The Savannah morning news., 1904-01-31
MAKING PLANS
FOR STATE FAIR
TO CHOOSE PLACE FEB. 10.
COL. j. H. EsTILL WOULD LIKE To
SEE 1T COME TO SAVANNAH.

Believes If Savannah Is to Have n
Fair This Year Now Is Time to Be-
gin Preparations for Getting 1t.
state Fair Held Here Before Was
Excellent Advertisement for City.
Amounts Now Due Subscribers to
Racing Associations Fair Should
BE Allowed to Stand MS COntribu-
tiOns to Next Fair.
On Feb. 10 the General Executive
Committee of the Georgia State Agri-
cultural Society will meet in order to
determine where the State Fair for
yet whether the meeting will be held
in Macon or at Atlanta. Savannah's
interest in the matter lies in the fact
that it is felt by some of the most
prominent business men that the fair
should be held here, and it is possible
that an effort to get it will be made.
President J. H. Estill of the Cham
Der Of Commerce said yesterday that
if fair is to be held in Savannah the
coming fall. now is the time to go
about arranging for it. He is in favor
of getting the State Fair if that be
possible, for, he said, though the State
Fair that was held in Savannah did
not make money yet it drew large
number of persons to the city with
the result that the city received a good
deal of excellent advertising and much
benefit in an indirect way.
AS was stated when the affairs of
the fair given by the Savannah Rae
ing Association last fall were
closed up the subscribers were en-
titled to so per cent. of the amount
each had subscribed. Col. Estill thinks
that this amount should be allowed to
go toward another fair. 1t is likely
that the matter will be taken up by
some persons, or some organization in
terested in having another fair here,
though no step toward that end has
yet been taken,
Would Cost Less Now.
It is pointed out that when Savan-
nah secured the State Fair for the
first time this city was or that is,
those who were interested in the mat
ter were, at the expense of having to
secure and prepare grounds and all
the accessories necessary to mouse the
exhibits, were forced to build race
track and in other ways were at
| heavy expense that would not be en-
tailed should the fair be again brought
to the city.
In spite of this the management of
the fair paid promptly all purses and
awards, and in fact. met all its obli-
cations to the exhibitors with
promptitude that was as unusual as
it was gratifying to those who had con-
tributed exhibits, and, as a result,
there is no doubt that those who were
contributors to the fair at that time
would be glad to see 1t held at Sa-
vannah again.
Mr.. A. B. Moore, president of the
Savannah Racing Association, said,
when asked about the fair, that he did
not know that the association would
make an effort to get the State Fair,
but that it is probable that fair, at
least as large as that held last year,
will be held by the association again
this fall.
Big Success Last Year.
According to the statement Of an Of
ficer of the Georgia State Agricultural
Society, the fair in Macon last year
proved very successful. Fourteen coun-
ties competed for the cash premiums
offered for the best county agricultural
displays, and hVe or SIX lndlVldual ana
and one-horse farm exhibits were made.
In premiums $4,000 was paid out.
The fair, it is stated, does not go to
any city by courtesy. Under its char
ter the Georgia State Agricultural So
ciety is the only body authorized to
conduct a state fair and the society
usually names the city which offers, all
things being equal the largest amount
in cash for premiums. In all cases the
foi 10 cd M
the Agricultural Society.
1t is believed by the management of
the society that there will be lively
competition for the fair this year, and
that among the cities to enter the con-
test for it will be Macon, Savannah,
Atlanta, Athens, Rome. Albany, and
Valdosta. 1t is believed, too. that be-
cause of the existing agricultural and
industrial conditions the fair this year
will be of more than usual value to the
city that secures it.
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