Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-09-18

would really only give ten days OF com.
pletion, unless the Directors could hit upon
some way Of compelling the exhibitors to
be in readiness on Monday morning. Judg-
ing from past experience, however, this is
not practicable. At least it has never
been accomplished yet. There are always
dilatory people who cannot be spurred into
action until the fair is actually open, and
probably this class will remain with us to
the end. A two. weeks fair, or, better
still, a three-weeks'' fair, would make the
whole exhibition ten times more useful
than it is at present, and would afford op.
portunity for far more deliberate judgment
as to the merits of the exhibits. In order
to make the most of such change, how.
ever, it would be necessary to have new
Pavilion, and at the same time it would be
desirable to introduce several improvements
at the Park.
The demand for a new Pavilion is urgent
and in fact peremptory. The exhibits at
present are SO crowded that there ia not
room for visitors. The people who attend
the Pavilion in the evening can see little
else than the crowd. 1t is absolutely i'm.
possible at such time to examine the ex-
hibits with any thorougbness or satisfac.
ton. Whoever wishes to do thai must 90
in the day time, and then they are obliged
to forego some of the attractions at the
Park. A building twice as large as the
present Pavilion could have been we'll
filled this year, and the demand for space
is constantly increasing The delay in do.
ing nythipg in this connection is vexatious.
President LaRue, however, has shown in
his annual address how the thing can be
managed, and we have no doubt that his
recommendations are practicable. No time
ought to be lost in arranging the prelim.
inaries for a new Pavilion, and the people
of Sacramento are called upon by their own
plainest interests to assist the undertaking
by every means in their power. 1t is in.
deed unnecessary to dwell upon the local
advantages to be derived from prolonga-
ton of the State Fair, and by an enhance.
ment of its significance and usefulness.
We hope, therefore, that before the next
Fair occurs the old barn.like building on
Sixth street will have been dircarded, and
that new and convenient Pavilion will
have been erected in some we'll chosen part
of the city, convenient of access, and in all
respects creditable to the city and to the
State Agricultural Society.
There are some improvements greatly
needed in connection with the speed pro.
gramme. The method of announcing the
results of the races is altogether antigua.
ted. At every Eastern race track sys.
tenn of Geographic announcements is now
employed, somewhat on the plan of the
machines called hotel annunciators. In.
stead of sending man to stick up the
names and colors of the horses, and pain.
fully chalking the time on blackboard,
all this is done by simple mechanical
devices. We also need much better
method of announcing decisions from the
judges stand. President LaRue possesses
remarkably powerful voice, and his
efforts to speak clearly are most conspicu.
GUS, but when any breeze is blowing it is
nevertheless quite impossible for those who
are more than twenty yards away to hear
what he says. We suggest that the EN-.
ployment of the macrophone for the pur.
pose of making these announcements,
would be desirable. The macrophone is a
recent invention by means of which the
sound of the human voice, as spoken into
the diaphragm of the telephone, is rein.
forced and expanded, with the result that
whatever is said can be reproduced at any
distance much louder and quite ss clearly
as when spoksa> This instrument appears
to be speojH ptable to the purpose in
view, and IN be no question as to
the relief cel.enience it would be,
both to the Judges and the public.
If g. lacrophone cannot be applied,
thsl lind of speaking trumpet should
- for as it is the endeavo.5 of the
judges to make themselves heard are for the
most part aggravating failures. The auto.
matte annunciator however is an improve.
ment which could be easily enough pro-
cured, and which would cost but trife,
and certainly, since we pride curse Ives upon
possessing one of the fastest tracks in the
country, we ought not to rest content with
being behind the age in its adiunsts. If at
the same time any plan could be devised
for doing away with the tedious and weary
work of starting the horses, it would be
boon to the public. Hitherto three -fourths
of all the time spent at every race-meeting
has been wasted in waiting. A great deal
of the difficulty experienced in getting the
horses into line is no doubt attributable to
jockeying, and a system of sharp reproofs
and fines is probably the only way of
breaking up the abuse. 1t does, however,
seem to the public that good deal of un-
necessary time is usually consumed in send.
ing the horses off, and that sometimes
when they are suffered to go they are less
advantageously placed than on aprevious
occasion, when they were called lack.
General Bidwelrs exhibits in ihe lower
hall this year showed what could be done,
in the cereal line, by energy and sagacity.
The exhibits of Lockett, Muir phy and
others in fruits, fresh and dried, lso indi.
Gated encouraging advances. Hut it is
still necessary to repeat the advice we
have given fair after fair, to the fect that
more systematic ,affoT Is should be made to
obtain something like comprehensive
| showing of the various sections of the
State. We have said heretofore that, in
our opinion, the Society ought b make
this = constant object, and that to this end
it should cooperate with the District
Societies, and through them seek to
stimulate enterprise all over this State.
We are not proceeding with sufficient
rapidity in this direction, but il . new
Pavilion is built during the next year there
will no longer be any excuse fol remiss.
ness, and in fact it will become sb.
solutely necessary to add to the attrac.
tions and increase the usefulness of the
fair in every conceivable direction. And
in all this necessary work of improvement
and expansion the people of Sacramento
will have to take an active part.
GIBSON AND THE PLATFORM.