The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1912-10-23
Fully Five Thousand People
on the Fair Ground, and
Others in the Stores
EVERY DEPARTMENT
WELL REPRESENTED
BY FINE EXHIBITS
In Spite of Lowering Clouds, the
Country for Miles Around and from
Adjoining Counties Contributed
Thousands of People to the ThrOngs
which Gathered In GarliDgt0n's
Meadow to See the Exhibits.

The argument that the amusement
feature is necessary to bring out |
crowd to county fair was complete |
ly disproved here Friday when it |
is conServatively estimated that not |
less than five thousand visitors were
present at the annual Laurens coun-
ty fair From the early hours of the |
morning until nearly noon the peo-
pie from all sections OF the county, I
from the border counties of Green I
vile. Greenwood, Spartanburg and
Union continued to come in. The mar
row street running to the fair ground |
was congested nearly all day, the |
stream of people pouring over mar
row bridge across Little River to
spread out as vast multitude over the !
spacious Darlington meadow, temper
lily used as the fair grounds. Acres
and acres of people with handsome
turnouts, made up both Of automobiles |
and horse drawn vehicles, were drawn |
up everywhere. Sitting in the auto
mobiles and carriages and upon the |
grand stand the thousands of people |
were content to enjoy themselves and
TO inform themselves by watching the |
show ring, where exhibit after exhibit |
of fine horses, mules, colts of every
age and description We're shown. Az |
ter losing interest here at times,
groups and parties would desert this
part of the fair for awhile to contin-
ue further over to the foot of a beau
tiful hillside, where the exhibits of
cattle, swine, sheep, goats, poultry, !
dogs pets and nearly every kind of
domestic animal were represented
Completing the circle of these, the .
crowds continued to the agricultural ;
exhibits, placed upon temporary !,
stand under wide spreading trees near
the grand stand. Here every imagin-
able product of the farm was on dis
play. Cotton, corn, hay, garden pro-
ducts and anything that contributes |!
to the family table. Finishing the in /
spection of these exhibits and after
enjoy the pleasures of renewing old |
acqhaintences and making new ones,
the thrifty and eager visitors would /
again return to the big stand to h
watch the progress of the main eX-
hibits in the big ring. And they were !
all content to enjoy this and learn a
something instead of spending money
on cheap musements and horse rae {
es.
Purpose of The Fair.
The Laurens county fair. the NOV ,
ing spirits in which are w. ID. Byrd,
president of the South Carolina Live
Stock Association, joan ID. w. Watts,
director and general manager of the
South Carolina State Fair, c. A. Power 3
clerk of court elect of Laurens coun-
~, and W. r. McCuen, assistant cash
ier of the Peoples Loan e. Exchange
Bank, was primarily Intended and is
aimCst exclusively an Cducat NAL IN
, stitution. 1T was organized by farm
ers and its success is due largely to
.the initiative of the individual farm
ers themselves. The little expense
attached to the yearly exhibition is
borne largely by the individual eX
hibitors and by funds gathered from
liberal merchants and others through
public subscriptions. Having for its
main purpose the education and ad
vancement of those who so far have
suffered through failure to realize the
benefits Of progressive methods in ag-
riculture and stock raising, 1t is a
cardinal principle Of the fair associa-
.tion to charge no admission fees. Ev-
erybody Is admitted free and every
body is welcome. The poor man, with
four or five children and in hard cir
cumstances, is not kept away for the
lack of a dollar or so to pay admis
sion fees The management firmly be-
lieves that this contributes largely to
the success OF the fair. 1t might be
saj' agaiD that not single "amuse
ment feature" was on the fair grounds
yesterday and would not have been al