National Republican., 1881-11-02
IVY CITY ECHOES.
FRoMA NEW YORK CORRESPONDENT.
Impressions OF the National Fair Enterprise from
Neutral standpoint-The Splendid Grounds
and the Exhibition Buidngs-Ths
Running Meeting To-Day.
Special correspondepcc Of THE RrpunIIcAN.

New YoRK, Oct. 30.-At my last visit to
your city, on the closing day Of your fair, prom.
ised to write you my impressions, from neutral
standpoint, Of that particular enterprise. To pre-
mise, upon my arrival was fortunate enough to
meet with my old friend Colonel Joe McKibben
vice president OF the association, and one OF It's
most enthusiastic and untiring supporters, TO
whom in great measure, the present elegant
condition OF its grounds Is due. The morning
after my arrival was balmy and beautiful, and
nvailing myself of his kind invitation, SO heartily
extended me the night before found myself be-
hind his mammoth horse, Bob (who, by
the way, is an original, rs 1 afterward
learned), EN- route for the fair grounds to
take breakfast. "What glorious sighti" OK.
claimed, as we assembled the hill on Patterson ave-
| nue., and paused moment to view the magnin-
| cent scene before u.s. The sun was just rising In
all Its glorious panopy of saffron and gold. Far
away upon the outermost range Of hills the reform
school edihco loomed up like sentinel outpost,
guarding the valley beneath IT, Its grand proper
tons thrown out In sharp outline by the silhouette
Of frngng woodland in Its rear, The gancing
sunbeams fingered lovingly around the staff upon
the main building of the association that borethe
halo of glory the dear old flag, and then stole
onward to lose themselves amid the dark
SHADOWS OF THE GRAND OLD OAKS
upon our right, while the hum OF busy life rising
from beneath us told Of active preparation for the
day just opening. But the Colonel, ever practical,
and minglng with small modiCum of poetry n
major regard for the necessities of life, woke me
from my pleasant contemplation with the an
nonneement that he wanted his breakfast, and
With Go long Bob" We commenced The short ,
sudden desire for break kfst also, for, sticking up
his long, giraffe ike neck as some ponderous en-
| gne, he gathered motion from his own momen-
tum. Faster and faster the huge propelling
limbs, like ready pstons, devourcd the
space; down into the valley we thundered,
| through the gate and up the broad avenue. each
| stride covering a good seven yards. Ignzed first
with wonder, then nmazement, and finally seized
hold Of the scat in fear Faster and still faster he
went till the huge brute that moment before had
almost excited my pity, II not disgust, with his
ungainly preportionsand awkward iounging gait.
the club. house ready for breakfast; aud such u
Observation-Disclosures coffee, spring chicken done
fashioned aannei Spo cakes boiled i ham, sDo grapes pes
peaches, &c. After breakfast We went out to view
the preparations making to receive the French
and German guests, and here | found that mine
host OF the st. James had displayed his usual skill
In such matters, and OH every side saw the flags
Of France and Germany, while towering above
them all the Stars and Stripes, our own glorious
symbol, waved welcome 10 It's transatlantic sisters.
Now, having INDUCED the poetic side OF my ma
ture, let me
TURN TO TIE PRACTICAL RESULTS THAT WERE
before me. First, the grounds OF the association
are the finest of any have yet seen. The track
and its appointments are simply superb The
and dale and fiat, is by all odds the very best of
any in the country. The exhibition buildings are
| NOlbhs VI Clty DOusNlHEi uuu justly 100, VI
magnificent edihces, and all they lack is proper
ana well-merted enthusiasm among your own
people that will give moral support to a manage
ment VINO have used most extraordinary efforts to
tained. True it is that a prophet is never
! honored In his own land but Let us look from
, standpoint of facts and figures and see what has
J been done In three short years Starting with q
cash capital of $500, they have welded together
from four separate owners compact tract OF land
OF 100 acres, built magnificent track ut great ex
pense, erected buildings strong and substantial
and models of Architectural beauty, that In the ag
gregate cover five acres of ground own real estate
whose value at the least is sl50.O0O, owe only
1000 bonded debt and floating debts of $1,000
ana nave disbursed among the citizens OF your
town s225 600 and all In three years And yet some
chronic grumbcrs affect to sneer at this manage
inent. Well, from my point of view,
CALL THIS SUCCESSFUL fISASCIERIHG,
and the men who can do 1t merit the fullest conf
! dence OF your or any other community. ! nm
sorry to learn the fair was not success financially
, This, however, WAS not the fault of the manage
meni, but was due to several causes some extrano-
Gus aud temporary and others local and abiding.
First and greatest of all was the apathy of your
own people, who fail to see the wisdom and para
mount necessity of supporting home institution
like this, not giving their active sympathy and
aid, thus enabling the management each year u
provide more aud greater amusements when rs
sured OF hearty response from their own people
= a second cause was the Baltimore Oriole anC
Y the festivities III your own city during the fair
4 and perhaps as much us n, the deporable TRACED.
r which culminated in President. Garilelds death
But all this is now matter of history; the futur
4 Is what you have TO do with, and learn will
pleasure that your contemplated running meeting
= barring the weather, is bound to be grand sue
cess With 1O of the best horses In the country II
I your stables, and the sporting men of New York
$ Philadelphia, Baltimore Richmond, and Pitts
l. burg, to use mild expression,
i ESTHUsED OVER THE PROSPECT,
what must be expected of your own city2 Wash
ington'neyer had so grand an event before. VIII,
!, the very thought Of IL and the Mct cannot b.
with you to see is driving four-in- -hand will
h my thoughts, and see tile old veteran Check
e mate coming down the stretch with Monitor AM
r. Ferda and Glenmore and Compensation and-hC
I, Colonel, let me dismount / believe I'll com
anyhow All I've got TO say is ii your peopl
n won't go TO see such races as will be run owe
your track next week then set Bob Ingersoll pray
= Ing for them. III conclusion let me say all homo
y to the men by whose persevcring efforts so muc
u has been done, and may every future event be OH
y continued success. Nous ptrrOns.
70 LARKINS, JR.