The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-10-08
CLOSE STATE FAIR
public. and with an attendance of per-
haps two thousand people
Continued from page one.).

Continued from page one).
public. and with an attendance of per-
haps two thousand people.
The order closing the fair. was not
entirely unexpected, as the influenza
situation had grown more serious as
the hours passed
On Saturday night the board of di-
rectors OF the associations had under
stood that the orders closing all
places of public gathering did not APP
ply to the fair, and all ARRANGEMENTS
had been completed for the opening
Yesterday morning, and as no order
had been received mp to late yesterday
morning, the association had practi-
calIy carried out its promise to the
public to give them one of the best
fairs in the history of the associa-
ton.
Keen Disappointment
1t was with much regret and with
throes Of keen disap pcintmentt that the
association found they were forced to
close the gates. Much time and money
had been expended in the production.
Hundreds of citizens from every sec
ton of the state and elsewhere had
spent time and money in preparing
and sending their exhibits and In
erecting booths for them. Innumera
able things have been. done. which
went to nought.
When the order had been publish.
ed throughout the grounds many of
the exhibitors expressed the willing
ness 10 allow their exhibits to remain
on the grounds for Some future date,
when it might be possible to open
the fair. This proposition Ia being con-
sidered by the association. and II is
prohoble that a statement will be
forthcoming today as to action along
that line. It Is known that several
members OF the board Of directors
favor mere postponement OF the fair
for several weeks. with the hope that
at the end OF that time the big show
may. be pulled off with all the sur
rounding glory that would come to It
this week. The board will in due
time announce it's decision as to what
step TO take.
Immediate Cooperation
When the order was isued yester-
day morning Manager Saunders and
his assistants Immediately went over
! the grounds with megaphones and
made the announce ment Disappoint-
ment was plainly visible on the faces
or the hundreds who had that early
| in the day gone TO the grounds pre-
pared to spend the day in sight see.
ing
All the showmen took the matter
extraordinarily. No implications we're
heard. There was no grumbling but all
Z; hands looked upon the verdict of the
board OF health as a just one. and
accepted ii periodically and with
good grace,
A meeting nf tha board Of direct nrs
was held in the afternoon at which
the situation was discussed Nothing
was given out for Publication. The
| board it was said would issue a state :
fnent today probably
Members OF the board expressed
themselves az readily aeceding to
| the Injunction of the health board
We have the interests OF the city
of Richmond at heart as much ms any
| one said Manager Saunders. "If It
is dangerous to continue the fair, we
do not care to continue IL. The health
and lives Of our fellow citizens are far
more important to US than the glory
that might come from successful
! fair We how to the inevitable 1t is
/ a great disappointment, OF course
We have done all we could TO give the
people great exposition. and we fec!
that our efforts have been crowned
| with success"
Much Money Spent
| Many thousands OF dollars will have
| been spent needlesslv, as the result OF
| the closing Of the fair. Thousands of
| people who came to the city to visit
the fair we're disa ppointed. and much
money was spent in the railroad fare.
and hotel bills. Many people who did
not know the fair had been closed
, reached the city last night
| Most of the stock and other exhib-
! its will remain on the grounds for
time. until the outlook becomes more
clear. The order closing the fair read
as follows
Gentlemen. BY virtue OF the au-
| thority vested by law in the state
board of health. whereby the said
board has right to make orders and
| rules to meet any emergency for the
purpose of suppressinG contagious and
| infectious diseases and other dangers
| TO the pubic life and health, and in
order to prevent the spread OF a dan
gerous and communicable disease.
now an epidemic throughout the
state, known az the influenza, you are
hereby directed forthwith to close the
gates to the state fair and to prohibit
the ingress and eEress Of anyone to
the grounds. save those connected or
having business with the association.
Respectfully,
STATE BOARD OF HEALTH,
by Ennio1 g. williams.