The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-01-02
FAIR BOARD TO
MEET NIGHT.
Matters OF Great Importance Will.
Come Up-Plans to Be
Discussed.
PUSH CAMPAIGN TO UTMOST
Now That Business Rush is Over,
Committees Will Get
Busy.

at a meeting of the Board of MANAGE
aent of the Virginia. State Fair to he
held to-ight at Murphy's Hotel. work
on the plans for the big exhibition. tenn
porarily suspended In part during the
holidays, will be resumed and steps will
he taken TO prosecute the canvass for
funds with renewed vigor.
During the Christmas rush the busi-
ness men composing the hundred or more
committees ut work necessarily had TO
surrender all attention to trade cares and
1t wns found to be uHwise il not quite
impossible to push the campaign at that
time. instructions We're issued to all.
committees from headquarters to hold
OFF until after the new year and this ac-
counts for the lull in activity that en-
sued Such reports as continued to come In
from time to time were very encouraging
and assurances We're received from busi-
ness men on all sides that as soon as the
holidays had passed they would be will
Ing and glad to take up the State Fair
proposition and not only subscribe for
stock but get out and work In the in
terests of the movement. 1t is impossible
to indicate the sum already in hand nr
in sight but 1t is comfortably large and
will form Il nucleus around which the
remainder viii be speedily gathered.
Plans will be discussed in general to-
night and the canvassing committees
will be set to work again. AS soon rs
$4,000 is raised and report to this effect
is made to the Board OF Management
preliminary steps Will be taken to secure
charter, and meeting of the stoes
holders will be called. Tie stockholders
Will elect a Board of Directors which
viii then take UP the duties up to this
time performed by tho temporary board
of mana cement, will elect officers, select
q site for this fair, and decide definitely
as TO the size, character, and numbers
OF the buildings to be erected. The move
ment will then have assumed positlvn
form and from that time onward it VIII
be but q question of months before the
exhibition is held.
One of the interesting features of the
meeting tonight will be a report from
Mr.. Henry G.. Stewart, chairman of the
Board OF Management, who has just
returned from the Chicago cattle eNhib!-
ton. In addition 10 valuable inforna-
ton lie obtained while at the Chicago
show Mr.. Stewart received encouraging
assurances of support from many of the
Western exhibitors of fat cattle. The
cattle exhibit at the Virginia exhibit will
be made one of its most striking and inn
portant features.
Interest Not Diminished.
Interest in The fair movement has not
diminished. The value of the opportunities
the exhibition will afford for the develop
ment of the State is recognized and ap-
preciated by all. and farmers throughout
Virginia as we'll rs business men in Rich
mond and other cities are very genuinely
aroused to the vast possibilities of the
undertakings. Reports are being received
ut headquarters from other state fairs
and many of these will be submitted TO
the board tonight for its consideration.
These reports are all very encouraging.
One of the most interesting letters re-
ceived is from Mr.. John Taylor promi-
nent business man of Trenton. N. j., Who
has visited Richmond and who has many
friends here. Mr.. Taylor says in part:
1.-THE writer was the original promoter
Of this fair in 1857. My plan was To pick
out hundred leading business men who
held a meeting one Saturday AFTERNOON
at the principal hotel and organized then
and there. This was in the month OF May
and in Il weeks time we had the original
capital of $1,000 subscribed, bought q
farm of la0 acres. put up grand stand 10
hold seven or eight thousand people, lots
of exhibition buildings, stables, etc, and
opened our first fair the last week i'll
September, or say about five months aft
ter organization. We paid dividend the
first year and had quite a surplus. and
kept right in paying dividends every year
except one. aId spent the surplus in adj
dltional buildings. Made between $4,000
and s2l,o0o last fair which was the best
We ever had The entire cost of the prop
erty up to this time is approximately
about sl56, 600 We do not owe dollar Of
debt and / think have about $4,000 in
the bank. The dividends have just been
declared which, of course, Will consume
n part of this surplus. / was president
of the association for the first Il years
of its existence and resigned but con-
iinue to be director and now serving
on the executive committee.
'.I am mailing you to-day premium list
and also u horse speed list You VIII
,antice that we have three stock events.
These have been very successful rs money
getters as the entries as u rule have
exceeded the amount OF the stakes, but
OF course these horses go every Week
for five or six weeks before they reach
Trenton and the starters are mostly
,yeeded down to five or six. We usually
have twenty 10 thirty entries in these
classes, all Of whom have paid o per cent,
the last payment being made several
weeks before the fair, and hence we do
not care whether they show up or not.
There was always enough to make up
a good race"