Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-02-27
THE STATE FAIR.
BILL KING KICKS AND UNWISELY
BLOYIATES.
A Letter to the esprit of the Times"-The
True Inwariness of the Late Fair Con-
test-The Truth of History viniicated-
Shall the Rule or Ruin Policy Win?

While the fair question-union fair, tw,
fairs, or no fair at all-is still under considera
tlon by the representatives of st. Paul anc
Minneapolis, the following communication ap-
pearing in the New York Spirit Of the Times Of
the 22d, and undoubtedly written by Bill King
himself, will be soothing reading Mother
Winslow syrup-for citizens of st. Paul anG
tho people of the State who stand by st. Pau
In the efforts to protect and maintain the right,
OF the State Agricultural society:
''The MINNEAPOLIS ExPosITIoN.-Dear Shirt
Already the noise and bruit of war has rent on,
quiet air. We are to have a fair-a perfect
mastadon. Last years six days wonder is
already declared nowhere beside the great '.tc
be-" The Minnesota Agricultural and Mechau.
ical association, with W. s. King as president
and Chas. Clark as secretary have announced
that this year shall see the browning glory of
our expository fame and have claimed Sept /
to 5. inclusive, as the time for the best exhi-
bition and circuit meeting ever held in the
Northwest. The State Agricultural society has
named (since Col. Kings announcement the
same dates from their fair, said fair to be held
on the St. Paul Driving park grounds.
The same antagonism of pur-
pose will probably animate the
people of the two cities as that of last year.
How all this rivalry will result is in the I'M
known future. but, certain it is, neither party
will be much the richer, for last year the St.
ter of doubt whether our own enterprise was
pecunlarily profitable to any discernible de-
gree. A proposition to join issues and hold a
union exhibition between the two cities has
been tabooed by st. Paul, it having been de-
monstrated by past experience that the feeling
of hostility between the two cities is deep
seated and lasting, and that no propositions of
comfy will be entertained, the Minneapolis
management having determined to go ahead
and force the show to successful issue. The
remarkable meeting of last fall is without a
parallel upon the turf of the Northwest, and
prominent horsemen have already signified
their intention of being present with their
heetest steppers, and when such men as Dan
Mace, Budd Doble, John Splan, and others of
equal prominence, promise to attend, or be
REPRESENTED, the success of the meeting-with
Judge Smith in the stands assured The
Minnesota Stock Breeders association have
named the first week in July for their exhibit
at the grounds, between here and the capital,
SO you see the three great shows of the Gopher
State are rather mixed up Tor, rather badly
separately at present writing, but one thing is
assured, Minneapolis will have fair this wear
which, weather permitting will be the most
stupendous and interesting ever held in the
State. Yours, MINNEAPoLTrAN.'
A more refreshing combination of brag, dirty
insinuations and contemplate lying than con-
tanned In the above, can scarcely be conceived.
OF the brag, nothing need be said further than
1t is Bill King all over.
But the naivetJe with which Bill states that
the st. Paul fair IGNORING the State) ''ran be-
hind over $4,000 last year. while it is a ''mat-
ter of doubt whether our own enterprise was
pecuniarily profitable to any disceruable de-
gree" while in fact the losses of Bills side
show were several Thousand dollars in excess of
the loss of the State fair at st. Paul. is refresh
ing In the extreme, and was it not that the
statement is calculated and intended to de-
ceive the general public as to the real facts,
migh6 be passed over one of Bills good
Jokes, instead of one of his contemplate mis-
representations, as it is.
Still more contemplate: but none the less
characteristic of Bill King is his mention of
the July meeting Of the Minnesota Stock
Breeders association in which he states that
the meeting will be held sat the grounds be-.
tween here and the capital forgetting, SO in
nocently forgetting of course, to mention the
fact that those grounds between Minneapolis
and the capital were those of the St. Paul
Driving Park, by the way, the largest, most
complete in exhibition buildings, stabling,
ETC., and with one of the best full mile tracks
in the Northwest.
The object of the communication is seIf-evi-
dent: 1t is in pursuance of the policy adopted
by Bill King last year in his drumming trips
over the country, and SO successfully played
by him that large majority of the stock
breeders and fast horse owners outside of Min
nesota really believed that he Bill King, was
running the State and all the other fair bust
ness in Minnesota that year.
Thanks to a partial acquaintance with the
facts, and the spirit of fairness that always
governs that paper, The Spirit Of the Times did
not allow itself to fall entirely into Bills trap
to get a free puff at the expense of st. Paul, as
will be seen by the extract below:
'sMINNEsoTAs IRREPREss1BLE CoNFLIcr.-It
will be seen by a communication from Mime
apolis that this city and st. Paul, its immediate
nelghbor, will be ''at it again. next Septem-
Der. Not content with their last years expe-
rience, when the resources of the entire coun-
try III the show line were exhausted for the
purposes of rival expositions, under the name
OF State fairs, occurring on simultaneous dates
in cities but few miles apart, when
the State of Minnesota was agitated to
its center, and never was such an out
pouring of people witnessed within its limits,
but when, sad to say, neither show paid ex-
penses, SO great was the outlay-not content
with this, the two cities intend to renew their
conflict in 1879, and to put forth efforts beside
which those of 1878 will appear pigmy. We
await the result with curiosity, for the spirit
of enterprise and determination is about
equally developed in the two places. and the
result of last years drawn battle will only
make the battle more bitter. OF course, at
fractions will be at premium, and we give to
both homogeneous the benefit of suggestion.
sklllful seronaut has written us about the
notion of balloon race, two air-ships, of
similar construction and equal capacity, to
start at the same time and sail for purse to
be given to the one accomplishing the longer
distance. This would be an entirely novel and
mt st exciting spectacle, and st. Paul and Min
neapolis are SO near each other that the balloons
might start simultaneously from each CITY
Our word for it that the balloon day would be
the big day of the fairs. The REVEALING
winds set eastward. and Minnesota ia so fal
west that it would be splendid point from
which to inaugurate an air voyage of unparal
leled extent"
EAWhile the above is fair, The Spirit errs in
designating the two exhi oitions given last veal
as State Fairs There was only one State fail
| and that was held at st. Paul. For the in.
| formation of The Spirit and all concerned, anc
to show the honorable course pursued by st
Paul in this matter, brief capitulation of tn,
! facts which led to those two rival exposition.
may not be out of place.
For several years prior to 1877 the State fair
had been held in st. Paul. Owing tho fnan
cial depression all over the country, the grass.
! hopper plague, from which large portion o.
our State was suffering, and rainy weather dur
ing fair week, the exhibitions were fnancia
failures. Consequently st. Paul was not anx
ious for che exhibition of 1877.
In this emergency Bill King, who had made
some reputation by operating several Eonth'
in Canada, looking sitter stock, was given tn
presidency Of the society, and the exhibition
located at Minneapolis that year. It was tn,
year of the grasshopper fight from the State
and of Minnesotas mammoth wheat crop. A,
the same time business began to revive every
where, and Minnesotians were iubilant. TIL
consequence was successful fair, and 8,
elated were the managers of the State societ,
| that they decided the fair should be held q
Minneapolis in 1878, and under Bill King