The San Francisco call., 1896-12-20
GREATEST NIGHT
OF FRESNO'S FAIR
Excursion Crowds Gaze at
the Wealth of Cit
rus Fruits.
San Franciscans Mingle With
the People of the San
joaquin.
President Craig of the Board OF
Trade Praises the Big
Display.

fhESNO, SAL., Dec. lS.-1H Ho CdHHoHS
roared with an unusual volume of thunder
this evening at 7:30 O'clock. The cannons
are used in Fresno to announce to the
people of the earth within hearing of their
reverberating tones that the great San
Joaquin Valley Citrus Fair is open for the
evening and ready to receive visitors. The
implements of war are thus used to an
nounce peace and unity between the coun.
ties.
This was the great day and night of the
fair. 1t was Tulare day and San Fran
cisco day. The largest crowd OF grown
people that has yet attended promenaded
slowly among the exhibits. There was
not hitching post in the city that did
not have from one to three teams attached
to it. The farmer and mis- family came
from miles around. There were excursions
from San Francisco, Stockton. Tulare,
Hanford, Visalia and other towns in the
valley, and visitors were here from as far
south as Bakersfield and Los Angeles.
The people from the latter city realized,
on bekolding the beautiful and bounteous
exhibits of oranges, lemons and other
citrus fruits, that there is now another
Richmond in the field of orange produc-
ton and in the trade. The unusually
large crowds, the bicycle races at the Bel
mont track, the horse races at the fair
grounds, the crowded streetcars and the
big pavilion, gave Fresno that metropoli-
tan air which she hopes will be hers every
day in the week in the future.
The San Francisco visitors were waited
upon at their hotels this morning by q
local com mmittee of mem bers of the Cham
Der of Commerce and the Hundred Thou
sand Club. In the afternoon a drive was
taken to points of interest in and around
the city ana through surrounding vine.
yspds. Hugh Craig. President of the San
Francisco Board of Trade, after taking
a view of the citrus fair this afternoon
said:
II am surprised at this exhibition. The
San Joaquin Valley, which has achieved
a reputation as the raisin center, by this
fair lets the world know that it is a pro-
ducer of citrus fruits as good as any that
are grown in the State. / have been to
citrus fairs before, but / have seen none
more attractive and significant than this.
l feel as Fresno and the people of the val
ley do. l am proud ofit."
Fresno people turned out in mum pers
that did them credit tonight The band
played some extra selections and the
crowds were .good-humored and cordial.
There was plenty of applause for the
speakers The box-offices had an un-
usually large stock of silver in the golden
surroundings, and the management looked
happier. Arthur r. Briggs, PRESIDENT of
the Fresno Chamber of Commerce, deliv-
cred an address of welcome to the San
Francisco, Tulare and other visitors. He
said:
was never more surprised in my life than
when read in the newspapers this morning
that was to deliver speech here tonight
L am very much like the young man who had
to make speech and did not know what to
say. The old man asked him if he had any
thing in particular to talk about. He said he
had not. The old man told him that in that
case he had better talk abou: three minutes
and sit down. l shall talk to you about three
think Tulare County has had its day al
ready. Nobody could escape reading that
beautiful sign over there aud seeing that
great display of fine fruit. think that most
of us will remember Tulare as long as we live
These citrus fairs do good. They bring the
people together. We take pride in welcoming
the people OF the counties represented here
those OF Tulare. They have come with their
fruits, with their purses and hearts open.
As for San Francisco, can say the Chamber
of Commerce The Board of Trade and other
commercial bodies of that city received the
committee you sent up there heartily and CO.
operated with US tomake our mission a sue
cess. They treated US as brothers. l
want to say here that San Francisco recog-
nizes that the San Joaquin Valley is
the heart OF this great State OF Cali.
fornia, and that whatever is of interest
and importance to US is the same to them Mr.
Craig not only gave us his sympathy and en-
couragement, but he was the first 10 say he
would come.
By these exhibits the people of this valley
brOnQht ipfi al tio
Now, when strangers in the State ask where
the citrus fruits come from they will be told
that they come from the San Joaquin Valley
This valley yies with the world to-day in the
products which you see around you. We hope
to see our visitors from San Francisco and the
thousands from Tulare at the next citrus fair
In responding, Hugh Craig expressed
thanks for the hearty welcome. Said he {:
We have been accustomed TO think of San
Bernardino, Orange and other counties when
we have seen oranges, and ! must say that
this exhi bition of citrus fruits here In the San
joaquin Valley is a complete revelation to
me. This is already known as the raisin GEN.
ter, but you show here that you can come to
the front with oranges and other citrus fruits
the State.
On the success and progress of the products
shown here depends San Francisco's prosper
ity. That has been burned into us in the last
three years. Without farmers and agricultu re
there can be no commerce. Your interest Is
we uOpe we may nave mutual prosper
ity for years. We realize now how absolutely
necessary it is that the man who tills the soil
be the most prosperous in the State. 1t is nec-
essary that we go hand Ill hand. No county
has made California known more throughout
the world than Fresno. We believe that the re-
turn tide of pros perity has come to stay.
In conclusions, Mr.. Craig said he hoped
there would be legislation this winter pro-
viding against the mortgaging of home
steads. that the mother and the children
would always have home as long as one
of them was in the land of the living. He
expressed hearty thanks for the hearty
welcome and entertainment in Fresno.
The fair will close Monday night. The
Pavilion will remain open tomorrow and
the band will play sacred music. num-
ber of Sunday excursions ara coming
from surrounding towns. The awards OF
premiums will be made Monday night.
The weather is delightful.