The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-10-23
Over $4,000 People Were on
the Grounds Yesterday.
THE LARGEST EVER KNOWN
The Days Events on the Race
Track the Finest.
A GREAT RACE BY PANsToNE
A Sham Battle Getween the A. & M
Cadets and the State Troops
Educational Exhibit. Bal
loon Ascension.
loon Ascension.

Educational Exhbit--Sal-
loon Ascension.
Besides the diversion that it gave yes
terday on the Fair grounds, the balloon
ascension served the more useful pur-
| pose of bringing in sight out of all the
buildings nearly every man, woman
and child there was within the vast
enclosure.
This was at half-past one.
Looking from the grand stand over
the steady compact masses, all with
| faces up in the air at the gas globe,
estimate after estimate was made,
and a conservative average puts the
peg at 10000.
Twenty thousand at the Fair yester-
day.
OF this number not 500 had up to
10 O'clock entered the gates. At IL,
the number had swelled to $4,000, and
in the next two hours 5,0o0 more had
entered.
In no sense of drawing comparisons,
which are called odious, but in a sense
of prognessiveness noted, many said
that the Fair was the largest and best
that had ever been held. In the first
| place, the complete organization had
| been well knit together by the business
| methods of Secretary Nichols; next,
| Col Bemnehan Cameron had for many
| months been giving acute but unosten-
| tatious attention to detail.
| And, too, Col. Cameron had been
| free to avail himself of the master
| hand that had up to the moment OF
| Presidents Cameron's incumbency
| brought the Fair up to the utmost
| limit. 1t may be as we'll to say that
| the exhibition yesterday was fully up
| to the corresponding day in 1894, and
| this is as high praise as any North
| Carolinian could wish for his Fair.
| Then another element must not be
| forgot. The marshals have played no
| unimportant part in the great event.
| Chief Marshal McKissick has been on
1 duty constantly with his aides, and he
| has infused an interest not before sur
| passed in the choice selection OF
| those who have in the midst Of seem
| ing confusion infused perfect harmony.
| But as necessary as is perfect executive
management, the great body of the
| Fair comes from the exhibitors. 1t is
/ true these get courage and spirit from
4 the exchange of communications be-
| tween President and people, unknown
1 to the passing crowd, who behold only
| the wholesome and proud result
| 1t is to be said that if the public
| spirit of North Carolinaswould be deep
ly appealed to, go to the farm and its
| products.
The yearly offerings at the State Fair
| of North Carolina farmers is something
that gives the people more pleasure
than anything else, something which
| above all things else, appeals TO their
| pride. The notion of home is at the
| bottom of it ALL North Carolina is a
| great farm State, because it is first of
| all home State, and it is to its glory
| that the men who have money seem to
| put that money TO the development
| of the products of the soil and of the
| livestock of the State where other men
of means in other States, find their
| highest ambition gratified if only they
| can have a block of buildings cut up
into rental o1lices-with a hardwood
finish and a double-iointed newest
| elevator, guaranteed to be Inspected
| once a week.
No, this feature must be accentuated.
| Few States, none that occur just now,
! have so many Camerons and Carrs and
Holts and Hambleys and Vanderbilts.
These men keep the standard of the
| North Carolina farmer at the top.
1t is an apparently trifiing thing to
mention, in the general sweep, but it
is OF practical point when properly
seen. Many passing through the great
exhibition building will have noticed
in the Poultry division a card ON one
of the coops saying that princess
of Brahma pullet within had been
bought for Biltmore farm at che cost
of $50. Another thing this specimen
was reared by Mr.. F. A. Hege, in charge
Of the poultry department of the North
CarDhna Experiment Station. This
fowl was marked 90, exceedingly high
rafting, and is at once AN illustration
of the skill and care of North Carolina
in even minute departments, as well
as of THE quick discernment OF pro-
gress shown by those public-spirited
men above spoken of who stand ready
every moment to put the standard
one neg higher whenever the opporrtu-
nifty occurs. If some of our sisters
complain that North Carolina is not
conspicuous as town builder, the
answer can go back that North Caro-
lima is the greatest farm builder of all
her sister States. This is youched for
by the statistical figures.
In walking yesterday through the
grounds one felt the sense of growth
and strength in the State that will
stand finally against all the calamities
that may befall. There was about the
movement of the thousands an at
mosphere of peace, of common purpose,
Of fhe family feeling OF the instinct
toward steady self-development that
furnished a comforting hull evn in the
midst of the clashing tongues that rend