Rensselaer Union, Volume 9, Number 42, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 July 1877 — THE FAIR. [ARTICLE]

THE FAIR.

We trust our neighbor will keep his soul in patience with reference to the premium list. It was printed last year in July, and the suggestion to print it this year by the first of June was, we supposed at the time, in aspiritof badinage, as the time given was too short. We are confirmed in tlie supposition by the fuel that very recently additional rules have beeu handed in.— Sentinel. When the formality of asking the representative of The Union office to submit a bid for printing the premium list, the bills, the posters and other work of similar character required by the Jabpcr County Agricultural and Mechanical Society to advertise their fair this year was performed, the circumstances attending it were such as to arouse suspicions that those who controlled were Hot acting in good faith, and two members of the committee appointed to negotiate a printing contract for the society were plainly told so. It was known then just as well as it is known now that no &ona fide bid of this establishment would or could receive any consideration. The arrangement had been deliberately made several weeks beforehand for this end, though it is not believed that all the members of the committee were privy to it. The Sentinel , as will be seen by the quotation above, announces that a very important condition of the contract submitted to us was merely badinage—a jest—a something to be understood as meaningless by him, butintended to deceive those not in the secrets of the ring. Was this honorable on the part of the managing directors of the Society? The proprietor of the Sentinel has no interest in the success of the fair this year, nor in the prosperity of the Society. One of the proprietors of The Union bus held a paid up subscription of stock in the Society ' ;inee iUorgan ; zMicni. Yet, beause tlroye who control jlic action ofctii? board of directors are friendly in politics to the Sentinel and at enmity to Thu Union, or for someolherreason not easy to fathom, an arrangement is made, if the Sentinel may be believed, by which the stockholder is to be prejudiced. Is this action honorable? Hut the bigotry of these same managing spirits has led them a step further. They have whined, and haggled, and Jewed over just and reasonable bills for work officers of the society contracted to have done, until, disgusted at the exhibition of meanness, they were told to allow what they all agreed upon as being proper beyond question and keep the rest for the benefit of a bankrupt concern. They have been pleased to keep back all. Is this an honorable transaction?

However, these be day* of peace and conciliation; and the writer though having a keen sense ot the injustice practiced upon him by men who would like to be considered honorable, is willing to sink personal wrong* and work for the good of the many. And, besides, a strong personal motive prompts him to this course. The Society is deeply involved in debt, and there is serious talk of assessing the stock to liquidate this indebtedness. He does not want this done. He does not yearn to pay out money these hard times in addition to what he baa already lost in dishonored, but.jnst claims. There is an intimation by the Sentinel that the premium list will be ready for circulation this month; but this intimation is not a positive statement, simply an inferential one. The fact probably is the Hat will not be printed in the Sentinel offioo during this year of grace 1877. That establishment, unfortunately, perhaps, does not posses facilities for doing such work—has neither the jypes, the press, nor the mechanics. ~ Nearly one-half the job work that has been issued from that house since its birth was done with material borrowed of The Union for that purpose. The proprietor ot the Sentinel does not inow when the list will ~.w ' " U . ''■ " 1 " ' ■ V • ■' •;

be ready fur circulation; neither does he care very much about it. He has no interest in the welfare of the Society whatever, and but a very young interest in the welfare of the people of this county. He took his contract at a price less than the cost of the raw material which must be used for the production agreed upon, and unless something is made up to him hereafter, will be out ot pocket for his enterprise. It cannot be expected that he will care to comply with the provisions of a contract which he considered merely badinage—a joke the victim of which he is likely to become. For the reason that the advertising of our fair has been entrusted to jnuomputent and negligent hands Thu Union desires all of those who are sincerely interested in the welfare of the Society and of the county to join in an effort to awaken enthusiasm in the subject. Its columns are free to the admission of pertinent articles having this end in view. Let each talk with his neighbor on the Subject, and write to acquaintances ot neighboring localities about it. To-day the promise is big that good ci’tUMjgill be produced in Jasper county this season. If the promise matures the exposition can easily be mnde to excel either of the former ones. Better horses, cattle, sheep, hogs and poultry can be shown; because breeds have undergone wonderful improvement under the stimulating influence of the fairs of previous seasons. The poinologioal display is not likely to be better than that of last season, but still may be creditable to the county. Vegetables and root crops, if given reasonable care and cultivation, will be as fine as those produced anywhere under our latitude. As to a floral display we scarcely know what to suggest. Our county is the habitation o» some of the most brilliant, delicate and interesting flowers that grow on the continent, and exotics with ordinary eare grow with a luxuriance nearly equal to that seen in their native regions; of late years much attention has been bestowed upon the cultivation both of house plants and bedding sorts out of doors, until some, notably the ladies, have become quite proficient amateur florists. But heretofore the management of the fairs of this Society has not been such as was calculated

to inspire the exhibitor with cu. thusiasm. Through carelessneft* inexcusable many choice . spo<4- ( | mens, each one of which very likely was worth more than all the premiums offiered in the class, were destroyed, or so badiy jtiniaged as almost to makb the exhibitor weep with vexation. And so to a greater or less extent it may be spoken of the tine art and the delicate textured articles of domestic manu faclufe exhibitions. But it the ladies and ptherscan make up llieir mindsto be as forgiving a fid eoi > cililory as the writer is and sink wrongs and personal indignities in the nobler effort to promote the good of the many, and if all the other stock-holders will unite With us in an earnest effort to overcome the serious obstacles pres’emed by an incompetent board of director*, (some of them are a* good business men as can be selected, but enough are incompetent to embarrass the Society,), we may have a good fair this year and pay something of the indebtedness banning over it. We must make the best of present conditions and see it something better cannot be secured for the future.