and possibilities
Of a given section, thus aiding in a
new county like ours in securing
settlers In this latter sense an ex-
hibition Of this character is Of pecul-
lar advantage to Wood County. A
ounty which abroad, and up to
within few years has had the rep
utation Of being made up of a Who'll
" worthless and unproductive soil.
Certainly an inspection of the vege-
table productions now on these
grounds IS convincing argument
that Is an agricultural county we
have few equals IN the state. True
we are yet as it were in our infancy
as an agricultural SECTION. Though
known AMI settled for years, the oc
cupation OF she people has been al
most wholly confined to numbering
Bat this day is nearly past and we
are if may use the figure, in the
morn oc a bright and prosperous
farming future; many who formeri Y,
though living in the country employ
eI themselves IN the woods in the
winter and running the river in sum
mer are now actively engaged in
tilling the soil and extending their
clearings year by year. Then, too,
parties seeking places for homes are
almost daily to BE- seen on our
streets AMI numerous are the aidi-
tions made to cur industrial farming
class from this number.
And while you annually gather at
these fairs anI exhibit the pro iac
SONS Of your larm3, your workshops
and your homes 1t seems 10 me most
wise and proper that you so a htte
further, that that which so much en-
CAGES the time and attention of your
children be allotted place in which
to display itself, or in other words
that So much Of the work of the
school room as is capable of being
exhibited be given place in these
annual fairs. With this in view and
being heartily seconded and encour-
aged by the President and other Off
GERS OF this association we have
made a commencement, as may be
seen by the collections and speci-
mems grouped In the room adjoining
this one. | think | may safely say
that the character of the work exhi-
hited this year is credit to the
schools participating and it is GER
tainly very gratifying to know that
1t has been source of much inter
esting examination and comparison
on the part Of many in attendance
upon the fair. True, but a small
proportion Of the schools are repre-
scented being but about one third,
still this gives US very good display
and shows to those interested where
in many Improvements may be made
in future displays.
In case | am connected with the
schools as County Superintendent
during next year, | think [ may safe
" say that proGting by the expert
encc Of this year and aided by the
hearty cooperation of the teachers
of the county, a gathering of school
work will be exhibited which will
embrace most. if not all, of the
schools IN the county and be source
OF much profit to young and old.
For next year taost ef the work will
be done d,2r!ng the winter term when
the schools are the fullest aud when
al are in session, and thus we will
be able to compare the work of our
country sch 'ois one with another as
also class y til class. This exhibit
has deno1s rated very clearly that
IN ~ aE RESPECTS 1t is Unfair GO at
tempt to CO. pare the work of our