The Lafayette advertiser. [volume] (Vermilionville [i.e. Lafayette], La.) 1865-19??, 1909-05-18


and illustrated them with livestock,
and knew that the farmers all were
from Missouri and things had to
be shown them rather than lectured
on. With this idea firmly fixed in his
mind, the Colonel had been holding
the first agricultural fairs ever held
| in the state and with signal success
from the first he had been gradually
convincing the state authorities of the
superiority of the exhibition idea over
| that of lecturing tours as a promoter
Of agricultural progress, until finally
the Farmers Institutes were abandon
ed and the money diverted to fund
to be divided among the parishes as
cash premiums to exhibitors
Many of the parishes have been
taking advantage of this fund, among
which are our sisters, ST. Martin,
Acadia. iberia and VermilicN, each hold
ing splendid fair every fall; and I
must say that l was indeed surprised
to see that Lafayette. such a progress
i've parish in other things, had not yet
fallen in line. But l am glad to see
that at last her people have become
alive to the true merit of parish fairs,
and I am particularly glad to see that
the initiative steps toward carrying out
this progressive idea are being taken
by that progressive body of citizens
represented by the Lafayette Farm
ers' Club. That insures its success
beyond a doubt For a farmers fair
is farmers affair. If the farmers
take the proper interest in it, that is
the success of the fair in a nut shell;
if they don't, that is the success of
the fair in a bomshell. am especial
ly familiar with the necessity of the
farmers taking the lead in this move
ment, as my experience in ST. Martin
has shown me- Our first fairs were
not the successes they should have
been, due mainly to the movement be-
ing started by us town folks. Our
farmer friends suspected that we were
promoting the thing for the purpose
of exploiting them to our pecuniary
benefit, and it took "a good while to
convince them otherwise. Therefore,
you see | have reason to say that it
argues success for the Lafayette Par
ish Fair to be headed by the Lafayette
Farmers Club.
The cost of holding Parish Fair is
pressing on your minds right now,
know This burden, if left bearing
down on the brain, tends to paralyze
the energies, so will relieve it's pres
sure by saying to you that not a
single farmer is required to spend
single cent. The farmers by taking
the lead obtain the state appropria-
tion OF which already spoke, amount
ing to about $4,000 or $4,000; next
the Police Jury Is expected to supple
ment this sum with an appropriation
of, say 100000 acadia gave $750OO
this year,; then, the city in which the
fair is held makes an appropriation
in return for the benefit it is sure to
get from the large attendance of WIS.,
itors for several days. On the contra
try, the farmers are paid, in the shape
of cash premiums, for the part they
take in the fair, which is simply to
spread interest and bring exhibits. OF
course, the revenues as mentioned are
sufficient only for the premiums and
Tor defraying actual expenses, in the
erection Of temporary buildings, rent
of grounds, etc. But there is another
plan, that of forming stock company
in which the farmers may buy shares
and get dividends from each fair held,
as is done in Acadia, Iberia and Yer
million. This plan is good one. but
am Of the opinion that it is already
too late for us to make use of it
this year, and we had better go after
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