The Weekly Tallahasseean., 1901-09-27
'LEON COUNTY
FARMERS TALK.
Meeting Held Last Saturday
Morning
70 DISCUSS STATE FAIR
Major HeaIey and Captain Rose
Talk interestingly.

This meeting was called to order at
the Court House, Saturday morning
Of II o'clock, by President Jonn r
Roberts, of the County Farmers IN
stitute. Its object was to discuss fully
the situation and to see what could be
done towards representing Leon county
at the coming State Fair to be held IN
Jacksonville on the 10Th, 2Uth, 21St and
22d of November next.
There were present number OF
representative farmers and citizens OF
Tallahassee, and the freeSt expression
of opinion was indulged in by AL
make an exhibit They all agreed that
Leon county should be present and
make an exhibit. They al agreed that
che was fully able to do so. For
two weeks, since the first meeting, on
Saturday. September 7th, the subject
had been talked up, and nearly every
bodv of any influence and interest IN
the matter had been approached. All
seemed to agree that it would be for
the hest interests of the farmers and
naople generally of the county to nave
the county officially represented at the
fair The most prominent farmers and
also the business men of the city and
nnighborhOOd, as well as strangers
visiting the city, have, during TINS
time. been talked with. so tlat all
nresent seemed to be in full sympathy
with the movement.
At the meeting held on the 7th,
Messrs. John P. Roberts and H. Z.
Billingsley had been appointed com
mitttee to talk the matter up and tc
see what could be done TO interest peo-
pie in the making of an fXhlDlt from
Leon county. They caEVassed the
town and surrounding country well
and at this meeting showed how tuliy
in sympathy with the moVEment every
body was Mr.. Billingsley, beng aD-
sent at the beginning OF She meetlpg
the chairman, Mr.. Roberts, called Lne
meeting to order, and 'tOsd the meet
ing of the results of the committee
Investigations, and said, that every
body seemed willing tos do all they
could to help on the work anu WoulO
contribute to the success .of an exhibit
at the fair for Leon county.
Mr.. Il. E. Rose then spoke, and salC
that in his absence from: the city h.
had visited many places ana seen
great many persons, aAd tnat al
agreed that Leon shoutd4Dy all means
have an exhibit, and a igOod one, a
the fair. He said that, as he had ofteT
said before, Leon county could raise
as good crops as any body or as any
county in the State. Heisaid that one
gentleman with whom be had talked
had said that he would bot only make
an exhibit at the fair, but would make
a contribution Of money also to nell
it. A great many had expressed the
opinion that they weres in full sym
pathy with the movement and wOulC
help it on all that lay in their power
but that they were not able to be pres
ent themselves. He thought that Il
one man could have fulE charge of the
matter and the getting together of tne
exhibits there would be no difficulty
about the matter, and that the people
able to do so would help all in thell
power, both with matter to exhibit
and with subscriptions He said Cnai
West Florida points, DeFuniak, Chip
ley, Marianna and Quincy, had made
preparations for displays for their re-
spective counties, especially Of tobacco
and sugar cane. He alSo said that nt
had written the Agricultural Depart
ment of the National government, anC
that DR.. Spencer wOule be present al
the fair and personally examine thu
specimens of sugar cane, determine
the sugar analysis of keach specimen
and after the fair visit and inspec
each locality and make an Official
statement to be published to the peO
pie of Florida, of the United States
and of the whole worlf, of what Flor
ida could do toward raising sugar can'
and making their own sugar and syrul
and a big export business beside. HI
said that there were H1illions of acre.
Of land in Middle and West Florid;
suitable for cane growing and Othe
purposes. Florida had passed the ex
perimental stage, and that peOpl'
seeking homes and Investments shoul'
know Florida's capabilities.
Major G. P. Healy, the genial gen
eral manager of the State Fair, a
Jacksonville, was also present an(
gave full statements Of what the fa1
had already done aad what it wa
going to do. He SAID that already
- sufficient number oa counties ha
raised exhibits and lmade appropr1a
tiOns to make the fair a success, If n
other county or individual should d
anything more. toward it. But, he salC
new counties were coming into lin
every day, and that's they would haV
more than they had ever expecte
before they were through with it. Ths
this fair was the outgrOwth of the ei
forts of the people OF Florida, and ths
Florida ought to do the same as othe
States in the Union! did, and have a
agricultural exhibit of the products
the farmers of the State. That it wa
a farmers affair. He saiU that as "
but one man in all: the work had n
ceived a dollar fori any of the woT
fh4L