Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1900-09-22
CONCERNING FAIRS.
THE OLD COUNTY AND MODERN
STREET CONTRASTED.

Both Good In Their Way and Com
ducIVc to business Proisrcss-roiuts
In Favor of street FnIrs-County
Article stiIi Popular.
Some of the county fairs held last
year can boast of Il surplus in the
treasury with which to undertake. the
next one, says the indianapolis News.
Others have about played even" and
the remainder are behind III their
financial affairs. In good many com
muniticS where county exhibitions
have heretofore been supported the
street fair has taken the place of the
county fair, and there are a good MANY
fair officers, some of whom are friend
ly and some unfriendly to the street
fair, who say that the time of the
street fairs supremacy is approach
ing, and that there are Indications of
its crowdlng out the county fair. The
street fair is Il wide departure from the
old time county exhibition, but still in
cludeS the best features of the older
one. Some newer things he g ap-
pcared in the street fair thar have
caused the people generally to take
more readily to it. The county fair
men say that they have about reached
the end of their resources In providing
fresh entertainment, and in places
where this end has been reached the
street fair has appeared. The old
county grounds have been closed, and
the fairs were this year given in the
streets of the towns.
1t was not so many years ago, the
county managers say, when county
fairs In themselves were sufficient to
satisfy the people who attended them.
The agricultural exhibits, horse races
and prize stock rings brought about
strong competition, and the crowds at
tended without any additional attrac-
tions being necessary. But the man
ayers gradually began to look for new
er features as the patrons of the fairs
began to tire of the Old. They tried
balloon ascenslons, with good deaf of
success; hippodrOme races struck the
popular chord for time. and then
something had to be found to take
their places. Then came the side
y,
fractions that were foreign to the real
county fair idea, but which served to
draw crowds and at the same time en-
rich the treasury Of fair association
In time the mOnstrOsiticS and cheap
trickstcrs failed in their magnetism.
The fair managers say they could have
gone on providing new features had
the amount of patronage. even when
greatest, been sufficient to meet the
expenses. But at present, they say,
the county fair has been driven back
to pretty near its original lines.
There are good many things to rec
ommcnd street fair. 1t gives the p"o-
pie Il chance to dress their town in hOl-
iday effect and it also gives the bust
ness man an opportunity which he does
not have if q crowd is on Il fair ground
at the edge Of town. In the street fair
the crowd is kept constantly in motion.
There is no grand stand, no race track,
and the objects Of interest are widely
scattered. Usually free performances
along theatrical line are given. Be
cause the business men can bring the
crowds to the doors Of their stores and
hold them there all day they have be-
come more liberal in the subscriptions
to street fairs than they ever were to
county fairs. The county fair mana
gers say that, while the street fair may
be superior in some ways to the old
fashioned exhibitions, in other respects
it is not so good. The street fair Is
frequently accompanied by gamblers,
pickpOckcts and thieves, who have bet
ter chances than they ever did at a
county fair. The street fair has left
far behind the idea that fair Is for
the farmer and his products.
Where street fairs have been held
there is division of opinion as to the
effect, a good many persons arguing
that the immoral side more than Off
sets any advantages. In Greenfield
and Rushvillc the experiment was
tried of giving both county and
street fair ut different times. The re-
port is that the street fairs made
money for these towns, while the
cOunty fair failed to bring in the usual
returns In both towns opinion is di-
vidcd as to which fair was the more
valuable along all lines. The county
fair promoters say the advance prepa-
ratonS for street fairs In this state are
more extensive than ever, and that n
large number of them will be held. In
good many counties the older fairs
will not be crowded out, and the opin-
ion Is that these exhibitions will con-
tinue through Il number of years, or
until the patronage dwindles, if it ever
does, to point where the fair will
have to quit. The managers say the
county fair Is Il venerable institution,
one so strong that 1t is not going to
die without making further struggle
for existence.
Public Progress Board.