The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-06-10
WORKING FOR STATE FAIR.
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
MEETING LAST NIGHT.
Committee Appointed to Wait on
Directors Of State Agricu1t-
ural Society.


ural Society.
| The Chamber Of Commerce held a
meeting Last night to consider the mat
| ter of lending assistance to the State
Agricultural Society in making the
State Fair, to be held in this city next
september, a success. Representatives
from the business houses and citizens
who were interested were invited to be
present and advise with the Chamber.
| President Miller spoke as follows:
/ "Gentlemen: The Chamber of Com.
merce has invited you to meet irfor-
mally to consider the State Fair, which
will be held this year from September
4th to September 10th.
Last year the fair held its own in
spite of the difficulties of that year,
and 1t is certain that there will be a
good attendance from out Of town this
fall. ~
AS usual. the merchants of this city
will make some effort toward the sue
cess of the fair, and it seems incumbent
upon me to call you to order and asjr
you to begin your deliberations, be
cause there will be meeting of the
| j
is advisable to offer to- them our united
services.
ALLOW me to impress upon you the
need for extra effort this year. Pros
perity has come at last and we must
work night and day if we would get
some of the good things now becoming
available. This fall will see all classes
OF citizens happy and willing to sup
nj he cla1x xx-i% hi
have gone without hitherto. If we shall
not be ready for our visitors and if we
shall not pull to this city all who are
willing to go to a fair, then we will see
thousands Of them fiocking elsewhere
with their families.
In other words, this will be a good
year for fairs if they are managed in
accordance with the times.
Permit me further to suggest that,
as merchants, we shall not try to inter-
fere with the plans for the races nor,
indeed, with the plans for the Pavilion.
This is State institution, and it must
follow certain customary and prescribed
methods in the deciding of contests and
the award of premiums We can only
offer the Directors to make additions to
their program. These additions must
|
will cost you (not the fair Directors) a
large sum Of money.
| You see that you have before you
this evening a very large question: is
interesting, costly and yet profitable to
you. There are two reasons alleged why
the attendance at any. State Fair has
not increased in proportion to our in
crease of population. One reason is
toll
years making their stores very attract
i've, and a portion of the goods out of
one store cannot be put in fair and
draw as many observers as the whole
store itself
There IS much truth in this, and it
| Will be easy for you to- overcome this
point by placing the usual store exhib-
its in booths. which are made to repre-
sent villages OF bazaars, or in other
ways.
| THE other reason alleged has some
| weight also. It is this: The Worlds
Fair did much to lessen the attractive
ness Of old-tdme fairs; but we learned
some lessons at Chicago which can be
applied here.
There they held everyday conven-
tions and receptions. One day was a
4
ing was a reception to bankers wives.
The next day and evening the foundry
men and their wives got the same
treat, and SO on every day for months,
until all classes and occupations and
creeds had been entertained.
Something of that sort may be sug-
gested to you
Finally, let me ask you to resolve to
| fer fo 70
State Fair Directors tomorrow. No
definite amount or plan need be decided
upon tonight. Your committee can re-
port progress to you next week, and
then you can make a working organic
| alton which should be separate and
| apart from the control of the Cham
Der of Commerce for many reasons
w. F. Purnell said the committee
had had meetings and discussed the
subject. 1t realized that there must
be ideaS and money advanced by the
citizens. For one thing, it would sug-
gest change in the band stand at the
Pavilion, SO as to get the crowd away
from the exhibits. 1t could be put
against the south wall and the stage
so raised that special attractions like
dancing, ETC., could be seen by all. There
could be a special attraction one night
a week, or every night for the first
week, to attract the crowd. The COM
mittee as yet had not matured many
| plans.
President Miller said it would be nee
| esSary to get people to come to town
| from the first There had been some
talk Of receptions and other things that
| would not Interfere with the State
| Fair r,eODle hut would he done nv tho
| home people. The effect would be that
each man exhibiting would have to ex-
ercise more taste and care in his exhib-
/ its, as there would be SO many exhibit
ors He thought the purpose of this
meeting was to select some persons to
go to the meeting of THE State Fair Di-
rectors tomorrow and offer to assist
them and. to put their hands in their
pockets.
A. Bonnheim said that he recognized
the fact that some effort must be made.
To produce success people must be in
duced to come to Sacramento This
would involve large sums of money, ano
ne thought citizens recognized that
fact He thought s., 500 could easily be
collected and judicious plans would
bring more people than Sacramento
could accommodate. The people must
do it.
Mr. Purnell said one plan proposed
was to take a subscription book and
take subscriptions for the next three
months of from 81 to SO a month. 1t
could be got easier than large sum all
at once, as very often a man was miss
ed the first time of going round and
was short the next time.