Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-10-29
American Hebrew.

American HEBREW.
Those who have been skeptical In
the past years about the successful
establishment of Jewish farmers all
over this country, had an opportunity
to have their eyes opened little last
week, at the exhibit Of the products
Of Jewish farmers, in the educational
alliance building. To be sure. there
were no figures in the exhibit showing
the prosperity, or lack Of 1t, that Jews
may have met in agriculture, although
there was plenty Of evidence given
in the lectures throughout the week.
But the actual products of the farm,
Of vegetables, grains, chickens, cream
and so forth, was sufficient to put
quietus to the belief in some quarters
that Jewish farmers do not live so
much off the soil as upon summer
boarders. 10.
1t was the first exhibit of products
raised by Jewish farmers ever given
in this country-no doubt the first in
the world-and 1T took the east side
by storm. The Federation of Jewish
Farmers of America, holding their con-
vention this week, were responsible
for 1t. The members Of the federation
sent in specimens of their products
for exhibition. and two hundred of
them came themselves to attend the
convention sessions. which began Sat
urday evening in the alliance.
The convention consisted Of busl-
ness meetings, and lectures by prom
inent agriculturists for the enlighten-
ment of east siders, and these wers
pretty we'll attended. But 1t was the
excellent country fair in the gymna-
stun and on the roof of the alliance
building-a curiosity even in this
metropolis of curiosities-a country
fair right in the heart of the dreary
tenement district-that was the popu-
lar drawing card that brought the east
side around in thousands.
On Saturday evening wnen tine H..
opened at Z o'clock the rush or sight
seers began Immediately. That evening
the fair was kept open until IL o'clock.
The following day saw the result. Tho
word went forth by least side wire
less" which is plain English might
be called simply a marvelously swift
brand of gossip, and from 10 o'clock
Sunday morning until 10 at night thou
sands Of visitors crowded the gym
nasium and roof garden. More thou
sands came during the evenings and
afternoons Of the week, and In every
way the originators Of the fair felt
they had scored an exceptional sue
cess.
side. They were mostly comprised Of
adults but there were many young men
among them and hundreds of school chill
dren. The attendants at the fair-young
farmers themselves or students at Jew
ish agricultural schools-had all they
could do to answer questions. The sight
that was most popular was the incuba-
tor. 1t so happened that batch of
chicks were just emerging from their
shells after their q days in the incnba-
tor, when the crowd came in on Satur-
day night, and the tenement jewellers
stood about with gaping eyes and muir
murs of wonder. Some of them could
hardly believe what they saw. 1t was a
fake" some thought. especially pre-
pared-until IL was explained to them In
Yiddish how the trick was contaminated.
The quetsions some asked were curiously
in a sense acknowledgements. One
old-timer was heard explaining to an
other that the brood of chicks was black,
because the eggs had been black. White
chicks on the other hand, emerged from
white eggs.
II was only from the nature of the
questions asked the attendants that the
impression upon the visitors could be
gagged in any way. Lhat that impress
sion was deep, permanent and liable to
effect a movement from the city in many
cases, was apparent quite often. Otter
number OF young men, particularly, were
interested in the business side OF farm
ing They wanted to know whether good
livings could be made by raising chick
ems: they inquired into the profits of
dairying, and wished to know the prices
that could be obtained for various pro-