Sacramento daily record-union., 1888-08-28
THE TWO FAIRS IN CALIFORNIA

The TWO FAI8S III CALlEUhN1A.
The San Francisco Chronicle remarks
upon the very disappointing character of
the art exhibit at the Mechanics Institute
Far in that city. 1t adds that the ex-
pectation is that the exhibit of art works
at the Sacramento Fair" will be much
better than ever before. Without
pausing TO remark upon the anger
of the granger exhibitors over the
attempt of portion of the San Fran
cisco press to bleed them, by refusing to
notice the country exhibits except for coin,
and of which mercenary purpose the
Call and Bulletin wash their hands; and
without pausing to say that if the art
exhibition at the State Fair is not better
than that to which the Chronicle regret
fully refers that it will be mediocre, pro-
test against speaking of the State Fair as the
s'Sacramento Fair" is timely. This effort
believed to be an effort because OF per
sistence-to localize the State Fair is upon
all fours with the struggle of the Me
chanics' Institute Fair Directory to run
that exhibition in such opposition to the
State Fair as to do the latter harm and
eventually extiuguish it. The truth is
that the more the San Francisco institu-
tion has been run for that purpose, the
more the State Fair has prospered and
progressed. 1t is State institution,
commands the interest of the great mass OF
producers, and is representative of the
chief industries Of the State and It's
productive capacity and resources, and ii
is no more localized than such an institu-
ton must be if located anywhere else.
Since the matter is now in hand it is in
point to say that after the extravagant
promises made that the Institute Fair was
to be the one of all others to which to
bring Eastern visitors, because it was to be
representive in the broadest and fullest
sense of the State, its industries and its
resources, a visit to it is humiliatingly dis
appointing, and this is judgment ex-
pressed as freely by San Franciscans as by
others. 1t is a great bazaar of pretty
goods of a not particularly high order OIL
great value. It is a pleasant resort il
which to see the multitude and hear fine
music. 1t is collection of fancifu
small shops; is deplorably deficient in it
mechanical and inventive departments fol
a city so grandly capable of making a fine
machinery and mechanical exhibit. Bu
for the few county exhibits sent in by tht
interior people, it would not in any
very material respect be representative o
California capacity or progress. Divest
ing ones self Of any remnant of prejudice
or feeling, due to the gross injustice prac
tieed by its directory in its action towarC
the State institution in crossing its date
and attempting to enter its field, the Cali
fornian who goes carefully through tn,
exposition at San Francisco will not pre-
sent it to visitors from the East, accus
toned to representative exhibits in annua
fairs, as truly expository of California
This is to be regretted. 1t is desirabl,
that no fair in the State shall fail of sue
cess, or that any exposition held out a
illustrative of the industries, ,productiv,
capacity and resources of California shoult
fall below expectations created by an
nouneement. There is room enough TO
all the fairs held, and time enough fo
them without any crossing of dates what
ever. That there has been collision
in 1888 is due, as is well known
te'the management of the San Erancisc,
Institution. Butsthis is proftless now 70
consideration. TIE main lesson of tn
fair at San Francisco is that it is no
feasible to turn a purely local institution
into State exposition, nor is it wise t
make the attempt The showing at tn
rooms of the State, Board of Trade at Sal
Francisco from meRth to month is ayortl
more to the State ashundredfold thsn tn
Mechanics Fair, and every practical maj
to betrue. The State has been benefited
more by five hundredfold by the eanes
and uRselfsh labors .ef the Directory o
the State Board of Trade in the past yea
than byaall the fairs the Mechanics Insti
tute hRsheld in the last decade-not tina
they have not been usefai, and greatly 50
ard valuable as advertisements and edu
Gators, but that latterly She efforts of the;
managers have presentedIthem in too pre-
tentious form, have aimed to make then
absorbent Of and antagoniat;c to the Stat.
and district fairs, and Of ell interest il
them. and tizs have giver the Institut.
exposition false color and promised for i
what Il cannot fulfill.
There Will be demonstrated aanew at tn,
State Fair the,Gact that California is to d,
for herself in -stock-breeding .izore thar
the Bl1e Grass region of Kentucky ha
done for that Staie and the West. Their,
will be pszaded here in the next montf
such a wonderful exhibition of tine-brec
domestic aaimals as has been shown il
but very few places and at but rare time
in the United States. That one depart
ment of the State Fair means tenfod more
for California; Is expository of greater iiE.
terests than the entire exhibit at Sgr
Francisco. Yet. IN addition, the State
Fair in its Pavilion will, through repre-.
sentative county exhibits, illustrate the soil
and mineral capacity of the State. Agri-
culture, horticulture, viticultuae and stock
breeding, the four great productive re-
sources of the coast, will be Represented at
the State Exposition in a manner Of which
every Californian will be proud. Their
exhibition viii be such and so exhaustive
that the tourist and home-seeker may be
invited to inspect without any fear as
e what their judgment will be- When