The Somerset reporter., 1891-08-06
Athletic Sports, Balloon Ascs nslons,
Daring Parachute Flights.
Sixteen Running Horses Let Loose Upon
the Track A Gala Occasion.

Come, let US sit down together and
talk Of the approaching great Fair.
Thete have been some grand fairs in
New England in the past few years, the
grandest ones OF all having been held In
Bangor, under the combined auspices OF
the New England and Eastern Maine
State Fairs.
In Bangor and on Maplewood Park,
$4,000 people have assembled in an after
noon; governors, Secretary OF State Blaine,
members Of President Cleveland's cabinet
and noted men from New Brunswick and
Nova Scotia have thronged the place and
with delight have witnessed the Won
"grand."
As matter OF fact, The Eastern Maine
State Fair, which has been held for eight
consecutive years, has never met with any
thing other than success, and such as have
attended have never experienced other
than delight.
This year OF 1891, there is to be given in
Bangor, the most stupendous fair ever
held in the East, and it Is regarding this
that VIC would speak.
The old time Fair, like the old time
muster, wss thing OF but a day. The
good folks of the olden time lived for the
most part in sections where only stage
coaches offered transportation; they had
but little to exhibit as the product OF the
farm, and the custom was for few to
gather each year, chat, show what little
they had to show and then go home,
hardly wiser than when they came. But
now all this is changed.
A fair Of today must be first OF all a
thing OF magnitude to succeed. 1t must
not only furnish an opportunity TO exhibit
farm stock and farm products, but music
must be had the product OF the needle,
the work shop; the skill Of the artist,
specimens OF stocks in trade; the products
Of tho mills; new inventions, curious
relics, blooded horses and other animals;
athletic sports, such as racing and base
ball; side shows OF all kinds; feats OF
daring and of danger, and even cat and
baby shows must be presented. Whereas
in the olden time premium OF five doll
lars was thought to DO liberal one, now
the public call for prizes running away up
into hundreds OF dollars, and are not con.
tent with the racing unless lump sum
Of one thousand or more dollars Is hung
up for the Free for-All
Then, again, the fair OF the present day
must be educational 1t must be divided
and sub divided until it is like the chap
ter OF book. There must be a poultry
department wherein lovers OF fowl and
birds can study them and learn of the
proErsss in breeding; thsre must be
place for the swine, another for the sheep;
tho cattle must DO separated according to
the blood and breeding; draught horses,
roadsters, breeders, racers and other kinds
must be 80 placed as to enable the lover
OF the equine to study them carefully.
And all departments there must be care
full men to judge and look to the welfare
Of them all.
Nothing can be done hap hazard at a
fair nothing left to chance, The man
who comes to Maplewood Park with one
hundred and fifty Thousand dollars worth
OF horsetieah, as men have done; the man
who comes with a one hundred thousand
dollar stallion as a man has done; the
government officials who pat twenty thou
sand dollar throughbro into the Park
rs New Brunswick officials have done;
the man who brings along COW for which
he paid three Thousand dollars, as has
been done at Msplewood Park, will take
no chances. So the big fair must be man
aged with care a we'll "a skill.
Not only educated and given a chance
TO study, but the popuiaos now demand
that matters be so arranged that they can
turn away at any time from these living
books and find pleasure and mirth. When
people come out nova days they want
some genuine pleasure; something to
make them laugh; they desire to see
something new, something startling.
They ready to pay for the privilege OF
S eng, they are ready with their applause
and praise too, but the attraction must be
OF he genuine sort--a sham won't do.
But this is not all.
The preparations for the great Eastern
Maine State Fair reach oat over thousa nds
OF miles of territory. Way down In Nova
Scotia and New Brunswick, wherever
there be railroad station, tAsrs the In
fluenoe OF the coming Bangor Fair Is felt
sd there preparations are made for it