The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1879-10-02
OUR FAIR.

OUR FAIR.
INFRINGEMENT AND REFORM, By ONE
OF THE GRUMBLERs.
To tie Eaitor Of tie Eagle.
As I have felt they were build
ing on bad foundation | have
frequently approached the managers
of our Fair Association with sugges-
tons and criticisms. But my anx-
icty too see built up in this part of the
valley a grand annual exposition of live
stock and farm products thus far has
deferred me from finding fault through
the papers, and it is only now that
your comments on our last fair eyinces
such an eagcrness to have il generally
understood that nobody but ''constitu-
tional grumbicrs" could take exception
to its management or question its sue
cess that offer thought or two touch
ing the matter. Ii is fact that news
paper comment does much to shape the
course of this management, and when
your paper last year whooped it ur with
all its illegal proceedings. even telling
the public that it was out Of debt when
it was not, the public might naturally
have looked for another fair on the same
order, only more so. Up to one year
ago one of our rules was substantially.
mo gambling device or selling of liq-
Ior allowed on these grounds Last
year that rule was ignored this year 1t
was left out entirely in the makeup Of
the catalogue, and next year we may
naturally look for it to reappear with
slight change and read Nothing but
gambling and whisky allowed upon
these grounds" am told that parties
are already planning the erection Of
grand pool room for the next fair.
This then is sample of the ''retrench-
ment and reform" the President prom
ised us in his speech the first day. but
then it drew and il paid" What did il
draw, and who did it pay! We are told
that these gamblers paid in the aggre-
gate nearly $4,000 for their privileges.
Virtually they paid nothing. They sim
ply each deposited with the managers a
stipulated sum to be returned to them
in four daily installments with one hun
dred per cent added by the unsuspicious
and Woodworking boys of the country.
| And wherein lay its agricultural sue
cess. In its balloon ascension or in lis
sound speeches on farm topics! Gam
blinolv i: was a brilliant success: II also
succeeded in producing drunk on
number of our prominent citizens ana
il is said TO have been II success finan-
cially-that is, saving nothing of it,
credit in the future-but as a Sedgwick
County Agricultural. Mechanical and
Fine Art Fair it fell behind fairs prece.
din" il. The show of fabrics and fine
arts in the hall was more meagre than
either last year or the year before. Oi
farm products there was not much
more than half as much as last year. Oh
cattle. hogs. and sheep, nearly one-ha!l
came from Harvey and Marion counties
Nor was the attendance of Sedgwick
county farmers what ii should have
been. The time of holding was fixed Il
accommodate the fast horse" W.
a., ,,, % tho pros;foo, for tt,;s
and farmers who would liked TO have
spent three days al the fair had it mo-
been for the rush of wheat sowing. only
spent one And yet in the face of thes'
facts there is growing desire for ;
good agricultural fair by the farmers o
Sedgwick county. And when the man
= ayers can be content with such bushes
that is legitimate and entertainment "a
is wholesome and our farmers become
assured that such is the programme th'
majority of the better class of them vii
each day look ahead and fix for Thu
coming fair. and am not loath to &c
knowledge that this class has its repre-
senta;ivcs even the present board
Fuhrman, Piatt and EicholtZ done wha
: they could 10 do away with that stat'
of things which is so calculated to sou
with the farmer and make il necessar,
for certain members of the board to an
nually pcrjure themselves to procure tn
two hundred from the county treasury
And now. Mr. Editor. if you will sent
me a purchaser for fifteen shares i'll thi
association at fifty cents on the dollar
shall do my prettiest 10 overcome m,
constitutional failing in the future.
Respectfully. W. II. RANSOM.