Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1897-08-06
COUNTY FAIR CRITICS.
\ Farmers Paper Tells What 1t Thinks
About Would-be Performers

\ Farmers Paper Tells What 1t Thinks
About Wouid-be Performers
As the time of holding agricultural
fairs approaches, newspaper writers ger
in their advice, periodically given, in re-
gard to the conduct and management of
these institutions with as much assurance
as if they were veteran fair managers.
and their advice appeals with special
force to chronic grunblers and to those
people who never have sufficient interest
in any agricultural fair. however man
aged. TO attend and pay the usual adms-
sion fee. This has little effect upon those
who have the direction OF our great fairs,
for they are men Of good business iudg.
men and have learned. by experience,
the road to success in fair management.
The first object of attention on the part
of the critics Is generally the horse races
and the spropOrionate amount of
money appropriated for this department
of the fair. They neglect to state. how
ever, in naming the sum offered IN purses,
that on an average one-half of the
amount is contributed by owners of
horses in entrance fees and the balance is
generally more than made up by the re.
ceipts from the grand stand to witness
the races. In very many instances the
races at fairs do not cost the society a
cent. or take one cent from the amount
to be appropriated towards the expenses
of the fair, but do furnish entertainment
aud amusement to thousands of visitors
at their own expense. Even the Sedate
farmer will stand for hours in an exceed
ingly uncomfortable position to get a.
glimpse of field Of horses As they come
down the home stretch. and feel the
blood tlngle in his veins anew from the
experience. He aud thousands of others
90 home with the impression that they
have enjoyed the fair better and without
detracting in the slightest degree from
the benefit derived from the agricultural
exhibit. Another favOrite point of at
tack by these refOrmers is the side shows
and attractions provided. however legit
mate and above suspicion they may be.
and the praises OF the pure uuadulterated
agricultural fair, known in the early
days. when these Institutions were gen
orally called "cattle shows" are sung
long and loud i'm the name of an outraged
people. Evidently they would have the
cattle. sheep and swine. biz pumpkins
and crazy quilts brought together pro-
miscuously without much. if any, cash
premiums being offered and no expense
in arranging and classifying, fot the
matter of expense always comes IN for
criticism. The agricultural far should
be an educator and have correctly classi-
fed and artlstically arranged the best in
quality that the country produces. but at
the same time there must be attractions
and amusemeuts if the receipts are to be
sufficient TO pay the premiums and lCgiti-
mate expenses, J he farmers themselves
will not patrOniZe such an Institution in
sufficient numbers to sustain 1t. and other
people will take but little interest in it.
We have great admiration for the agri-
cultural fair that places the agricultural
exhibit first and foremost IN all the plans.
but the demands of the times require
something in addition. 1t is The same in
other matters. Once the preacher Of the
gospel was able to draw audiences from
his efforts almost unaided, but now. how
ever able the preacher may be, paiG
choir Is AS essential in the large churches
as the preacher himself. However well
the leading part In d drama may be
played upon the stage. it loses a share of
ITS force. Influence and popularity unless
surrounded by actors representing en-.
trey different characters. The great
worlds fair at Chicago would have lost
much OF its popularity had the Midway
been omitted. and the great metropolitan
papers, printing news from all parts Of
the world. find the funny column a desr-
able feature. The promoters of agrcul-
tural fairs that have been able to pay
their premiums and expenses have com
/ pretended the true situation and staged
their exhibition with an attractive and
/ Interesting background. The exhibitors
have been pleased with this, tor it has
enabled them to get their premiums. the
visitors have been pleased. for they have
sent their uncles and auntS the next day.
and no one has been harmed. and the
only advantage in the kicking against
such an arrangement when the relations
between the different features of the fair
are justly preserved is that said kirkers
are not finding fault with something else
when giving attention to this matter.
and, while it eases them, it really does
no great harm.-Mirror and Farmer.