The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-10-11

texas ullSHG HOuOT Iuo 1dSG IcSIluB |
place of the woman, who cast her lot |
with mortal heroes, who have been |
promoted to Immortality.
MAKE 1T WHAT 1T SHOULD BE.
One week from to-day the Capital
State Fair Association begins its
ninth annual exhibition. For nine
years this organization, composed of
but few of our citizens, have labored
for the organization and perpetuation
of an institution highly creditable to
this community, and for these nine
years business men and laboring men
Of Austin have been benefited by its
existence, while the stockholders of
the association have never received
a dollar in return upon investments.
Thousands of dollars worth of build
ing material has been purchased in
Austin, and large sums OF money
have been spent and con-
tinue to be spent, annually, in
the employment of artisans and labor
ers for improvements and repairs.
Hotel keepers and livery men have
received rich rewards, while every
man who has run any sort of a passen-
ger vehicle on the streets during fair
week has made money. To. trades
people these annual fairs have been
source of muchiprofit. Fair week has
always been looked forward to as
a sort Of holiday. Everybody has
prepared for it, investing in new
clothes, new hats and boots and
shoes, new buggies and car
riages, or they have had old
ones renovated. They have bought
new horses and new harness, and the
grocers assert that annually it has
been season of decided profit to
them, since everybody entertains Wis
iting friends. Every local business is
in some measure benefited, since even
in the professions the occasion brings
lawyers and clients, agents and en-
ployers, together. Such is only SUI
perficial view of the effect produced
on business by these annual exhibit
tions. and such being the effect,
The STATESMAN feels no hest
fancy in saying that the people of
Austin owe debt to the association,
which no one expects them to pay,
except by adding interest to the fair.
This association is now the last OF its
sort existing in Texas. For some
years there was most pretentious
one at Houston there was one at San
Antonio ; another at Waco; fourth
at Brennan, and others. All these
have ceased to exist, excepting two or
three small county fairs, and only one
the Capital State Fair Associa-
ton remains. Of course, there
are any number of people who con-
tend that the association here does not
know anything about conducting an
nual fairs. Some of these people may
have helped to shape the course
of some of the associations that
have gone down, while local GROWERS
have not put a dollar in the
association. One growler, the othe-
er day, said the association
does not spend money freely enough
in advance of the fair, and he was
told that the association had no mon
ey to squander. He replied that the
association ought to assess members
for such expenditures. The members
have paid up their stock in full, many
years ago, and are willing for it to re-
main of no profit to them so long as
the annual exhibits may be made.
For nine years the association has
weathered through storms, and now
it is on a more substantial basis than
eyer before. 1t is now in condition
to remain permanent, and nothing is
asked in return but that the people OF
Austin and Travis county give it
that hearty endorsement which The
STATESMAN asserts it deserves from
them. Let them make full exhibits
in all the local branches of industry;
let men and women, and even boys
and girls vie with each other
in exhibits comprising everything
that may be shown. Already many
applications are on file for space
for exhibits from abroad, and with
these exhibits let us show the
industries and occupations of Austin
and the products of Travis county.
Let us resolve to make this fair more
creditable than all which have pre-
coded it. Let these fairs be made to |
reflect the industry and beauty and
taste of Austin, the products of Travis |
county and of the adjoining counties.
Give the association a grand !
endorsement now, and every person |
who visits it will hereafter take an |
interest in it. Not only may the people |
of Austin and vicinity, in such event,
manifest pride in its existence, but,
located as it is at the capital of the
state, persons will rally around it
from all portions of Texas, and the |
Austin fairs may be made to bear the
same relation to the Southwest that |
those of st. Louis do to the North |
west. We may begin, then, to formu-
late plans for "a grand exhibit in the |
semi centennial year of Texas indie
pendence. THE STATESMAN earnestly |
asks all to take hold of the fair and |
make it what it should be. The di-
rectory of the association has offered |
asplendid line of premiums in all the
departments, and it is hoped the COM
petition will be active and interesting.
THE German papers regard the
French insults to King Alfonso as d.