The record-union., 1896-09-20
THE STATE FAIR IS ENDED.
All Things Considered, II Was an Excel
lent Show.
Gold Medals Awarded in the Various
Departments-Y Yesterdays
Races.

0dCSSs
The blare of trumpets have ceased,
the myriad of electric lights in the
great State Exposition building have
been turned out for good, the race
horses are quietly munching their oats
an their stalls, and exhibition stock VIII
soon be travelling homeward with their
plue ribbons fiuttering in the w1nd-ln
short, the State Fair of go has gone
INTO history with it's predecessors
In many respects the State never held
better one, but there was one feat-
ure lacking that years ago was quite
prominent at these fairs-exhlblts OF
various California manufactures. rms
can be largely accounted for by the TACT
that many Industries started in years
gone by have not been maintained. AS
TO the causes of this decline 1t Is not
necessary to refer thereto at this time
instead, however, there were exhibits
OF the products of a few home indus
tries of a very important and SubStan-
tial character though not as many as
one would like to see. Most of the man
ufacturing is done in San Francisco and
Oakland, but the former city is doing
all in its power-through it's Mechanics
Institute-to detract from the interest
in the State Fair by giving home exhi-
bition at the same time. BY this means
they manage to prevent any extensive
exhibits being made by the people of
that city at the State Fair.
For all that, the display in the Pa
viiOn this year was a very attractive
one. The great building never looked
prettier within than during the fair
that has just closed, and the patronage
was all that could have reasonably
been looked for in these days of general
depression throughout the State and the
country at large.
While the stock exhibits were on a
reduced scale from those of some for
mer years. no finer specimens were ever
seen al any fair, and the speed contests
certainly were of a high class.
Last year the society made a few
thousand dollars over and above it's ex-
penses, which was applied to its long
standing Indebtedness. 1t might have
cut down its liabilities to some extent
this year also but for the fact that
several thousand dollars expense was
incurred by the erection of stalls for
horses and other improvements re-
Quired to put the old and weather
beaten property at the park in condi-
tion for the fair.
These expenses would not have been
necessary had the society been per-
mitted to sell the ground embraced
within the present track and with the
proceeds construct a new track and
adequate accommodations in some
other and better locality Enough
money-approximat 500 00O-could
have been got for the present park
property to do all that would be re-
quired and pay all the society'S liabili-
ties. AS things are. the society has to
90 on from year to year patching up the
cid buildings and eXpending money on
them In an effort to make them present
able, beside putting up extra stalls, etc,
on private property outside the park.
All this could be avoided If the So
ciety were permitted to sell the prop
erty and build anew elsewhere The
city has so grown up and encroached on
the present fair grounds that the lat
ter are very valuable for building pur-
poses and too small for the growing
needs of our State Fairs
There was a perfect crush at the
Pavilion last night. The hundreds who
were caught by the rain on the preced-
ing night did not appear at all dis
mayed at the threatening weather and
several thousand others also took
chances on having to tramp homeward
through rain. Fortunately they did
not, however. But such a throng of
people as We're present has seldom
been seen within the walls of the mann
moth building. Indeed it was with
difficulty that one could get through
the broad galleries. so dense was the
mass of humanity.
GOLD MEDAL AWARDS.
The following gold medals have been
awarded to exhibitors at the State Fair
in the several departments:
Second department-To Baker &
Hamilton, for the most meritorious dis
play of machinery and implements
Third department-The Misses Crouch
for the most meritorious exhibition of
textile fabrics.
Fourth department-To Schaw, In
gram, hatcher & Co. for the finest and
most artistic display Of mechanical
products.
Sixth department-To A. F. Abbott of
Tudor, Sutter County, for the most
meritorious display Of horticultural
products.
Seventh department-To Wetmore,
Bowen & Co. of "Cresta Blanca" vine
yard for the most meritorious display
of wines and brandies
Eighth department-To the California
Nursery Company for the most meri-
tcrious display of agricultural products.
special gold medal was awarded
to the Sacramento Electric, Gas and
Railway Company for its magnificent
display Of electric lighting and cook
ing appliances.
Another special gold medal was
awarded to Clark e. Stanley for the
best working exhibit in tobacco.
THE RACES.