The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-12-11
state Agricultural Society.


every man in Richmond, II not IN VIZ
ginia. He writes as follows;
Editors Of Dispatch; Your editorial OF
aad Novembcr haS been read with pleasure,
md Is highly approved, but 1t requires
sou,e explanation In reply OF the late lnan-
,s,crs. | am not rs familiar with u as MAJOR
Dr.wry. Colonel Knight, and Others, but
vii. give my explanation n the question,
WHY has the Society had 10 incur deht
os S2s.0o0y ! begin by saying that m my
ooinion there has been no bad management
by The Society till this year. IL was Dau
management, or. az least, mistake, 70 NJ
tesnp, 10 run the Fair against the 1 oIh-
town Centennial, throughout all the duStV
no;h plgceS. and especially against lhc
kiehnond Exposition and celebrations,
which satisfied and tired ont the peO-
p,e in the city without going ON
20 the FAIRGROUNDS. We very naturally
thougbt that tho Yorktown Centennial
yonld bring large concourSe OF people 10
o,,y state. and that in passing they would
spend day in Richmond. and come OUT 70
on, Fair. We knew nothing 81 the Rich
nond Exposition in April, when our pre-
Mum list was publishedto the world, as II
inns 10 be done early in order 10 allow eN-
hibi;ors to prepare for exhibition, and,
;fter IL was published and somc entries
made. il became q contract. Jhcn, Rlch-
rpond came forward with her exhibition,
not Intentionally, hut practically, In COM
petition, and destroyed Us. when Il was too
All for Us 10 withdraw. That Is one OF the
regions Of 5000 Indebtedness OF The go
coo Another reason is the want OF steam
TRANSPORTATION 70 the Fair-Grounds TINS
and past years. And why for this year
Gimply because, after the Society went 10
she cost and trouble to get the injunction
dissolved bv the courts, and permission 10
ran steam-csrs down TO Eighth on Broad,
ihe city authorities in'eipOsed and restrict
ed thcn 10 First street (it il true, because
Il would interfere with their decorations
S,f this same city exposition. and think
shcy were right 20 protect themselVcs); but
fho railroad authoritics said: eve tried 1t
from Eliza last Fair, and ii did not pay uS,
nor will Il from First street Wis year, ana
We will not 90 70 tho cost Of fitting up cars
Coz the purpose" Thus, after all Our ei-
forts. we went astcrn $4,000 this year. Is
x not partly due 10 the cold shoulder OF
Tho city OF Richmond that we should be
81. 900 in debt instead Of $4,000 last Year,
why were we $4,000 in debti Partly be-
cause of the Injunction obtained by citi-
sens oi Richmond 20 prevent stcam-cars
running OF Broad street; for from thai
season only our two preceding Fair'
nad not been financially successful.
vci ! ask after the above eXplanationsb
im answer 20 the question Of the Dispatch.
has the management been financial fail
urci | think not. The war left us with
about so, 900 Virginia state stock-Iam not
tNsitiye ~ 10 the amount-bu we had no
hug else. II was then worth thirty-seyen
cents in the dollar. We could not hold
iairs on worthless paper. We sold II, and
invested in slxty-iour acres Of land. Does
INV one doubt tie wisdom 81 that sale !!
Rare Of improvements IA il WA then,
suppose it. il now worth nj lease $4,000.
b. addition. VIC have put Improvements on
4 In the WY Of fine fencing around The
whole Of il, laying Off and grading first
class racc-track, $500 linealieet Of stabling,
rnOst OF il trst-class, covered with cypress
shingles, grand stand, costing about
W ono. n handsome and extensive pavilion
budding. large number Of iirst-class brick
offices, and ali other buildings necessary
u the perfect running OF grand fair.
eyeditable 10 our State and capital city, at
firDe having o handsome premium-list,
and attracting 10 the city large crowds, all
on a capital al first Of some 5000 State
stock Il don't pretend 10 he accurate in tho
amount. for do not write from tthe Office,
worth then. | know, only 81 cents in the
dollar. or lees than $4,000 capital TO start
with. | do not consider. this financial
failure, but, on the contrary, success.
Then can We, with this debt paid up or
funded, with our grounds perfectly fitted
lip, make a SUGGEST We can, on two con-
tiitions-first, steam transportation TO the
grounds: second. cordial support from
she city of Richmond. Now, with the In
junction dissolved so far ~ 10 permit
steam-cars TO run down Broad TO Eighth
street during the four days Of the Fair (as
long a. II will probably be held hercafter),
am sure the first condition l. satisfied, and
Seel sure the railroad VIII, with sufficient
notice, do the work either from Broad
street or Byrd-strcet depot, il it will pay
them: and If ten cents passenger
viii not, fifteen cents will. Second: Who
can believe that any metropolitan city
in the United States will resolve itself
into a provincial town by thrusting from
~ borders q society devoted TO agricul-
lure, which il the only basis 10 the pros
perity OF any city oh earth. know Rich
nond il, and should be, more devoted 10
manufactures. II should be the Birming-
ham OF the United States. hut where can
rtere he any success 10 manufactures with
oui first successful agriculture 10 support
~ Is there any sane nan who doubts
ifat the Virginia State Agricultural So
eiety, whether well-managed or not, has
been beneficial 10 the interest OF the city OF
aiohmond1 Now, the question Is, Shall
II he sustained by friendly support from
TIC city Of Richmond, involving no posi-
hlo financial loss, az under the propagation
q mortgage on the Fair-Grounds is ample
security for the principal Of the debt, and
responsible individuals guarantee the in
to,est; or shall the property be sold
~ pay the debts and the life Of
The Virginia State Agricultural So
ciety become extinct, and the Fairs,
Il held ut all. be held Of Lynchburg, Dan
vile. or stanton? For one, much pre-
ior, that IL our Society il worth anything,
10 build up with II our beautiful capital
city, at the same time promoting the agTi-
cnlture and manufactures OF the whole
state.
Finally, the question is this: VIII the
city OF Richmond by friendly act, without
~ any possible contingency mourning loss
financially, save from sale the property OF
he Virginia State Agricultural Society, or
snail il be sold 10 satisfy it, debts! As one
who had devoted long life TO agriculture,
and who has taken great pride in the State
and its capital city, would dcplore the lat