The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1889-11-07
THURSDAY,N NOV. Z, 1889.
AGRICTLTURAL(O FAIRS AS GAM
BLING RESORTS.


any one and especially when that per-
son is a friend. But there are times
and occasions when it becomes ncces-
sary, and as a public journalist we can
not be true to our high trust. true to
the public and true to ourself if we do
not speak out and spare not. And so
we have to set our seal Of cOndemna-
ton upon the practice Of allowing gam
bling at agricultural fairs. AS we IN
derstand the purpose and intent OF
these annual exhibitions Of the pro-
ducts of our soil. manufactures, me-
chanic arts. household and needle work.
improved and blooded stock, poultry,
&C., it is to teach object lessons and
thereby to encourage and lnclte to
higher efforts and aims among our peO-
pie. to promote emulation and friend
ly spirit of rivalry to excel, as well as
to make money for the stock holders.
At any rate this ought to be the object
in view, but as many of our so called
agricultural fairs of to-day are con-
Quoted they are almost anything else.
Instead of being run for the benefit Of
the farmer, the mechanic, the stock
breeder, the poultry raiser and the
household, they too often prove to the
contrary-and why: Because these
very people are enticed to the fair by
the belief that they will see and learn
something for their good, or for the
social pleasure of the thing, and when
they get inside the gates they find to
their disgust and disappointment if they
have not fallen among a ycritable den
of thieves and robbers, they have found
the next thing to it.
The officials may say they are not
responsible for the fact that people are
swindled by these gamblers; that they
ought to have better sense than to
throw away their money trying to beat
fellow at his own game. But they are
responsible-for putting the temptation
in their way and thus seducing the in
nocent youth and the unsophisticated
countryman. But for the presence Of
these gambling stands and catch-penny
affairs that confront him at every turn
he would not be beguiled into the meshes
of the swindler. They look exceedingly
simple and plausible and with from
three to five pals standing around win
ming so easily the ignorant and unsus-
pecting little thinking who these men
are, imagines he can be as lucky and
so is induced to try his hand. And
once he commences he keeps on in the
vain hope Of getting back what he has
lost and next thing the poor fellow finds
his last dollar gone, and but for the re-
turn ticket that luckily he has in his
pocket he would either have to foot it
back home or borrow the money from
some friend to pay his railroad fare. Is
this thing right? We think not
We are led into these remarks by
the prevalence of gamblers at the Wei
don fair last week. Never have we
seen greater numbers of these swindlers
and of more different kinds. while the
fellows with the three shells Some
thing like the three card monte bust
messy were largely in the majority.
They were everywhere all over the
grounds, and they caught the suckers
right and left. This was disgraceful
and we regretted exceedingly to see it.
We have always felt deep interest in
the Weldon fairs. We attended the
first one when small boy twenty
years ago. and with but three or fou1
exceptions while living outside the
State, we have been to every one since
In all these years we do not remember
that we ever saw more gamblers there
than we did last week 1t is not ar
agreeable thing to say this We like
the officers and have the honor o
claiming them as our friends, but VIZ
must condemn this thing. That wa:
the only feature to mar its success ant
pleasure this wear as far rs we know