The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-10-03

perfect days eyer seen even in this region
Of matchless climate.
To the old residents of Salt Lake and
Utah, the Deseret Agricultural and Manu-
featuring society, in whose charge the eX
position is, will need no introduction: but
as there are many new corners to whom
the society is a stranger. and who are
totally unacquainted with its past history
and struggles, brief retrospective glance
will not be out of place.
The Deseret Agricultural and Manufac-
turing society was organized in 1850, by
the territorial legislature, when that body
held its sessions at Fillmore, Willard
county. which was then the capital Of Utah.
Since that time, sixteen exhibitions have
been given under its auspices, the one now
in progress being the seventeenth. Owing,
however, to the peculiar character of the
association and the objects in view,
at the close of each exhibition
at least all those prior to that of lSSS-there
had been no results financially. The eX-
penses had at all times so nearly equalled
the receipts that it was feared at times,
during the days on which exhibitions have
been held, that the individual members of
the association would be forced to
GIVE PROM THEIR OWN FUNDS
in order to keep good the promises made to
exhibitors. Indeed, we are not at ali GER
tain that this has not been done in more
than one instance. But be this as it may,
certain it is that the gentlemen composing
the association took all the chances of a
heavy loss, with the dead certainty that
there could not possibly be any gain. AS
result, prior to 1883, it was unsafe to branch
out, and the exhibitions were given in
ward halls, the old market building re
Gently burned, and in such other quarters
as were always cramped for room and
otherwise unsuitable. Nevertheless, the
directors struggled along, and several of the
fairs were undoubted successes, in every
way safe from financial point of view.
Under the circumstances mentioned, it
could hardly be said that the fairs were of
a territorial nature-there being scarcely
room enough to accommodate the exhibits
of this county, and had there been ample
room for all, it could scarcely have been
filed, because the. condition of the societys
exchequer forbade the Offering of any such
rewards as would induce those outside of
the county TO compete, or make any show
ing whatever. One may say it was mat
ter of discredit that the public patronage,
DURING ALL THESE YEARS,
was rot such as would have enabled the
society to put up permanent buildings, or
at least laid away some money with that
object in view; and yet when we consider
that the patronage was confined almost ex-
elusively to Salt Lake county-save, of
course, few quarters dropped by our
country friends who happened in at confer
ence-one can see that the attendance was
almost as large as could possibly have been
expected under the circumstances.
Early in the history of the organi-
cation, some help was obtained from
the legislature, but it was in
sufficient to meet the nee Is of the society,
and for several years prior to the meeting
Of the last legislature not dollar was appro-
pr;ated.
During the last session, however, Salt
Lake city rendered to the territory the ten
acre plat Of ground popularity known as the
Tenth Ward square, which had been pre-
viously used for agricultural purposes. on
condition that the legislature would appro-
pirate the sum of $50, 900, to be expended in
the years 1855 and 1889, and to be used in
the erection Of permanent territorial or
state falr buildings, and the improvements