The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-12-16
A STOCK COMPANY PROPOSED.
FOR ORGANIZATION IN HOUSTON OF
A PERMANENT FAIR
such q Project ~ Forest Park
Can He SECURED.

The proposition for the establishment In
Houston OF permanent fair--thc idea
growing out OF the SUCCESS OF the recent
Fruit. Flower and Vegetable Festival
seems TO have fallen upon fruitful ground
You can put mo down for $4,000 to the
permanent fair project" said Mr. Frank
Dunn TO a reporter for The Post yesterday
as he passed Mr.. Dinn's place OF business
ON Main street.
Upon what sort Of plans" querted tn.
reporter.
My plan Is to enlarge upon the Fruit,
Flower and Vegetable Festival. embrace
all of It's fetaurs and add many more.
To do this we must have a larger place
than the Auditorium. which was taxed to
its capacity last week with the Fruit
Flower and Vegetable Festival.
1--WE want fair ground where we can
exhibit not only our fruits. flowers and
vegetables, fine arts and fancy work, but
our live stock as we'll, for lot of people
are more interested in fat hogs fine COWS
and thoroughbred horses than they are In
fruits. flowers and vegetables and such
an exhibit as this can not be made at the
Auditorium.
Then again. we want a race track, for
fair ground without a race track would
be misnomer."
Where would you prtptse to locate the
grounds"
"The most available ground that 10 con-
venlently accessible to the city Is In my
opinion, Forest Park. This property,
think. can be purchased probably for
Ja Ixa .,-tru ~ IL,
cheap, as the ground now embraces sixty
Two acres with plenty more contiguous
property to draw from II needed.
ITO clear this ground OF trees and put
up buildings for exhibition purposes and
build q half mile race track there would
cost probably $4,000 more. making in all
say $4,000 for fair ground thoroughly
equipped with all the necessary buildings,
fine water ana easy of access. reached,
as NJ Us by an electric belt system, fine
macadam driveway from the city and two
trunk lines of railroad running within a
stones throw OF the grounds. But 1t 10
needless to descant upon the adaptability
OF the location, as this was fully set forth
ard tested few months ago when tho
Fourth Texas regiment of infantry was
encamped here.
Now, l am willing to put $4,000 In a
stock company organized for the purpose
of acquiring these grounds with the view
OF establishing a permanent fair in Hous-
ton and would regard the investment
as profitable.
IL believe the Houston City Electric
Street Railway company, whose interests
would be largely involved in such an en-
tsrprlse, would subscribe literally; be-
sides believe that u sufficient number OF
public spirited citizens can be found who
would be willing to foster such an enter
prise II they could BIO made TO see and ap-
preoiate the possibilities
Some may argue against such an In
vestment." said Mr. Dunn, upon the
ground that the fair inaugurated here
many years ago was financial failure.
That IL true enough ~.salt there are great
many enterprises that might have proved
failure iu Houston twenty years ago that
would not share the same fate Mt the
present time doubt that the Fruit. Flow
er and Vegetable Festival would have
proved a success In the '70s Houston had
a population Of but 10000 or 1900 people
when the first State fair was inauguratcd
here and the surrounding country was cor
respordingly sparsely settled. We are adj
vancilg and progressing and can not COM
pare conditions OF today with those that
prevailed twenty years ago
am not sufficiently public spirited 10
desire 10 throw away $4,000 upon the wave
OF popular idea, but viii subscribe $4,000
to tho enterprise cruglely outlined above.
purely as cold-blooded business invest
ment that think would bring profitable
results. not only to the city at large. but
to the investor as we'll"