Year: 1872

Ic LdtS AHUAtl1It Dill d


The collection of people at our late fair
demonstrated beyond a peradyenture that
our fair grounds have not been eligibly To-
Gated. The discomfort of the dust, the ex-
pense of riding to the grounds on horse
back and in vehicles, and the delay of ad-
mission of Omnibusses, hacks and car
riages at the gate are inconvenience of so
great q magnitude as will hereafter deter
many from attending our fairs in the
future. We do not see how larger crowd
could be conveniently accommodated at
our fair grounds than the one thatattended
our late fair. And, yet, if we had fair
grounds conveniently and eligib!y located
we might expect a largely increasing
crowd every year.


Knoxville is most advantagously situ-
ated for a very large attendance OF people
at our fairs. If we had grounds sufficient
ly extensive, properly improved, and con-
Veniently located, we might expect from
thirty to fifty thousand people to attend
our annual fairs. We would have people
from Western Virginia, Western North
Carolina, Northern Georgia. Northern AL
ALBANIA, Eastern Kentucky and all East Ten
nessee, and portion of Middle and West
Tennessee. We would have greater va
riety of people and products, and as large
a CTOWO as COulu DC COlltClSu dU
or Nashville.


The going to and coming from the
grounds on horseback and in vehicles at
our late Fair created dust that was scarce
ly bearable. If rain had ensued the mud
would have been worse than the dust and
would have prevented hundreds, and it
may be thousands from visiting the fair.
The discomfort, danger, expense and de-
lay in going to and returning from the
Fair grounds in carriages, onmnibuses and
on horseback, inevitably suggests that our
Fair grounds should be located on the line
of one of our railroads. Visitors could
reach the Fair grounds by rail- though ten
miles from town with more comfort, less
danger, expense and delay, than they can
the present grounds, mile and half dis
tant. But it is beyond q doubt that an eli
gible situation can be purchased on the
line of some one of our railroads no more
than three or four miles from town.


awe have mentioned as one of the objec-
tions to the present grounds the danger of
such a multitude travelling to and return
ing hurriedly on horseback and in vehicles
and we may add that it is wonderful there
were not more accidents at our late Fair.
We cannot expect to be so fortunate anoth-
er time.


In my Judgment the interest of all our
citizens eminently demand that our Fair
grounds should be on the line of one of our
railroads, and they would in one year be
reimbursed an outlay of fifty or hundra I'd
thousand dollars by such a change. 7 he
stockholders in the railroad would be soon
compensated fOr any reasonable amount of
stock they might take. Our merchants
and tradesmen would all feel the beneficial
effects of such change. Grounds we'll inn
proved and conveniently located would at
tract much larger crowds than we have
ever had.


But we hear our hack men aud omnibus
men say if this changeis made our Occu
patton is gone. Not at all. The increased
crowd would occupy your whole time in
carrying them through the town and from
the depot to the hotels.


But we must not be too selfish in this
matter and consult only our own interest.
| If Knoxville is the geographical center of
large scope of country whose people she
wishes to attract to her, she must consult
their convenience, comfort, pleasure and
economy, and this she should do in a liberal
and gentlemanly spirit. 1t is too bad to
expect large numbers of people to come
here and at two or three times the expense
they ought to pay and in danger of life
and limb ride through the dust or mud to
WISH the Fair grounds. You ought not to
suffer those who bring stock and products
10 TAKE tnem OF the cars and cart them two
miles to the Fair grounds and back again
when the Fair is over. Such inconveni-
ences prevent many from attending our
Fairs.


But it may be objected to change the Fair
grounds would be unjust and injurious to
the present stockholders. If the present
location is unjust to the public it would not
be unjust to any one to change it, and 1
may say don't believe the change would
be Injurious to any one. Land near Knox
Vile has so much advanced in price that
have no doubt the stockholders, by selling
would not only be fully reimbursed the
amount they have paid for the land and
expended in Improvements, but derive a
profit.


have iotted down the foregoing sugges.
tions hurriedly, but as concisely as could
for the time occupied in writing them.
will postpone anything further to be said
| n fhnr C1, olo