Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1888-01-19

fne American penple love recreation
md our fairs are popular with them
But they are both sensitive aud sensible
,Hd TO hold their paironage anywhere
hey must be we'll treated What are
| tairsp The answer To- this question
involves consideration Of severn
important topics. Are they solel,
schools for the promotion and develop.
ment of agriculture, To give the ruraj
population. intelligence upon agricul-
ural matters, or, are they institutions
designed TO atf rd both instruction and
amusement in q general way 10 M
people who choose To attend them
1 While il is no doubt true that they are
'ftrn managed with neither If these
| objects in view, but in the manner b,
which the most money can he obtained
Nv their propretnTs. We believe that
here will be- no difficulty for candid
minds to agree that they serve the bpsr
purpose when they are not limited e.
he interests of any one class of people.
mt aspire TO elevate and expand All Tho
rts and industries and afford proper
exhibitions to satisfy the curiosity, aud
annsements TO delight all classes al
people. We often sae articles in our
| gri'ultnral papers in which cur farmers
are urged To turn OUT. en- maSSe, and
control The election -nf managers tor
| the fairs, turn the ri Gals ont. and run
he exa'bitieps upon purely agricultu Al
| principles. But We believe that the,
forget that they are rushing from Que
extreme to the other, the results ~
which will be- equ ,lly disastrous Ii
| may be said That fairs are nat relied
upon as educators as much rs
! they once were We nasv have live
stock ,urnas anil agricuitursl Pup rs
almost without hummer, and their
columns are filed with able Articles.
from prtctlca men discussing every
conceivable farm topic, and spreading
| intelligence about every thing concern
ing such industries
They have taken away the glory OF
the primitive fair largely, aud every
| sensible farmer takes one or more snch
papefs and relies upon them foY in!0r-
nation. rather ,nan the stow process
Of observation through the fairs b.
sides the man who goes 10 fair to he
come educated As they have been con
dncted viii have his curiosity only huf
satisfied. Re will do d1ubt see excl
| lent samples of grain aa.i vrgriahi. S
and fruits, and fine specimens az hive
stock of various breeds, but he will
| have bui little ike ihond 81 Iatfning rs
To the variety, mode of culture, Weld,
methods of feeding and utber details
in which he may be most Interested
such AS satisfy the mind and MT ttp
eye merely. Bat granting that The
fairs are all that can be wisilpd IN this
respect, will a purely agricultural ex-
hibition, limited in patronage 10 those
who aru Interested in these pursuits,
meet with the success which those
achieve which are built upon a broader
basis ? In answering tins question
it is only necessary to point to f,irs as
they are, contrasting some. which are
trying To succeed upon Il purely agri-
cultural hisis, witt the many winch
have succeeded with more extended
ideas in view And If We should admit
for arguments sake. that their success
was equal, little observation Of the
former, if it did MT reveal the tiefrSted
horse-race. woul show tast they rolled
upon some class uf amu-emrut 10 hold
their crowd, outside Of the mere Si.yllt
which iheiI agricultural EXHIBIT. voui
present. As rule a large pr cent ri
the fair guerS are from the city ant
village and care bur little for rural sights
and pursuits, and perhaps rs large a
per cent OF the rustic patrons have 10
more educational interests in fair
than their city brethren.
The coming of the fair has grown to
be- looked upon a. a grand holiday and
f.stal occasion where the young and
old. rich ant poor. can come together
10 meet upon common ground 5 me-
with Samples of their Industry. others
for ref ction and INSTRUCT ion in the
progress of he aye, more Ia meet their
friends aud exchange social greetings.
bun still more To- see The enter;ainmant
aud ~ppni day Or So of rest and
pl' assure away from the cares OF home,
after the busy dlvs If snmmvr and
harvest are past and preparatory to he
humdrum lite of the approaching win
ter Granted that amusrments are
not only profitable bur desirable nd
jnnctS to fair. the question arises.
{ q
answer This we think the same line
should separate them as disti4 gnishps
virtue aud vice. One deplnr ,ble thing
10 be- noticed at our fairs, and thin :
which is making the decaiance of those
where it is allowed, is he licensing by
the managers of games of chance,
wheels of fortune, aud STANDS where
intoxicating liquors are sold. l. j.
morally criminal, to divert these
gatherings. where 50 many young psD-
pie are assembled. from oncaSinns
where examples If industry, frny4i,v
morality aud sobrety should be seen on
evers side 10 OPP rrtunitieS for sharp4rs
To carry on their S@indino, cnrrpnpt
and debase the people and teAeh oar
youth habits OF infrmper nee. This
il "a sampln of the depths of depreciation
to which several of our fairs have goa,.
X down, AID that others VINO are in.
them may see themselves rs Others see
them and proti by the example. Every.
where the struggle aud toj 10 m lin.
tain life makes men aud women almost
slaves, and a dan 5 respite If recreation
/ ana amusement IL never an unwelcnm
guest, Men from the busy toll of thru
forms, from the clnSeneSS Of stores
offices, shops and mines. women firm
the confinement Of home, all hail 4
day of recreation and relaxation, and
cheer its coming. And why eannpt n
/ fair he m i'ie 10 serve their purpose 2
( What should hinder its being a sort nj
festive occasion and long Anticipated
gala day aS we'll as an opportunity fol
Instruction? This NAV be male !
secondary matter but still exert a mar.
4 icai influence and become a prominent
as well n Il potent factor 10 the success
Uf = fair.
( MIXED FARMING.
! By A. CURTIS, Patch Grove, Wis.
/ M mixed with u haphaz nd wav.
nor with drndgerv and smali profits.
Il should not be mixed with shif,l4ss.
ness. or in running to town three 81
fnnI TINES week and spending "A hall