Praise for Fairs and Fish Fries

Sadly, the coronavirus pandemic has caused many fairs and other events to be canceled, leaving many of us with only memories of our time attending local and state fairs. However, through our local weekly newspapers we can recall the good times of years past. 

Following the first annual Carbon County Fair in Saratoga the Sept. 22, 1910 issue of The Saratoga Sun reported thus on the editorial page:

A gentleman from Rawlins, who had been out and took in the fair, said to a representative of the Sun this morning, “I am truly surprised at what the Saratoga people have done in the matter of the buildings and grounds of the First Annual Carbon County Fair. I would not have thought it possible they could have set up such substantial buildings and made such a racetrack as they have. The plan of the grounds and buildings is admirable.” 

He continued, “They have certainly laid the foundation here for an institution every person in the county should be proud of. It will grow from year to year. It will do more to show eastern people what can be grown here and the possibilities of the country than any other thing that could have been done. They can count on me as a booster for the fair from this day on.”

Next fair will be a hummer

People have to be educated up to what constitutes an agricultural fair. While we had a great many exhibits that did credit to the county, if the people had known before what they do now, the exhibits would have been 10 times as great as they were. 

Next year the fair will be a hummer, for the people will be encouraged to bring exhibits. We heard hundreds of people express deep regret, after a trip through the exhibit building that they had not brought something. They voiced their determination that next year they would bring their products for exhibition. 

A successful fish day

Yesterday proved to be an ideal day for the fish fry. The men who were in charge of the fish fry on the island had 3,750 fish on hand. They fed about 1,500 people and had about 250 trout left. 

The fish were fine and very abundant, and everybody seemed very pleased. Nobody went away without being amply served, and those who have been present at each of the three fish days, say the one just pulled off was, perhaps, the must successful of all. 

Dave Wilcox and Sam Monroe were the two chefs and did themselves quite proud. The band was present and made the stay of the crowd on the island a pleasant one.

The success of the fry was largely due to the personal efforts of C. S. Taylor.