The San Francisco call., 1896-10-03
A GOOD FAIR ENDS.

The Mechanics Fair, which closes to-
night, has been the most valuable and en-
couraging object lesson ever seen in Cali
fornia in the way OF illustrating the extent
and fertility of our State resources. For
month all shades and varieties OF home
products have been tastefully arrayed in
the IMPOSING pavilion in such manner as
to encourage those whose faith in this
great State and whose belief in its pro
ductive possibilities are unwavering.
1t was held by some enthusiasts in the
pioneer days of this favored land that the
earth was so fertile in diversified re-
sources that an empire of industry ought
to be founded here free from dependence
on any State or nation on earth. While
the necessity for such an alienation from
sister States has never arisen study of
the exhibits made at the fair this year
confirms the early opinion that California
is an empire that could survive and pros
per in the manifold fields of industry that
characterize this marvellous age, even
were it cut off from the balance of the
world. Such an illustration of the re-
sources of the soil as that now closing is
encouraging to those who have cast their
fortunes with the State, and it attracts the
attention of desirable classes from abroad,
so that it will finally result in far-reach-
ing benefits to the commonwealth as a
whole.
No one who walked through the many
great departments of the exhibition
during the past month has failed
to have 1t vlvidly impressed upon his
mind that few, if any, regions in the
world offer such luxuriance and diversity
of useful resources as California. In the
realm of growing things, whether plant,
animal or fish, there was bewildering
abundance, and manufacturers made a
splendid showing as we'll.
He whose mind revels in the wonders
of mechanics could feast for hours among
the gigantic evidences of achievement dis
played by the Union Iron Works. the FORE
most ship-building concern in America,
whose conquests are known round the
world or one of that temperament might
have spent days among the great machines
in the mining department., where crushers
and concentrators We'd with one another
to pulverize the great rocks that were
heaved up by elemental forces years ago.
crockery, glassware, cordage, cotton, min
eral products, cereals and products of the
farm, and various exhibits from the
trades, SO that altogether there was enough
to make Californian proud and attract a
stranger to these shores. The good results
are so apparent that it is probable that the
home product department. of future ex-
hibits will be given marked attention.
1t is encouraging in this connection to
note the fact that home-product exhibi-
ton is being arranged in Los Angeles
on lines similar to those of our Me-
chanics'' Fair. 1t will open on Janu-
ary and continue until the 31st.
This promises to be an instructive and
interesting exhibition of home prod
ucts exclusively. and it will no doubt do
for the south benefit similar to that
brought about by the great Pavilion ex-
hibit here. No work can be OF more per-
manent benefit to the State than that
which teaches the people self-confdence
and shows them the extent and fertility
of the resources of California.