The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1892-06-13
sTATE OFFICIALS.
Everybody knows the agricultural ex-

Everybody knows the agricultural ex-
hibits at our last two district fairs cut a
sorry figure in the pavilion. Everybody
knows that the farmers took little inter
est in the fairs and that very few of
them were in attendance. The question
is, will the exhibit and attendance be
any better this year? And if not, is it
really worth while to try and hold any
more fairs, or work for an appropriation
from the state for their support If the
farmers won't take an interest in the
fairs, then is it not better to abandon
the farce of an agricultural exhibit alto
gether, and let the trotting association
which is an entirely distinct institution,
and which has kindly given the grounds,
free of charge to the agricultural fair,
for the past three years-have their
trials of speed at whatever time is most
convenient to them. But if the country
has taken little interest in the fairs the
city has taken less. There was un-
doubtedly good excnse for this last year !;
the fair happened Immediately after the
fire, but there was no excuse for the
year before, and it is even doubtful if
the fire stopped one single exhibit from
the merchants of the city last year.
We firmly believe we never will
have successful fairs unless the city goes
to work and helps to make them so.
Let the business men and others do, as
they are doing in La Grande and Island
city. namely, offer special premiums for
riol 70 ofao RI VI frOrr
the cash premiums offered by the agri-
cultural society. These premiums
would, in most cases, operate as the
most effective kind of advertisement,
and their value would come back to the
donor in increased trade. As sample
/. of the character of the La Grande and
Island city premiums, we find in the
La Grande Chronicle. that furniture
firm gives $40 bed room set for the
best display of jellies; a clothier gives a
$25 suit for the best stallion; another a
$25 suit for the best colt; Knapp, Bur-
rell & Co., give Deering mower for the
best exhibit of potatoes; a saddler gives
a saddle or single harness, worth $40, for
the best saddle horse; stove dealer
gives $55 range for the best display
of canned fruit dealer in musical in
struments gives $25 guitar or mandolin
for the best exhibit of worsted embroid-
cry; stockman gives $40 half-breed
colt for the best pure-bred sucking colt
of draft bred; nursery gives $25
worth of fruit trees for the best general
display of fruit grown by exhibitor in the
district; groceryman gives 25 pounds
of tea for the best display of butter /;
Michel, Lewis, Staver & Co., give a $50
road cart for the largest and best display
of vegetables; patent fence company
give $25 worth of fencing material for
the best milch COW; Frank Brothers give
$40 set of harness for best span of car
riage horses owned by exhibitor; dry
goods man gives $25 silk dress for best
quilt, plain patchwork; another dry
goods man gives pair of $50 portIeres
for best exhibit of silk embroidery; an
other pair of $40 blankets for someth-
ing else, and so on. Would it be any
wonder if the LeGrand fair should prove
success? With such liberahty it could
not be anything else and the same re-
suits would follow the same causes here.
Will our business men and capitalists
take the hint? Then we'll have a fair
and, possibly, not till then.