THIRTEENTH DISTRICT AGRICULTURAL ASSOCIATION. 667 



ence, he goes back to his employment, if not a more scientific yet certainly 

 a more close and practical observer — a more skillful and successful miner. 

 The ingenious mechanic, the skillful artisan, the practical inventor, the 

 tasteful artist, the profound professional man, the learned historian, and 

 the sagacious statesman, all here find prolific food for reflection and useful 

 lessons for improvement, each in his own particular calling or occupation. 

 Viewed from any standpoint, exhibitions like the one before us tend to 

 promote, in a greater or less degree, the progress of civilization, and con- 

 tribute to the comforts, the enjoyments, and the happiness of the human 

 race. The ladies, too — who are said to be the result of a second and better 

 directed effort on the part of the Almighty in the creation of the human 

 family, and consequently a great improvement on the production of His 

 first effort, man — even they find here the wonderful — I had almost said 

 intelligent — sewing and knitting machines, with which they contrive, with 

 so much greater ease and facility, to beautify, with the adornments of art, 

 their own fair forms. 



Nor should we forget the various other ingenious machines, all of which 

 are contributing so much to mitigate the drudgery of life and bring com- 

 fort, intelligence, and happiness to every household, and physical and 

 intellectual improvement to mankind. To the general observer and to the 

 real philanthropist these exhibitions of progress are rare feats of enjoy- 

 ment. They suggest instructive reflections upon the past, and warrant 

 high anticipations of a bright destiny in the future. Twenty years ago I 

 had the honor of congratulating many of you upon the cheering and 

 happy auspices of a meeting similar to this. It gives me great pleasure 

 now to renew those congratulations under circumstances far more favora- 

 ble and auspices far more promising than then. Providence has smiled 

 upon our country, and the horn of plenty has been filled to overflowing 

 throughout the land. Under circumstances like these it is right and 

 proper that we should meet here as the representatives of all the industrial 

 classes of the State to return to that Providence our sincere thanks for the 

 many blessings we have received at His hands. It is right and proper 

 that we should bring together the evidences of our prosperity — the fruits 

 of our own individual successes — each in his or her particular department 

 of industry, and offer them up as free sacrifices upon the altar of improve- 

 ment and progress. These periodical industrial jubilees, these district 

 fairs, are among the most useful institutions of the age. I challenge the 

 best and most successful educators the world can produce to point me to 

 a school, college, or university, established and conducted in the ancient 

 or modern times, either upon the old or new continent, so well calculated 

 to advance the great masses of mankind in a real, useful, and practical 

 education, or to urge on an enlightened and beneficial civilization of the 

 nations, as these annual exhibitions of the products of the genius and 

 industry of the country. The individual searcher for knowledge may 

 spend a lifetime and fortune in visiting every city, town, and hamlet; 

 every grain or other cultivated field, every fruit orchard, every flock of 

 sheep, herd of cattle, or stable of horses in the State. In short, he may 

 go over every acre of ground in our valleys and descend into every mine 

 in our mountains, visit every machine shop or manufacturing establish- 

 ment in the towns and cities, and he will not see or learn more in years of 

 time thus spent than he can see and learn in one short week at one of out- 

 annual district fairs, when they shall be conducted as they may be and 

 patronized and supported by all the industrial classes as they should be. 

 What is true as to the opportunities of any one individual for gaining 

 information at these exhibitions is equally true of the vast multitude whom 



