The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-08-27
ATTRACTION :
FEATURE Of FAIR
Will This Year Be the Best
of All State Fairs
Increased Efor OF Management TO
satisfactorily Amuse Its
PatrOn

In response to inquiries made at the
office Of the State Fair. it is said that
the free attraction feature OF the com
ing fair. which will be the week or
October 14-19th this year. will De
probably the most notable of the long
list Of fairs held by the North Caro-
lima Agricultural Society.
The management OF the State Fair
realizes fully that there are two dis
tinct sides to a fatr-the exhibit or in
structive side, and the amusement
side. In other words, it is recognized
hat the people come to the Fair to De
amused as we'll as to be instructed or
benefited. 1t is for hat reason that q
vast amount of labor is undergone
each year. and a lot Of cash turned
loose by the Fair management in or
der to secure the best attractions OBJ
tainable for the amusement Of the
crowds at the Fair.
Picking h Best.
OF course special effort Is directed
toward getting features that are re-
markable as we'll as new, and the fact
is tina the job is by no means an easy
one. The country is overrun with all
kinds and conditions Of stone artists
ranging from what might be called
the cheap john variety up to the
first class, but it is a task indeed to
tell from the literature and the cor
respondence of this class of folk what
is really meritorious and what is SIM
ply put on to catch the cash OF the in
| experienced or unwary fair manage
ment.
For some a the management OF
the State Fair has been very success
full in picking out h good from the
mass Of propositions submitted each
season.
Each Fair for many years has been
remarkable for the quality Of its free
attractions. The asst OF
people have been kept On the qui vive
Of expectancy during the intermissions
between the heats of the races by the
startling feats enacted in midair or or
the platform before their yes. Some
times it would be balloon ascensions
at others air ships sailing in any di-
rection at will through the atmos-
phere, at another time an aerOplane
snorting its way through the elements
again a daredevil OF q man pranclng
up and down on a tight wire anG
again it might be gymnastic men ano
women singing themselves aroun ir
the air from bar to bar or trapeZe tt
trapeze, or jugglers defying all tht
laws Of gravity eve heard Of.
Going 1t a Little Better.
Another task hat is almost as hare
as the selecting the good from the
Indifferent of these attractions, is thu
keeping up each yea to the standard
Of the year before and going the lat
ter a little better. However, Score
tary POeue tells the reporter for thi,
paper that the usual luck Of the Stat
Fair is with it again, and contract
have been practically closed with sew
eral free attractions that are easil.
among the very top notchers in tn,
business.
Some High Graders.
One OF the famous, world-renowne,
artists that will appear at the TAI
grounds this year will be James Z
Hardy, the worlds greatest and mos
artistic high wire performer, the her,
} of Niagara Falls in 1896, the marve
of Genesee Gorge in 1897, the won
! der Of M~ontmorency Falls in 1903
MI. Hardy is a recognized high-clas
l attraction for parks and fairs. Fl
I has appeared at the Crystal Palace i
London. England: at the Alexande
Palace, London, England; the Can
ada National Exhibition at Toronto
Canada; the Michigan State Fair 2
1 Detroit; the Ohio State Fair at Col
umbus. Ohio: the Central Fair at OF
tawa, Canada; the Hagerstown Fair q
Hagerstown, Maryland; the World
Fair at London, England; the Won
derland Park, Boston, Mass; Brighto
Beach Park. Coney Island, y. Y
Tower Gardens. Liverpool, England
Eastman Gardens. Liverpool. Eng
land, and many other notable place
too numerous to mention. He has +
| his credit sixteen performances owe
Niagara Falls whirlpool rapids. twer
ty-six performances over the Genesa
Falls. Rochester. \. Y, and seventI