Telegram-herald., 1891-08-16


~ sex Ir. comstock, and We had our
first talk with Mr.. Comstoek latter we
were In condition TO select a slte-l
After getting a description OF the
Ia nj proposed for fair grounds, l asked
him d he would give as free simple
deed OF the land for s12 800 (about
sl40 per acre. His answer was
NO. air. / WON'T Mr.. Brewer then
asked him for what price would he
give US q fee sfmple deed he an
swered that he had not thought 10
sell it thar way, and wound up the
conversation BY saying he was not in u
situation 10 let us hav [ ne I'm | on IA
terms or make any proposition 20 Us.
az the West Michigan Fair Association
had an option on the land until the
first day Of August next We then
came away from there, and for some
days went on with Our looking for
location. We looked at nine or ten
sites. three only being desirable, IN
my opinion. to-wit: the constoek site,
the Royce site and the Laraway site.
The matter was kept open until
August 20. Some OF the directors
were ready to vote upon the question
OF sfte at any time after the different
sites were looked over. On the 9Th
day of August, at the earnest request
of some OF the friends OF the Comstock
site. sought an interview with MIR.
Comstock. and asked him TO make us
a proposition for his site. He an
swered that he did. told him that
he never had. He insisted that he
had. bat I strongly insisted 20 the
contrary, he replied. 4 offered it 10
you when you put the old grounds
into the market l said that was
true. but he had given two options on
il since. He then said, The option
Of the West Michigan Fair Associe-
ton was offered to you l told him
that was true. but he ought 20 know
that proposition was not made to us
aud would never be accepted by us.
tied up as II was with conditions. He
then said that the reason he had never
offered it TO us was that he did not
believe we wanted to come there. l
told him that 1 did not know OF any
better right TO his opinion than he
had. but one thing was sure. and that
was, we should never select that site
until IL was offered TO us. On the
Il
by appointment, at Mr.. Comstock's
office, 20 see II we could get at some
thing that would be satisfactory to
the Kent county directors from Mr.
Comstock. He showed us n track and
lake. etc. built on paper or cloth, OF
his proposed site that looked well;
he told US about the advantages on
that ground. OF the water. etc. l
asked him how much space there was
between the proposed track and the
upper dixie (the only one that amounts
to anything to keep the river out,
and he said there was not any; the
main dixie w would have to be cut to put
such a track In. L then asked him
about the water supply and l found
there was a string even to that, Tho
supply was to come from land owned,
/ think. by Mr.. York. and the condi-
tion OF that was that Mr.. York was
TO be paid 800, (ten OF which had
been paid and himself and family were
to be admitted free to the grounds
at all shows when gate receipts
were taken. The water was to come
across the land OF another man with
whom no arrangement had been made.
Mr.. Comstock then offered US the only
proposition he has ever made us, and
there was q string to that. The
condition was the reservation OF
thirty-three feet on the south side OF
the proposed site for his railroad line,
with the privilege OF running on the
west line up to where the railroad
tracks cross. When you consider that
the only road for direct driving to that
site for the entire city and south and
and east part OF the county Is the
road across the river at that point,
along the south side, on narrow
roadway, think no reasonable man
would ask US to accept that condi-
ton; but there was another condition
that we should expend $4,000 under
the direction OF Messrs. Thayer. Bailey
and Spring. Now we may be men of
small caliber.' as Mr.. Thayer has said,
but our caliber is not quite so small as
not to know what we thought we
wanted. / asked Mr. Comstock II he
would draw his pen through the con-
ditions. He said he would not and
had no business To ask him to. told
him that I supposed In this country
people had right TO ask for what
they wanted. Mr.. Comstock also told
US at that interview that he did not
want a fair ground. but he did want n
driving park
The people can not help but ace
that the director could not take the
Comstock site on the condition offered
Il might co on and tell you that we
have the finest site for a fair ground
that there Is in the vicinity OF Grand
Rapids, but that is matter OF
opinion. And leave you TO Judge OF
that; but I ask you as matter OF
fairness TO look over its advantages
before condemning II. We are told
1t Is to far out. In answer TO that
say It Is not so far. comparatively. as
the old ground was twenty years ago.
and the entrance 10 the ground by act
ual measurement l. nearly halt raile
nearer than the entrance 10 the Com
stock site from ths union depot; and
it IL also little nearer from the city
hall. and IN has been demonstrated
that the railroad to our grounds can
take any crowd TO the fair without
friction. making seven-minute trip
from the union depot 70 the grounds.
''On the twentith day OF August the
new fair ground site was located. and
ON fhe twrntv-third an Injunction sui.
was begun upon us, notwithstanding
the Supreme Court Of the State OF
Michigan had decided in the plaiuest |
manner possible that the directors of
the Kent County Agricultural Society |
were legally recognized and author
lred 20 salt the old grounds and locate |
new grounds. that suit was instituted |
ivv Il az and Kept us from doing any
thing On the new grounds for more |
than n raonth of the finest weather. |
and cost Va nearly $500 Now that |