The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1913-11-28
Thanksgiving Day at the Fair

l
was blessed with ideal weather con
ditions. The managers of the Marion
County Fair Association seem tC
have worked deity and successfully
a rabbits foot" on the weather bu
reau man. with most magical effects
and the days of the fair have beer
as Indian summer.
The attendance yesterday was the
largest that has ever been registered
in the history of the fair association
Visitors estimated the numbers at be
tween seven and eight thousand. The
assistant secretary of the association
said that while the footings had not
been fully tabulated it would be safe
to place a conservative estimate OF
the paid admissions at five thousand
and perhaps they would run up as
high as six thousand.
1t was certainly a big attendance,
and it was a remarkably orderely
and good humored crowd. We saw
no drunkenness and witnessed no
boisterousness of any kind. Indeed,
we did not hear an offensive word
spoken during the entire day.
The behavior of the crowd was adj
mirabe and their conduct and good
behavior made us feel proud.
The people of this county have
cause to be proud of their fair-not
alone for the immense array of un-
parallelled exhibits, but of the build
ings and grounds.
Not long ago Gadsden county gave
a fair. and a most excellent one 1t
was, too, for a beginning, but its pro-
motors were compelled to hold it in
an old abandoned building.
Again, the more enterprising citi-
zens of Jackson county and also of
Suwannee county, held fairs this
year and were compelled to utilize
their court houses for the purpose.
Yesterday the citizens of our sister
county, Alachua, held a fair and were
compelled to hold the same in the
court house grounds.
Marion county is more fortunate.
We have splendid grounds, splendid
ly located, within easy reach of the
business center of the city. The
sidewalks are paved all the way and
the street leading to the fair grounds
has been hard surfaced. The grounds
are fenced and the fence Is kept in a
good state of preservation.
We have a nice race track and ex-
perts say for its size its is unexcelled.
| The center of the track is utilized
for football. baseball, balloon as
tensions, aeroplane flights, and other
games and attractions.
We have a grand stand with seat
| ing capacity for several thousand
ample room being set apart for our
colored population.
We have ample stables for horses
and pens for stock.
! We have large building for the
display of agricultural and horticul
tural exhibits with two wings which
are made notable as the woman's de-
partment and the special exhibits OF
citrus fruits, ferns. flowers and the
overflow of products from the :gri
cultural department
We have large building set apart
and known as the "Colored Peoples
Building"
We are amply provided for out
buildings and have ample space for
all the buildings we shall ever need
AS the poultry exhibit is always a
most pleasing feature of our annual
fairs a better building should be SET
apart to more appropriately display
the marvellous beauties of the one
thousand fowls that annually grace
our fairs
These buildings will come in time
Every year adds some attractive and
much needed feature The fair has
now come with us to stay. 1t is a
drawing card. More and more it will
attract attention. AS the state is grow.
ing In population more and more the
attendance will increase and in the
not very distant future it will be
more than self sustaining and the sur
plus receipts will enable us to erect
all the necessary buildings and add
immensely Ito our attractions
The fair as it is is not only a reve,
lation to the new conner as to our
achievements and possibilities but
to large number of our own people
as well.
In previous issues we have given
special and detailed mention of the
several departments of field and gar
den so today we shall give passing