The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1911-09-15
COUNTY FAIRS
From the Breeders Gazette. of Chi

! " AOh luC DTSSucTS GdZOttS, OI CHl-
/ cago.)
| H. w. Keota of Oklahoma writes
as follows: Can you give informa-
ton as to organizing a county fair?"
! If the inquirer has back of him
| enough farmers or stockmen from
whom he can reasonably expect CO.
/ operation and willingness to work
and bring out fair show of their an
finals and crops, they can meet and
canvass the matter, and If they de-
eide there is need of a fair in the
| county and a general interest can be
aroused, they will need to finance it.
/ Here is the rock on which too many
. fairs are wrecked. Gate receipts and
| the sale of privileges are the usual
, reliance of new fair associations.
| One rainy day or week may leave the
board with a heavy debt, or a week
of favorable weather may leave a
handsome balance in the treasury as
nestegg for the future. If your in
quirer and some of his friends are
enough in earnest to put their names
on a joint note for a few thousand
dollars to furnish fair grounds and
buildings Or tents. they are warrant
ed in asking TIE business men, keep
ers Of public houses, manufacturers
and enterprising citizens to put up
such premiums as may be needed.
But the amount of money needed to
properly equip fair grounds and pay
premiums, expense of police. superin-
tendents of departments and their
| helpers, gate keepers and adyertis-
| ing will astonish the inexperienced, |
and VIII increase if the fair secures
a place in any circuit of successful |
fairs. After a fair has demonstrated |
that ii has a field of usefulness and !
that its management is worthy of |
public support, then its friends may
justly ask the county commissioners |
to aid. either in the purchase of |
grounds or erection of buildings or |
guaranteeing premiums, as may seem |
best. In some of the older states the |
holding of state and county fairs has |
demonstrated that properly conduct |
ed agricultural fairs have an educa- |
tional value second only to the work !
of the public schools. and have a |
more direct influence in adding to the |
wealth of the state through the in
crease of live stock and crops, and /
their greater value because of i'm |
proved quality and productiveness. A |
larger tax duplicate follows wherever |
a county fair has made a success.
TO be of greatest value the state |
and county fairs must be permanent |
and not have their existence contin-
gent on the accidents of weather or
panic or strike of railroad men.
To tide them over such contingencies |
all county and state fairs need the
backing of the county or state TO a |
Oh h
only after the directors have proved |
they are capable of furnishing the
public fair that never panders to
vice or demoralizing accessories. A
clean. enterprising fair can command
the respect and patronage of respect
able farmers. villagers and city peo-
pie who are the tax payers who NAV
vote for such help from county or
state as may be needed to make a
fair an educator as we'll as a means
of recreation for the rural people.
The possibilities of usefulness of
we'll conducted county fair are so
great that proper conception of it is
always an inspiration for jealous
work among enterprising farmers,
stockmen, dairymen. manufacturers.
merchants and carriers If your in
quirer can secure the cooperation of
enough representatives of these in
terests TO make start, he may hope II
for the development of an institution II
capable of blessing his county as no Il
other means can do. AS an educator
the county fair should supplement II
and benefit also all other educational II
institutions of the county.
Let him not be DISCOURAGED from
q small beginning. If wisely manag-
ed the young enterprise will grow
into permanent institution of use
fulneSs."
Hardly better history could be
written of our own Marion county
fair than the suggestions above given
for the formation of one in Oklaho-
ma. All man-made institutions are i'm.
perfect. and the board which has
built our fair realize the advantage
of criticism. even when it amounts TO
monotonous aaw-picking. But it
would be far more acceptable if &C
eompanied by practical suggestions
and workable ideas as TO how chang
es can be made for betterment. The
Banner idea agrees with the Gazette
that if there is a hearty cooperation
OF all interests il may be hoped for
the development OF an institution
capable Of blessing the county as no
other means can do