Year: 1879

Our eontempories all over the country
who were unfortunate enough to be bam-
boozled into visiting the thing called by
courtesy fair which lately came off in
our city, all unite IN proclalming 1t TO be a
fiZZle and tiZZle of the most ridiculous kind
at that There were no eXtenuating cIrcum-
stances about it that left a pleasing impres-
sion on the minds of any one sonl who WIS.,
tied it. Some of the papers lay the entire
blame on the farmers because they dld not
attend, and bring along with them their


wives and families. This is too absurd for i


moments serious contemplation. The fact
is the whole blame for the failure hes entirely
on the shoulders of those who had tie man.
agement of 1t. 1t may be that they con-
sidered 1t an honor to have the name of con-
ducting II, and were satisfied with that


empty honor IN the ti-sy place, the pre-


MUM list was arranged with a view, appar-
emily to disgust exhibitors, and have the
poorest show possible for the money col
| lected from our business men, Some of the
| best work ever done In this whole upper
country was put off with the sop of paltry
blue ribbon while the snbliuiity of some


school girls folly, bed quilt, was awarded a


premium of s. 90. No agricultural nipple


ments We're to be found because no induce


ment was offered, yet s. 90 was givea for
two loaves of bread, for no other reason that
| any one can see but because there Was no
competition against them. In fact the arti-
cles of general ability were almost entirely
debarred from the premium list, and such
trash as pincushions, fancy bead work, patch


work, worsted and bead embroidery, gained
in the aggregate prizes of hard cash amount
ing To over $50 90 But more especially IT


is the parsimonious manner in which the So


ciety has dealt with its supporters that the


public has Just cause To complain; the papers
of this city were expected to do everything
In their power to make the thing a success,
and yet they were ungraciously refused even
an advertisement in short, the whole affair


was of that cheap and nasty" character


which the go-ahead. enterprising. great


American people hold iii detestation above


all other things. Another thing deserves


notice, and We think our farmers have good


reason to complain of. Three men only
! entered horned cattle amounting IN all To 23
| head OF these one man gained II preml-


ums another 10. and the remaining man one,


so the whole lot entered gained a prize


These cattle were well deserving of prizes
| for they are hard to beat, and We are salts
| fed that they were entered by legitimate


enterprise for competition; it Is impossible


that even the men who gained the prizes


were satisfied, they would have been far


happier hal there been mere entries. The


same thing occurred with other articles; they


gained prizes because they were single and
alone Bread the same way; the whole


thing showed either the greatest Indifference


or terrible mis- management. The sooner


these annual farces are put an end to, the
better it vii! be for all concerned. If, in the


future, another attempt is made to resurrect
1t let our citizens first be assured that Ire
business men have the management. The
past affairs have proved failures, and as our


own county is so fast taking the lead OF all
Others it is detrimental TO It's whole interests


to be shown up in a ridiculons light again.
We cannot afford it. Our farmers showed


by their absence that they had no faith in it
therefore we do but speak their sentiments


In saving "enoaeh.' If the society can


long succeed under such management, 1t has


more vitality than we give 1t credit for