The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1894-09-22
OUR FAIR.

The sixth annual meeting of the East
ern Oregon Agricultural Association be-
gins Tuesday, October 9th, and holds
five days. While heretofore the fairs
have not been all that was desired, yet
expected of it, and the fault, if fault
there was, was that of the people. The
patronage has never been as good as it
shonld have been, but in spite of all OBJ
stacles, those in charge of it have man
fully stood by it, though it has cost them
many good dollars to do so.
There is this year, as usual, 81 800 to
be distributed among the farmers. stock
men and fruit growers in the shape of
premiums, and this ought to stimulate
competition. Could our fruitmen real
ize the immense good that will ac-
crue to them from first-class exhibit,
they would make it, regardless of pre-
miums. The latter are indeed but a
trihe compared to the benefits of the ad-
vertising the exhibit gives us. Wasco
county is the best fruit county in the
state by long odds, and the display of
her fruits, so that this fact may become
known to the outside world through the
medium of the eyes instead of the ears,
is what carries conviction.
A year ago Hood River had an apple
exhibit, that is it was general fruit ex-
hibit, but the apple overshadowed
everything else to such an extent that
it might well be called by that name.
The exhibit was started with the lnten-
ton OF getting some choice fruit to-
gether go that selections could be made
to send to the worlds fair and also to
the Portland exposition. It was not ex-
pected that regular exhibit would be
made, but the people took hold of it and
brought their products in, not for pre-
miums, but to assist IN advertising the
country's resources. The exhibit grew
until it surpassed the widest expecta-
tions of the most sangu1ne. The Ore
gon Press Association was invited to
come up and inspect it, which they did,
and with them came the special COM
missioner from Australia, who had been
sent to this country for the purpose of
selecting fruit trees for that country.
The display was surprise, and the Aus
tralian expert, who had visited all the
course of his professional duties, pro-
nounced it superior to anything he had
ever seen, and by far a better display
than was made at Chicago, with the
whole United States to select from.
That exhibit did more to advertise Hood
River than $4,000 would have done in
the shape of paid matter. People wrote
about it who saw it; they told their
friends of it; the Australian papers were
filled with it, and today Hood River is
known where The Dalles and Wasco
county have never been heard Of. What
was the cause? A little well-directed,
though unexpected. energy and pull
all in the same direction at the same
time.
We can do the same thing here. if we
will. We can fill the pavilion from end
to end and top to bottom with fruit
display that cannot be duplicated in the
United States. Hood River will con-
tribute her share to the exhibit, be-
cause she realizes the benefits to be de-
rived. The orchards of this section
cannot be excelled, and the grape ex-
hibit can be made to equal any that
California ever produced.
The opportunity should not be neg
lected. 1t is true that the attendance
may not be as large as it should be this
fall, but make the exhibit, show those
who do come something that will open
their eyes concerning our fruit, and rest
assured that every year will see larger
and more enthusiastic gathering. Let
the world know you have something
that is worth while coming to see, and
1T will come to see it. Get up some
enthusiasm about our resources, and you
will enthuse others. Show what your
labor has accomplished, do your duty as
good citizens of grand old Wasco, and
you will have fruit exhibit that will be
the talk of the country and the best, the
largest and the cheapest advertisement
the county ever had. It doesn't matter
who gets the premiums. The advertise
ment enhances the value of your prod
ucts. 1t brings buyers of both fruit and
the land that produces it here. 1t settles
and populates the country, decreases
taxes, and will in the near future make
our foothills in the spring, fragrant with
blossoms and in the autumn odorous of
fruit.
An ANONYMOUS corresnondent of the