The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-11-06
STATE FAIRS IN GEORGIA.
THE ONE HELD IN MACON FIFTY
YEARS AGO.

An Interesting Description of 1t.
The Originator of Agricultural
Fafrs-some Great Men Who Have
Aided in Promoting Agriculture.
The Fair in Savannah Years Ago,
and the One That Opens To-day.
other Matters of General Interest.
Pine Crest Villa, Mainland, Fla,
Nov. 81 have always thought that
Macon, the Central City," was the
proper place for the permanent State
Fair of Georgia, being so centrally To-
Gated for securing large agricultural
exhibits. I was therefore, more than
surprised when I saw Savannah, way
down on the coast, competing with
Valdosta for the State Fair of 1901. I
had not forgotten that the fullest and
most general display of farm products
and self sustaining home industries
ever saw in any fair, North or South,
was made some years ago at the
Townsville Fair, where Northern Wis
itors were simply appalled, at the
wonderful exhibits made by the then
hourishing oranges of South Georgia.
Silk stockings, wooden shawls, hats,
sugar, clothing and other articles,
homemade from farm products, were
the "eye-openers" of that fair.
But my surprise was doubled when
/ read that Col. ]. II. Estill in his invi-
tation to the Georgia Legislature to
be present on the opening day" as
serted that they would see the largest
agricultural display ever made at a
Georgia State Fair, and that it would
be in place and ready for their inspec-
ton on that same opening day. 1t
was a bold declaration to make and a
very risky one to visitors coming the
first day; for never yet saw a State
Fair ready for inspection on the OPP
ening day. If l had not known Col.
Estill intimately for over a quarter of
a century l should have said, That's
all buncombe.' But the Colonel is
not built on the sensational plan,
and while I am sure the Savannah
Fair will have all modern side shows,
etc, that infest fairs in these degen-
ate days, l take his word for it that
the agricultural display will overshad-
ow all else. So I propose hastily, If
not briefly, to tell about purely ag-
ricultural Georgia State Fair of fifty
years ago.
!. The Georgia Agricultural Society, the
mother of State Fairs. had it's origin
| think, about the year 1916, under the
name of Southern Central Agricultural
Society, with Hon. Thomas Stocks OF
Greene county, as president; William
NJ D'Antignac of Richmond county, as
treasurer, and David w. Lewis of Han
cock, as secretary. Later on Hon. Mark
A. Cooper, of Cass, now Barlow coun-
ty. was chairman of the Executive
Committee, consisting of the following
prominent citizens of Georgia: Robert
Y. Harris of Richmond, P. NJ. Night
engale of Baker, Richard Peters of At
lanta, now in Fulton; Benz. E. Stiles
of Bib, Williams, not William, Ruth
erford of Clark, C. A. Peabody of Mus
cogee, William Terrell of Hancock
William c. Daniel of Chatham, James
M. Davidson of Greene. This commit
tee was in service in 1851. and / pre-
sumo was the original cor ,mittee elect
ed in 1850. The first four fairs were
held at Stone Mountain, in DeKalt
county, in 1S46-7-S-9, but finally the
members outside of DeKalb county
outvoted the Stone Mountain members
and the fair of 1850 went to Atlanta.
Secretary David w. Lewis records
the fact that the Mayor. the Council
and the people of Atlanta made am
pie preparation for the society, ano
this fair was three hundred pei
cent" better than any previous one
To prevent any future wrangles over
location of fairs an executive commit
tee was chosen, and to 1t was giver
the power to name time and place OF
holding the fairs in future. This com.
mittee selected Macon for the 1851 fair
and changed the time from August tc
October. The wisdom of this selection
is seen in the official statement OF
Secretary Lewis, that 1.-THE meeting al
Macon was the most brilliant of the
kind in every respect ever held in the
South" The receipts from all source.
of the fairs and society up to 1851
were $S33.31, leaving a balance at thai
time of $36S.61. The Atlanta Fair re.
ceipts were up to $S90.3S, but left only
$1S.75 as balance on hand. The Macor
Fair of 1851, just fifty years ago
went" Atlanta several times better
the receipts being $4.17S73, leaving g
balance of $104.50 on hand. Now lei
Savannah with it's semi centennial fail
show what fifty years and free labor
have done for the society's fairs.
Macon gave $4,000 to pay out in pre-.
miums, which sum was not included II
the society's financial report. Now al
the first fair held at Stone Mountain
the total exhibits consisted of one
Jack" and one "Gennett," and "thei,
groom, the property of old Mr.. Graves,
he of the "portly form" The mex
year was more successful and the Ter
Pin Alley was nearly full of exhibits
while the annual meeting was held GU
under tree in front of the hotel, tn,
Secretary sitting on a stump and usinl
his knees for a table. But there were
giants in those days" despite this small
and insignificant beginning. The mer
at the head of the society were amonf
Georgia's most honored sons. and they
gave themselves to this pioneer agri
cultural movement with an unselhsf
ardor worthy OF all praise, and car,
ried IL along hopefully until the Macor
fair of half century ago. put It on {
solid basis and made its influence fell
for good from one end OF the state e
the other; or, as Gen. Toombs used q
dramatically exclaim in his bursts OF
eloquence, from
"Tybee light
To Rabun height
Savannah has invited the command.
er-in-chief OF Georgia's army and
navy. the legislative bodies the su.
prone Court and other state officials
and the Mayor viii no doubt do the
h0nOrs az gracefully as did Mayor
Washington OF Macon, IN 1851. But the
society az that date looked higher than
governors and legislators. etc. for dis
tngulshed invited guests. IL bore
in MIND that the greatest men Of an
aar.a IaE.H .aasa 4t4fHnsHs . "a asHssan f.rs.f