PROCBBDINGS. 71 



CARRIAGES, WAGONS AND FURNITURE. 



JOHN RATLIFF, SUPERINTENDENT. 



The exhibits in this department were good. The merits of the displays in mj 

 department are written up by expert jndges, and their reports embodied in the 

 annual report of the Board, and it is, therefore, not the duty of the Superintendent 

 of the department to speak of that matter in detail; but it may not be amiss or a 

 trespass upon the duties of the experts to state the displays rendered very general 

 satisfaction to visitors at the State Fair, as well as reflecting credit to exhibitors. 



The spacing of the hall and assignment of space to exhibitors had been done as 

 economically as possible, yet there were a number of exhibitors who applied for 

 space after all was taken that was thought to be available. Several articles were 

 crowded into nooks and corners ; and arrangements were made with other exhib- 

 itors, who surrendered small portions of space which had been assigned them, to 

 accommodate those who came in later, and in this way all exhibitors were pro- 

 vided for. 



There were displays made from probably one-fourth of the States of the Union. 



The articles, or goods, displayed in the department which were not entitled to 

 premiums, by the rules of the Board, should be of the value of $50 to entitle the 

 exhibitor to free, or exhibitors' tickets. This rule, in a few cases, may have been 

 waived to accommodate exhibitors from other States, or from a distance, who wished 

 to exhibit a meritorious machine which, of itself, would not be of the required 

 value, but a valuable exhibit to the citizens of our State visiting the State Fair. 

 The rulemaking some value the test or criterion by which exhibitors' tickets may 

 be issued is undoubtedly a good one, and relieves the Superintendent of embar- 

 rassment. In all cases of the display of goods, or a collection of goods, the rule 

 has been strictly adhered to, and in no case was space occupied and tickets issued 

 aaerely to admit the exhibitor to the fair. 



The ticket system adopted this year was quite an improvement over that of last 

 year, being quite a relief to both the Superintendent and exhibitor. I issued 126 

 exhibitor's tickets during the week in my department, which, I think, were prob- 

 ably all accepted and used in good faith. 



I recently received a letter from a gentleman who stated he had attended every 

 State Fair for the last ten years, and had never known such universal satisfaction 

 throughout the various departments as at the last one. 



Your vSuperiuti-ndent can not do less than to say, in this connection, that he wa« 

 universally treated with courtesy by exhibitors in his department, and that a general 

 good feeling prevailed throughout. 



