Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-11-14
How Many Fair. Shall We Have

| some newsy newspaper reporter With
vivid Imagination. has lately been troubled
with bad dreams, and in one of them saw, or
thought he saw, the disruption of the Maine
State Agricultural Society, through internal
discussions in the board Of trustees: Had he
exercised his reason when awake he would
have known that it is not the duty of these
men to quarrel, and that, with co-equal duties
and l4bors, one could not say to another ~
have no need of thee" That's not the way
they do business
! These trustees are selected at the annual
meeting by districts, the life members of the
society, from each district, retiring to diff
| ferent parts of the hall and making a selec-
ton to be reported to the society and then
the whole body cast their ballots. Ii has
| been customary for this ballot to be simply
a matter of form, to confirm the selection of
the districts. but this year the members saw
III to exercise their right and elect a new
| man. hence the visions.
! In the third district Mr.. B. F. Hilton of
North Arson, has served as trustee for several
| years, and very acceptably TO all. He has
hiled the very trying position of manager of
the House Department, the most difficult
place IN the Society. This year he expressed
a desire to be relieved. that he might be free
to attend to his stock and show his sheep and
Welsh ponies, thing impossible when al
his time was taken elsewhere.
At the annual meeting for the election of
officers the third district members withdrew
for consultation only to return and report Mr..
Hilton's name. When the society came TO
ballot it was found that Mr.. A. F. Gerald of
Fairfield, was elected by large majority.
MIR. G. was not in tn, hall, and the whole
move was without his knowledge
Il inn hr II Il-ara
desire to vacate the position Mr.. Gerald has
consented to accept, being strongly urged by
friends of Mr.. II. Now in the face of these
facts for any one to state that there was
trouble in store is, to say the least, "amusin'."
Mr.. Gerald will qualify The other officers
are glad TO have successful a man come
on to the board, and in place of trouble there |
is the sure promise of complete harmony.
Somerset and kenuebec counties furnish
more than fifty per cent of the stock exhibits
at Lewiston, and thew very naturally wanted |
a man identified with the stock growing in
terests They had one in Mr.. Hilton, and
they now have another in Mr.. Gerald. He |
Is an active, enterprisiDg, successful business
man who has done much 10 promote the |
prosperity of this town. Taking the trotting
park when all run down and neglected, he
has put it on footing second to none in the |
more successful races, and the horsemen,
with hardly an exception, are rejoiced to
know that their interests are to be in the
hands of one SO intimately connected with
them, and so successful in the management
of his own park. Instead of Kennebec and
Somerset exhibitors remaining away next
fall, they will be out in larger numbers than
ever Their interests greater than that
of any one individual. 1t means something
to-day to win prize at the State fairs, and
the value of the blue ribbon increases yearly.
While speaking of State fairs it may not
be amiss to note the contemplated organization
of third State society to be known as the Cen
trail Maine. While the necessary steps have
not yet been taken, still enough has been
done to warrant the sta ement that forty
thousand dollars is virtually pledged for buy
ing a tract of land on the west side of the
main road, between Fairfield and Waterville,
and the construction of a mile track, with all
the necessary buildings for holding three
days State fair to compete favorably with
Bangor and Lewiston. The location talked
about, and fixed upon, is less than forty rods
from the Maine Central Railroad, while the
horse cars would pass directly by the en-
trance. The land is high and level and the
spot desirable one for such purposes The
arguments used in favor of the move are
that the holding a State fair at Bangor has
been help rather than hindrance To the
Old society and thar the breeding interests
have so far increased that third would be
but a feeder for the other two, and that with
three sets of premiums TO compete for there
would be additional incentives to breed more
AMI better stock. Beyond this is the fact al
ready noticed, that the Kennebec Valley
counties now furnish fully half the ex
hibits in all the ock and fruit classes at
l. lwistOn, and that these should be shown at
home to justly represent the Kennebec
Valley. There are men who think
1t equal to any in the world for tillage, stock
growing, fruit raising or sheep husbandry,
and having this faith they wish to show to
the public what CENTRAL Maine can do.
There cannot be found three equities in
the State that dare compete with these two,
IA d as yet We hardly begin to realize our re-
sources or capabilities 1t is to foster these
that this organization is proposed
Another reason is that these men believe
that the time has come for a mile track to be
established in Maine. The number of heats
trot:ed low down in the twenties this year
has aroused horsemen to the necessity of
providing, here at home, the opportunity for
any horse to get as low record as possible
in Mas achusetts. 1t means far more, they
say, for a Maine horse to trot in 2 20 here,
than at Mystic. Especially will it be more
valuable to breeders in the future if they
have the mile track where they can come in
with horses from other States
under conditions as favorable as elsewhere.
These are the arguments presented, and
as the parties behind the throne have plenty
of money the final steps may be taken any
day and the new society organized.
G. NJ. T.
1