EXHIBITION OF 1872. 
This fair, being the nineteenth of the society, was held on the 
grounds known as the Cold Spring, in the city of Milwaukee, which 
were generously furnished to the society by the public-spirited citi¬ 
zens of that city. These grounds had been used by the society for 
their annual exhibitions of 1870 and 1871, and were in excellent 
condition. To make the grounds more attractive, however, and to 
offer better facilities for the numerous exhibitors in the fine arts 
department, the city of Milwaukee proposed, early in the season, 
to donate the sum of one thousand dollars to erect a fine arts hall, 
provided the society would furnish one half of the above sum, 
which they cheerfully did, and the hall was erected, furnishing 
extensive and satisfactory accommodations in this department. 
The erection of this hall also gave an additional hall for manufac¬ 
tures, so that this important department had enlarged room. The 
executive board had great reason to believe that the fair would 
prove the most attractive, interesting and profitable to the people 
of the state of any exhibition ever held by the society, and while 
their hopes and expectations were fully realized as to the attract¬ 
iveness of the exhibition, yet the wet and unfavorable weather of 
Monday had a depressing influence upon the officers of the so¬ 
ciety, lowering their expectations of large financial returns, and 
abating the energy and enthusiasm of exhibitors to that extent, 
that many, having made entries, did not place their articles on 
exhibition, and thousands who had made arrangements to attend 
changed their minds with the change of weather and remained at 
their homes. 
A very correct idea of the weather was given in the Milwaukee 
Sentinel of the 22d, and in the Milwaukee News of the 23d, 
which I here copy, as follows: 
