The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1907-05-24
MR.. ELLIS In MOBILE
ADDRESSES MEETING OF THE FAIR
ASSOCIATION.
President OF Southern Circuit Gives
Directors of Gulf Coast Tropical
IS Exhibit Advice In Reference
To Details.

Mobile, MAY 23.--(Special flames
3 Ellis, president of the Selma Fair
Association, and of the Southern Fair
circuit this morning addressed a meet
ing of the Gulf Coast Tropical Fair
Association in the Commercial Cluo
rooms.
The meeting was largely ATTENDED
and much enthusiasm prevailed.
Mr.. Ellis began his talk by stating
to s4he directors that he wished to as
sure them that he considered 1t pleas
ure to address them and that anything
which he might do to help the cause
of sthe local fair to success would De
gladly done.
In opening. he cautioned the dlrec-
fdrs against -the-mistake of falling 70
have sufficiently large grounds. This
Mr. Ellis states, is the greatest mis-
take an association can make. He also
advised that mile race course be pro
vided in preference to hair-miie
course, telling of the advantages ar
forded by the large track.
Mr. Ellis then went on to show why
# might reasonably be expected tha'
Mobile should have better fairs than
any other city in the Southern Fair
circuit He pointed out the fact that
Mobile would be the last city In the
circuit to hold their fair, which accord
ing TO his opinion is a distinct advan-
taee as Ii allows the fair to be held
later in the season. He also made note
of the fact. that on account OF It's
situation Mobile should be able to Sc
cure numbers of foreign exhibits, some
thing which the other associations in
the circuit are unable to do.
When asked as to the amount OF
money necessary to put the associa-
tion here in a position to feel sure OF
giving the public a first class fair, Mr.
Ellis stated that he thought 100000
would be the least amount which would
be found practicable. He said that
only $4,000 was invested in the enter
prise at Selma, but Mobiles being a
large city and aspiring to large things
would necessitate a larger outlay.
Mr.. Ellis cautioned the directors
against the error of making an at
tempt to hold a fair without at least
twelve months preparation, stating that
both In Birmingham and in Montgom-
erv. this mistake had been made in
the past. causing considerable trouble
and unnecessary worry to the officials.
Mr.. Ellis then went into a discus
sion of the situation here. He made
an earnest appeal to President Craft
and the other directors for their united
efforts in the work of making the fair
70 be held here in 1908 the largest the
circuit has ever seen, stating that there
is no reason why this should not be
the case, IL the local promoters will
only go into the matter with the right
sort of determination.
with reference 10 appropriations
from the State for agricultural exhibits
at fairs held in the State. Mr. Ellis
stated that Governor Conner seems to
be somewhat loath TO have the money
appropriated for this purpose, and
asked the directors of the local asso-
citation to cooperate with him in an
effort to secure this appropriation,
which needs only the Governors Rp-
prevail to make it forthcoming.
Mr. Ellis closed his talk by again
assuring his hearers that he stood
ready at alt times, both as president
of the Southern Fair Circuit and as
a member of the Selma Fair Associa-
tion to do anything in his power for
the furtherance of the cause here, and
by predicting that the fair to be held
IN Mobile in 1908 would be the best
and largest ever held under the aus
piees of the Southern Fair Circuit.
Mr.. Ellis stated in beginning his