Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1888-08-24
communicated
The Fair and its Advantages to- Our
Merchants


The Fair and its Advantages To Our
Merchants.
OF all the well developed counties
OF the State, Anne Arundel is the
only one that has never had Coun-
ty Fair We must therefore arrive
a. the conclusion that its people
have lacked a progressive spirit, and
such up to within the past year or so
has been the case For years the
citizens of Annapolis and the county
have been content to let the world
rash onward in its wild thirst for
invention and improvement, secure
in their insecurity, whilst they
quietly stepped down and aside and
tenaciously chung to the clumsy
methods of the past. Gradually We
have metamorphosed from 1.-THE
richest city of its size in America"
in 1796 to, | venture to say, the
poorest city of its size in 1885,
This is sad fact and an
unpalatable truth. Our citizens have
little else to blame but themselves.
Fortunately new splrIt-imparted
by few energetic ones-seems to
have seized our business men and
farmers. After much talking and
wrangling it was determined to hold
a Fair at Bay Ridge: Step by step
the plans have been matured and
now the Fair is upon us; an assured
fact. Nothing remains to be done,
except for our merchants and far
mers to send in their exhibits. Let
us hope that the display may be
worthy Of the "fair" name we bear.
Still few hang back Why? Be-
cause they wanted the Fair held
here, some others desired it to be
held af Galesville and the moderate
faction compromised by fixing on
the present location. Gould any
grounds be more beautiful or any
place more accessible? Had we any
inducement like that to hold out to
the farmers? No. Not only that,
but our merchants said they could
not contribute largely towards the
necessary buildings, so what can they
complain of? Such is the rivalry
existing between st. Paul and Min
neapolis that the Minnesota State
Fair could not be located in either
city, but midway, 6ettceen. Did the
merchants of both hang back and
refuse to display their goods and
wares? On the contrary they tried
to Guido each other in the beauties
of their exhibits. Let our mer-
chants too vie with each other in
making their exhibits attractive.
What fine opportunity to adyer.
tise Some of our prominent men
do not believe in advertising. They
are still behind the times and sink
ing farther. Adertising now rises
to the dignity of a science and is the
life Of trade. Do not stop to COM
plain of the season being too early
(other Fairs follow each week, or
that trade is dull, or that the loca
ton is bad. 1t is too late for that
now. Rest assured of the fact. that
nearly every one going to and from
the Fair will stop in Annapolis
Ii you, by exhibiting your goods on
the ground, have convinced them
that tea sold IN town at so cents per
pound is better than that sold at
Dayidsonville at so cents, aud that
you can sell starch for cents per
pound equal to that sold at David
sonville or elsewhere in the county
at 10, then your stores will be full
and more money will be left here
than was spent at the Fair. Let
everyone lend helping hand aud
speak a good word for it, and you
will find that it paysin the end. |.