The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-04-03
Mobile, Ala, March 81.

opening sentence of my first article
relating TO an annual fair for PenSa-
cola, referred TO the Dallas, Texas.
lair. The purpose of that reference
VIII now be disclosed when / tell that
the fair l referred to was the second
one held in Dallas, and was. while
crsdltable, a very unpretentious af-
fair when compared with the magnifi-
cent proportions to which il has stead
lily grown. until it is now the greatest
Institution of its kind 10 be found in
any state. In this connection | desire
10 invite attention To the fact that
Pensacola Is now greater in pOpula-
ton and resources than was the Texas
city at the time of which | wrote. The
annual fair, by the admission of one
who IS in a position to pass competent
Judgment, has contributed more than
any other three agencies to the proud
position of prominence which the city
OF Dallas today enjoys. What il has
done for that city it viii do for Pen
sacOla, provided it be accorded the
same cordial support by those upon
whom must depend its creation and
continuance. It is a plant of quick
and hardy growth, responsive 10 intel
ligent care and richer in its yield OF
happy results than any other yet dis
covered. / cannot resist the impulse
to state just here that Pensacola en-
joys many advantages favorable to
successful annual fairs that are de-
MED both Atlanta and Dallas. But IN
this article l shall, for the present. Tor
bear. I have promised proof of their
revenue producing potency and in full
filIment of that promise l take pleas
ure in submitting for careful consider
alton the testimony of probably the
most competent authority on the SUD-
iect that ever gave it study. Honor
ing my request made some weeks ago
for statistics of the greatest OF annual
fairs, l was favored with a courteous
response by one ripe in experience,
and desire every reader OF The Pen
sacola Jour nal to share the intorma'
ton he has, so obligingly furnished In
the face of such evidence, can anyone
other than a dreamer or Ounce, deny
the superiority of annual fairs ever
annual funnies, as business builders!
C. U. PORTER.
THE DALLAS FAIR.
The following is the letter from Mt
Sidney Smith which Mr.. Porter refers
to in his communication:
Dallas, Texas, March 6, 1908.
Mr.. G. U. Porter, Mobile, Ala.
Dear Sir: I am today in receipt or
YOUR valued favor of the 29th ult-, sent
me by the honorable mayor OF the city
of Dallas, with d request that give
you such information as asked 1or'
and which beg to assure You IS mere
with given with a great deal OF pleas
Irre, and having been connected with
this fair since 1886. / naturally have
a felIow-feeling for such enterprises
and particularly with the people VINO
are put in charge OF them
Alabama IS my native state, ana the
city of Mobile was the first town OF
any consequence l ever saw, and ike
the first circus I ever saw, 1t has re
manned in my mind as being the only
enc on earth 1 have q relative living
in your city by the name Of Sydney
Prince. If you know him, Kindly re-
member me to him; but this Is a dl-
gression from the subject, and, gong
back to fairs, beg TO say that after
more than twenty years experience
with this fair, ! firmly believe it has
done more good for the city OF Dallas
than any other three enterprises III
ever had. Our books SNOW that dur
ing the past twenty-five years We nave
paid out to Texas SeOpIe an averaGeI
of $4,000 each year, which money mas
gone to material dealers, laborers, me
chanics, and exhibitors. In addition
to this We have expended each year
an average Oh Al diA 9Io-VV' W P'N'NN
in improvements and repairs, and all
of this money. has been paid cut here
at home. Our books also show that
our attendance has gradually N
creased each year from 1856 TO 1897.
amounting in 1907 TO over 100000 VS.
tiers. To make an average OF these
last twenty-five years, IL VIII be Saie
TO say that at lea Il, 100000 people
have come to Dallas as visitors CT tae.
fair, and X - also safe 70 calculate
that each enc of them left, at the very
least, So in the city Of Dallas, when
Won can readily see will foot up A
princely sum, poured out, As It. were,
into the lars CT our pPCple; none so
moor as not TO receive. a part, and
none SO rich as 70 deny its benefits.
Last year cur fair closed just about
the time the financial panic stru k
our town, and the large amount OF
money left here by :he visitors Who
had come to OUT fair helped Us to
worry through With less trouble than
il would have taken but for this fact
Without Parallel.
This fair stands today, without
parallel iu.the history Of fairs in the.
United States. Il vas organized IN
1856 on private capital, and according
to the constitution Of Texas, TO as
sietance can be given by the state to-
fairs. and consequently il has been
run withclr. any help whatever from
either the state q Texas or the ccun
ty in which it is o-ated, but we have
every year paid cur regular state and
county taxes. regardless of the bele-
fetal effects Of the fair to the people
AT large We have had q long anu
tedious fight cur intention being al
the time that as sooD as We got il paid
out Of debt We would donate it 70 the
city Of Dallas. In 1904 We owned IL
acres of land, almost in the heart OF
the city now, with all improvements
on the nrcDerty. and we had against