The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1917-11-12
A MOST DEPLOR-
ABLE BLUNDER
The County Fair Was a Splendid
Success on the Inside But the
Gambling on the Midway Was
a Disgrace and Shame.

The part of Robson county fair
that was in the warehouse was a
splendid success. The exhibits were
fine and not only reflected credit or
the exhibitors but upon the manage
ment of the fair as well. Robson
is a great and productive county ard
we are all proud of it. So much for
the real fair.
/ did not go into the midway unit
the afternoon of the last day. l
thought it was an aggregation of not
verv elevatine shows, not good. but
perhaps not bad enough to make a
kick about. My astonishment was
untv unded when | found tWenty-eight
garaolers in a double row playing
the, nefarious trade in the broad
ligl t of day! These men were break
ing the law. We citizens knew j., the
fair management knew it, the town
anC county authorities knew it, yet
it vent on for nearly week. Know
ing the high character of the men
who had charge of the fair and of our
aut .orities in town and county, l
wa amazed at what was going on
anC my amazement still knows no
abb cement. | understand that the
ma agement is already on the stool
of repentance, and that being the case
the are to be forgiven by the COM
mt -ity. But such thing must never
haT zen in Ecteson again. If it takes
thu to ma a fair, then the mere
sue assful one is the worse it is.
he thing will plague our commun-
ity for many days. The sharpers
thr 3ughout the country have now
fou I'd rich community which is an
easJ mark and they will be knocking
cor 5tantly at our door. Our magis-
TIRE :cs will feel twinge of compunc-
tioa whe nthey sentence negro fer
for did not the great white race SO
celebrate it's annual festival? Re-
spect for laws against gambling will
be diminished, for has not the viola
ton of such laws been win1ed at by
the best people in the land,
The gentlemen responsible for the
situation are among my best friends
and it is not easy to criticise them.
But the moral interests of the COM
nunity have been injured, and who
shall speak if the ministers, the guard
ians of our moral and spiritual in
terests, are silent?
The fair itself is good thing and
ought to go on as permanent lnstl-
tuition. If there is anything 1 can
do personally to aid the management
in making it su, cess hereby pledge
my assistance. But | promise ny
vigorous opr ,ition to e. lnblers, no
matter how -especta lie ,ay be their
temporary connection.
CHAS. L. GREAVES.
Lumberton, N. C.
Nov. 10, 1917.
A Shame. and Disgrace to the Town.
The Robesonian has been asked to
publish the following letter to the
mayor:
"Mr. Jas. D. Proctor, Mayor,
"City.
Dear Mr., Proctor:
GAS a citizen of the town I want
to say, and l feel that have a right
to say, that the allowing (the carni-
val) to come to our good town, and
the allowing to stay here after find
ing out what bunch came, is a shame
and a dis grace to our town and the
government thereof. One cannot help
but wonder whether they would have
ever been allowed to come, and most
especially STAY, had they been as
sembled near the houses of any one
tahtGLSiiGy w nave CliCIil lCtIOF-u'
81 would have made this protest car
ly in the week but for the fact that
nay wife and children have been out
of town Gam SO thankful they have)
and have not been getting home I'M
til Late at night after most of the
fuss WAS over. For any woman to
have to stay in a house with the
crowd around it that we are hav-
iDY is enough to make one sorry that
he lives in town that has officials
that will allow such bunch to squat
right under the noses of it's citizens
If We must have carnivals-and we
don't need them-why not let then
stop outside of town, thus putting US
all on an equal footing as far as hav
ing them around is concerned? If E
fellow wants to go to carnival, the1
let him go, but it isn't right to abuse
one set of citizens by sticking such {
thing right under their noses.
Yours truly,
F. P. GRAY