Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1914-09-25
COMPANY
WAS A HOT NUMBER

Of course it would be easy to criti-
else the Clearwater county fair asso-
citation, and the men who have given
of their time to make it the best they
could. All of us can now see where
mistakes have been made and how it
could have been made better. We
can see where the fair has fallen short
of what it might have been, and
where this or that feature might have
been improved. But one thing the
Clearwater Republican knows all
who had anything to do with the fair
did the best they could under the cir
,cumstances.
To begin with there was no place to
hold the fair. There was not board
to shelter an exhibit. And there was
no money with which to erect them.
BY hard work on the part of Manager
LaForest, supported by the good will
and generosity of the citizens of Oro-
fino generally, the beginning of per-
manent plant was attempted, and the
buildings are left as the beginning of
a larger and better fair in future years.
The wisdom of this is apparent to all.
Had the management rented tents or
erected temporary quarters the fair
association would face the same situa-
tion next year and every year until
somebody with the courage of LaFor-
est took the iniative and made the
venture. The Republican would give
to Secretary Crow and to the directors
whatever credit they deserve in the
work.
We hope we are big enough and
fair enough to recognize in the county
fair something into which politics
should not enter, and by our generous
and hearty cooperation have demon
;strated that the Clearwater Republi-
can stands ready at all times to join
hands with all citizens in the effort to
'develope and improve Clearwater
county. 1t was for this reason that
we donated every spare moment of our
time, sincesearly spring, often neg
lecting our business, to gather and
prepare the exhibit of grass and sheaf
grains shown during fair week.
Coming back to the fair the Repub-
lican is of the opinion that an apology
or perhaps an explanation, is due the
public. We refer to the alleged "car-
nival company" If there ever was
IA bigger bunch Of fakes. ranker ag-
gregation of frauds, travelling under
any guise, whose real business was to
debauch and despoil the public of
everything from cash to virtue and
good health, it is this outfit that mis-
fortune thrust upon the Clearwater
county fair association this year.
There was not one redeeming feature
about their entire performance, while
the big tent exhibitions were vile,
filthy, immoral, indecent, foul, un-
lawful, reeking, putrid He'll unre-
strained. At night the dances took
on SO lurid hue that it slammed
every man of self respect who went
there with the innocent intention of
being entertained. Repeatedly did
the authorities warn the outfit that
their various devises for extracting
cash from the public was too near the
border of open gambling to be toler-
ated. 1t is probable that the proper
course in such cases would be crimi-
nal prosecution and thirty days in
Jail.
And why did the fair association
not kick the outfit off the grounds? :?
The public is entitled to the facts.
The management Of the fair wanted a
carnival company to entertain the
crowd. Above all was the balloon as
cension. This company wanted to
come, and agreed to supply the ascen-
sion daily. They brought their ba-
loon. But when the time came to
make good they fell down fiat. The
outfit was prepared to go no higher in
the air than obscene dances in a dim
ly lighted tent where for 25c those
inclined were permitted to go the linn
it in the wiggly wiggle and the Texas
Tommy with a bunch Of girls carried
for the purpose by the Carnival
Com pany. 1"
To get the company the local asso'
citation had to advance SIP freight or
their paraphernalia from Spokane
That they were stuck for entertain
ment for the people was soon appar
'ent, and If they fired the outfit the as
sociation was stuck for the money ad
vanced. Messrs. Crow and LaForest
secretary and manager of the fair
could do nothing but tolerate it.
Roth Mr. Crox ard M IaEoEoa