Sacramento daily record-union., 1888-09-17
THE RECENT STATE FAIR.

THE RECENT STATE FAIR.
The State Fair and the Mechanics In
stitute Fair concluded their expositions
Saturday night The latter was below its
standard and not up to the level of its for
mer efforts, and it was due largely to the
greed of its management and its perverse
and willful opposition to the former; action
necessitated neither by reason of the
desire of the people nor financial
considerations. One important result of
the two exhibitions is the unanimous YER
dict of the people that this crossing of the
date of the State Fair by the act of the
Mechanics Institute syndicate is not for
the best interests of the State, should not
again occur, and that if it does the public
will enter a protest that the San Francisco
directory will be rash if it disregards.
As for the State Fair, it was a pro-
nounced success. Financially it suffered
in a lessened income from the figures an
ticipated by the State Board of Agricult-
ure, because it was met in the first half of
its term by hot wave unequaled in
length and intensity in the meteorological
history of the State; and because Of the
sudden and continued heavy rainfall in the
last days of the fair.
But as an agricultural and industrial
exposition it was in no respect impeded,
and it viii rank as the largest and best
fair of any kind ever held in the State.
The society has never made larger or
better showing of horned and other breed
ing stock, Of blood horses and speedy and
road animals generally The exhibition
at the park testified to the remarkable
growth of the stock industry, and to what
our splendid natural advantages are to
achieve for us in this direction. The ex-
hibition at the Pavilion was thoroughly
good one. giving entire satisfaction to the
people, strangers and our own, and to the
ontestants for premiums. The county
exhibits were not so numerous as they
should have been; it is possible by taking
time by a long forelock to make these
deeply interesting groups of such extent,
number and excellence in the future as to
attract attention to and awaken interest in
the fair immeasurably greater and more
beneficial than in the past 1t win re-
quire systematized effort and persistent
labor under intelligent direction to do it,
bpt the State Board is equal to it and we
helieye will acaoynnIisb !.
The great value of the fair resides in
the fact that it proved as no other has, how
much broader, deeper and more earnest is
theinterest taken in productive industry in
this State, and how rapidly we are passing
out of pioneer conditions and into the at
mosphere of a purely industrial period.
Remarking upon this subject, the San
Francisco Bulletin well says:
No one can have seen the variety and sllrpass.
ing excellence OF the products of the field
orchard and vineyard which have been dis
played in overwhelming abundance without
wondering what will be the result of the higher
uses TO which the rich lands of the State which
have been for years devoted to wheat or stock
or turned over in the search for gold, are to be
put. SO much has been learned during the past
Jew years that It is impossible for California to
lie longer fallow, as it were Her plains and
ulils are now known TO contain sources of
wealth compared with which that of her mines
will be as but drop in the bucket, and her
towns and cities will have a growth based on
sure foundation. not to be knocked away bv a
gravel heap to bedrock
1t is plain that the people of California have
set to work earnestly to make their State the
first of those of the Union. They begin to real
lie that there is everything here that can be
asked for to attain that end. The value of labor
IN connection with unriyalled natural advan-
tages has been learned. The demoralizing eff
fects OF the strife to secure a fortune with q
stroke of the pick. and the accompanying evil
of stock gambling have disappeared almost
entirely By kard lessons it has learned that
riches lie in steady work. and net in luck; that
vineyard or so orchard is a source of wealth
which can neveS be dried up, and that future
growth must follow the lines drawn by the
plow and ciiltivator, and not theae of the
miners tunnel. Our mines, whose riches are
unquestoned. VIII form only one, sad by no
means the greatest, of C6sifornia's various re-
sources, and the time will come y,,en the
miner of the mountains assl the ranck-nan of
the plains will shake hands over glass of Cal |
lfornla wine and express their Joy that slick |
ems has ceased to excite bitter feelinas and
that every interest OF the coast has ady4nced
with the developmeEE ef,tde resources e. the |
soil.
There can be no questien that this is |
correct Judgment. California many-siaed |
as she is, has passed over the threshold |
and into the era in which she will take |
rank as the foremost of the States of the /
Union for cereals, wine, fruit and stock.
And the date is not very far dissant when
she will have attained to that proud posi-
tion. She will still be the richest of the
States in varied mineral production. But
agriculture, in its comprehensive sense, is
to be the dominating industrial force, and,
with commerce, make California an en-
pire of wealth and of homes beside which
present prosperity and production will be
looked back upon as infinitesimal.
The general conduct of the fair is
worthy of eommendation There were
errors of judgment, such as attach to fall
lible man; but they will serve as exam !
pies to be avoided in the future. The ,
State Board of Agriculture labors in public r
spirit. It is not constituted salaried /;
body its membership is representative OF {
good citizenship, business capacity
and integrity. It's duties are, in
jividually and as Board, on.
erous, trying to human patience, and re-