Weekly commercial herald., 1885-11-13
OUR FIRST FAIR.
SUNSHINE AND BEAUTY GRACE
THE OPENING DAP OF VICKS-
BUkGS HAPPY THRONG--
While Pretty Birds Sing Carols Cav
To Give the Olad'ning Song.

To Give the Glad'ning Song.
There were peculiar and significant
circumstances connected with the
grand opening of the Vicksburg Fair
Association. First: There was good
weather which led everybody to BE-
lieve that the Fair was bound 10 be a
success, and on the other hand the
enemies Of the affair said. "We'll see."
1t has required long time to per-
feet the arrangements, yet they are
perfected, and the people of Vicksburg,
with one unanimous voice, when
they read the COMMERCIAL HERALD
this morning. will rejoice that they are
privileged to visit their own race track
and view the flyers that have been
brought hither for their admiration.
The first injecting of the Vicksburg
Fair Association opened, according to
announcement at 10 o'clock yesterday
with an address from Attorney Gen
eral-elect, T. Marshall Miller, who
said:
Ladies and Gentlemen;
On yesterday morning the president
Of this Association notified me that l
would be expected to open this enter
tainment. i declined upon the ground
that the services of an orator should
be secured to do justice to so great an
occasion, but to my surprise | saw it
stated in the COMMERCIAL HERALD
Of yesterday morning that | had been
captured, so l took the stand rather
than permit This great conscientious
journal to lose its character for truth
fulness; and [ assume the agreeable
duty of opening the first of useful,
and 1 trust far reaching series of
entertainments which shall contribute
not only to the pleasure and benefit Of
Vlcksburg, but to that of the entire
State.
For while this first exhibition of
our Fair Association is in many
respects incomplete, and offers but
limited variety of entertainments; yet
its effects in the future and the pro-
portions to which it may grow
may without exaggeration be
largely extended, the interest
which our people are already taking in
the introduction and improvement of
all kinds of live stock is an augury of
better things. 1t gives the promise of
new South, which will not only
clothe the world, but will certainly
feed and maintain itself.
The influx Of strangers to our bor-
ders, friendly spies, who come to spy
over the land with the kindest inten-
tions, is alone great and incalculable
benefit. People were amazed to see at
the Worlds Exposition last winter
that Mississippi might easily be made
the greatest hay State in the Union.
Our guests to-day from the arid
plains of the far West, see around
them land with never failing
streams of water; our bermuda pas
lures that smile under the fercest
drought.
Our visitors from the far North see
with amazement that the highest bred
cattle and horses are readily acclimated
here; they see that no double lined
stables are necessary, no water-heating,
foOd-thawing apparatus; that
dried food is necessary but
three months in the year,
that our cane-brakes, that laugh at
frost and SHOWS and keep forever
green, make butter like gold and cream
that brings a dream Of Arcadia. They
see that these products all bring
higher price than the same articles do
in the North where the expense of
production is so much greater. They
see land is much cheaper, timber so
much more abundant that to the most
careless observer it is obvious chat
energy, capital and thrift are all that
is neeoed to make the desert places
blossom like the rose and to pale into
insignifcance the rewards that these
bring on the bleak hill isides of New
England.
1t is said of old that where Nature
does too much for man he does less
for himself, and lam afraid that in our
case it must be confessed that we men
of the South have been too easily con-
tented with the indolent methods of
our unskilled labor and the poor re-
turns Of careless husbandry. We have
much too learn froM our more ener-
getic brotherns elsewhere.
Let them come among US aud teach
US. Gladly will we learn that truck
pays better than cotton; that thorough
breds are preferable to scrubs; that it
pays better to raise mules than to buy
and starVe them In return we can
perhaps teach them some lessons; |
will not say of what nature, since l
am to-day rather inclined to scold than
to fatter, to scold us ourselves for hav-
ing so long neglected, abused, deserted,
maltreated our mother, the best
mother man ever had, mother nature.
She who bears with patience all
wrongs and is ever ready to reward
with smiles and plenty the returning
prodigal who studies TO understand
and obey her.
To this meeting, we are happy to