The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1880-04-13
THE SPRING FAIR.

| IVkOMn8X-OMw3OW1 W ODymGR-A
Small Assendance-H4lspepresensa.
t1ona- Display Of Vegetables - The
Flawer Whow-The Ladies Ahead,
ball Plnying-6 6lass-ball Dhoosfnx
-RacinG-Minor Notes, &c,
The Spring Fair, consisting of vegetable and
floral display, commenced on ThuEsdag morning.
the 9Th inst., and continued until Friday even
ing, two dayA It was held under tte auspices
of the Middle Florida Agricultural and Mechsn-
ical Association, in the Main Exhibition Build
ing, ON their grounds located one mile north of
| this city.
The weather on the morning of the opening
day was threatening. and about II o'clock A. M
it commenced to rain and continued to until
nearly three in the afternoon; Notwithstanding
which, when the reporter for this paper, a little
later. arrived on the grounds he found that the
exhibits had about all been taken out and most
of them arranged.
The attendance on this evening ives ! United, as
1t was throughout. owing partly to the discour-
aging aspect of the weather. which deferred
many from going out from this place, and, as a
matter of course, prevented many more from
coming in from the country and neighboring
towns Another drawback was that the railroad
fare was higher than the public expected, being
one full hsfare for the round trip from all points
No doubt the managers thought they were
placing 1t as low as they could afford to- but we
are inclined TO the opinion that if it had been re-
duced as low as sne-fourth fare, that it would
have been as much to their advantage as to that
of the Association. If the fare for the round
trip from Jacksonville had been placed at five
dollars, doubtless many would have taken advan-
tage Of it who did net feel disposed to pay eight
The only obstacle in the way of this would have
been found in the indefatgible efforts of our
| East Florida friends to assure the tourist that
| there is nothing TO be seen here-no country, no
people, no accommodations, no nothing. AS it
is, il seems that some were hindered from COM
| ing in this way A gentleman residing near here
received letter from one at the former place,
stating that himself and several others had in
tended visiting the fair and this section of coun
try, but that they had been informed that the
only accommodations of travel they would meet
with from Live Oak here would be found inside
some sort Of box-car in the rear OF slow
freight train. We are not surprised at this, for
II is nothing uncommon for such instances of
gross Misrepresentation TO be brought to our
knowledge. If the same amount of ingenuity
and perseverance with which the people of that
section labor to convince the travelling public
that the inhabitable portion of the State is con-
fined to Jacksonville and the St. Johns river,
could be expended upon the improvement of
their nightmare "bar," they might soon have
ten fathom channel permanently established
without calling upon Uncle Sammy" for help.
AS far as our railroad accommodations are con-
cerned, they are as good as any TO be found in
the Stale, and the track is the best We will
undertake to- satisfactorily accommodate in our
hotel and boarding houses any delegation Jack
sonville can send up As far as concerns our
country, we can afford TO tell the truth in regard
to all other sections, it being wholly unnecessary
for US to belle our neighbor in order to enhance
our own interest.
But, TO return: On Thursday evening what ex-
hibits had been placed on the lower floor of the
building during the morning, were removed to
the upper, completely filling all the space al
lowed for articles of exhibition, so that no por-
tion of either division presented blank appear
ance.
Fridays dawn found the thermometer unusu.
ally low for this latitude at this season of the
year, the clouds wore menacng look and aided
In imparting an uncomfortable appearance to
things generally. A stiff breeze was coming out of
the northwest, and the atmosphere was rather
raw, making overcoats and wraps very tolerable
encumbrances and fires not at all Objectionable
Despite this unlocked for drawback, larger at
tendance was on the grounds at ten o'clock than
at any time on the day previous, and there
seemed to be no lack of enjoyment The affair
rather had the appearance of family reunion
and merry making, there being but few strangers
present, and those few were at once welcomed
and Installed In the circle; and though there was
only temporary change in the aspect of the
weather during the day, "all went merry as
marriage bell"
THE DISPLAY OF VEGETABLES
was even better than expected, but indicates
thai gardening has hardly kept pace with the
present unprecedented season i; for with the ex-
ception of q few days, we have been in the midst
of May for more than two months past. The ex-
hibits In this line, however, nearly without excep-
tion, were highly meritorious, and would have
given to visitors from other States faint idea
of the fertility and capabilities OF the soil and
climate in this portion of our land of eternal
spring.
THE FLOWER SHOW,
which would most aptly have designated the ma
ture of the exhibition, far surpassed, in both
beauty and profusion, anything that had been
looked for by even the most sanguine cooperator.
As usual, the ladies had come nobly to the res
cue, and. II we may be allowed to employ the
smile, under their magic touch the wilderness
had bloomed % the rose. The interior of the Ex-
hibition Building had been decorated with our
own evergreen bamboo and pine and the long
grey moss of our native woods Flowers bloomed
everywhere. Pyramids Of blossom rose from the
hoor and stood clothed In glory greater than
Solomon's Flower spheres and baskets swung
from overhead TO meet the uprising of the thou.
sand perfumes burdening the airs An endless
profsion of roses breathed incense at the shrines
of paler sister lilies lending to them transtory
blush, while, yet, here and there, some lily bright
or than them all it's glory cast upon the vieing
roses. The snowy Gala stood side by side with
the crimson cactus. Fuchsias, geraniums, bego-
Mas, coleas, and their exotic companions, mingled
their foliage and bloom and blent In one per-
fumed exhalation the incense of their spirits
| In flowers known only to Flower Land" artis-
| tic and exquisite designs, wreathed into form
r. H. 4