Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1907-11-28
BrH z. BLAKEsLEE. JAcxso..

nounced success. The agricultural and |
horticultural exhibits were as good as
could be shown by any State In the |
Union. and yet Mississippi was only
half trying. Not ten per cent of the |
counties were represented by anything |
like a regular county exhibit. The new
Agricultural Hall was crowded to its
full capacity with products that could
not be cxcelled anywhere; the poultry
show OF over five hundred birds was
revelation To our own people - well as
outsiders: the hogs, live stock Of all
kinds. commercial exhibits, machinery,
ETC., made a wonderful showing for
State that is known to possess wonder
full resources, but is generally consider
ed rs being far behind the times in the
way OF development The attendance
the first week was splendid, the last
week being cut OF 10 considerable
extent by very cold weather. but wiihal
it was satisfactory. The management,
was pleased and are now planning for
larger event next year, when additional
buildings will be ready for live stock.
chickens, dogs, machinery, etc.
Entirely too much space would be re-
quired to enumeraie all of the magnif-
cent exhibits and give them the men
tion merited. Jackson county, as in the
past, carried of honors for the best
county exhibit, with Yazoo close sec
ond. Holmes, Warren, Copiah, Will
kinson and Kinds were well represent
ed with comprehensive exhibits. The
Farmers Union made a demonstration
that elected admiration by showing
some OF the products produced by this
excellent organization. The Cotton
Association again made fine demon
stration Of the need of manufacturing
cotton in the South. Millsaps College
and the Audubon societies fitted up An
instructive and interesting booth. The
A. & NJ. College brought car load of
fine stock and car OF Industrial exhibits
that were the center of admiring crowds
during the Fair. The Baptist Orphan
age exhibited few Of the products of
its farm that were as good as the best.
The fourth annual State Fair has
clearly demonstrated that such an in
stitution will be accorded hearty en-
dorsement by the people OF Mississippi,
and that 1t will be worth millions of
dollars in the course of few years.
The problem now is, shall IL be contin-
ued as a stock company managed by in
dividuals or made State institution in
every sense of the word, as are the
fairs in great number of the Southern
States. 1t was not begun as concern
to make money for the stockholders,
but experience has proven that in few
more years it will be splendid divi-
dend-paying concern. Then the sug-
gestion comes as to what is best for the
future. A fair should not be money
making institution, the benefits coming
to the general good OF State. or COM
munity. All profits arising should by
all means be returned in the way Of
premiums to exhibitors; the larger the
premiums offered the more varied and
better the exhibits. When 1t is posi-
BILE to offer $500 for the best herd OF cat
tie or $3.50 for the best mule colt, breed
ers will be encouraged to get their
stock in show shape and attend the
fair. When $500 can be paid for the
best one-farm exhibit or county exhibit,
the number OF exhibits will be increas-
ed many times. Then it is that the
fair is a success, demonstrating to our
people what can be done and encourag-
ing them to try and do likewise.
These are matters OF sufficient i'm
portance to demand careful considera-
tion at the hands of Mississippians- The
old State is waking up and taking on
improved methods in a hurry, our peo-
pie are doing better year by year and
the fairs are doing as much or more TO
aid this movement than any other one
thing.
As an example of what small farmer
can do in Mississippi, the Hazlehurst
Courier notes that Silas James, living
three miles from town, made this year
with only two small boys for help, nine
bales of cotton, averaging $50 pounds
to the bale, which brought him s5is. 55
and the seed s65, totaling s6l3.55. Be
sides this amount Of cotton Mr.. James
raised enough corn to do him, plenty
OF potatoes, peanuts, molasses, meat
and lard. IL there Is State anywhere
that can offer man more than this,
where Is 1t? Why go West looking for
something better when we have the
best ths sun shines on right here at
home? We need in Mississippi an or
ganization to keep our young men here
more than one to bring them here from
other less favored States. The best in
many OF the newer States were recruit
ed right here, and that because effort
was made to exploit the advantages Of
those States. Keep our people here by
proving to them that Mississippi offers
more than any other State under the
sun, and it can be done.
The demonstration of road building
machinery at the State Fair on the Sth
anu vtn WdS dttChuCu iJO
members of the various boards of su-
pervisors throughout the State. The
amount of machinery on hand was not
as large as expected, but was very
comprehensive in the main. The
smaller machines attracted the larger
amount of attention, although there
were those who held to the larger ones
and more than one traction engine for
road building purposes was contracted
for. The success of the movement en-
courages the writer to try again next
year, and plans are now being formu-
lated for the meeting. 1t is in this
manner that those interested in i'm
proving the public roads can get to-
gether and exchange experiences, learn
what others are doing and what the