CfIAS. GODFREY LELAND, Chairman,
WILLIAM V. McKEAN,
PROF. HENRY COl'Pf.E,
GEORGE 11. BORER,
CRAIG BIDDLE,
THE FAIR MOVEMENT IN THE LOYAL
STATES.—No. 4.
THE BOSTON FAIR,
[For the following sketch of the Boston
Fair the Editorial Committee are indebted to
a gentleman of Boston, who sent it in current
letter-form to Charles J. Stille, Esq., the
writer of the preceding sketches on the same
general subject.]
TT was early in the month of May of the last
year that some of the members of the Com
mittee on Finance of the New England Branch
of the Sanitary Commission, fearing there
would be some difficulty in the autumn in ob
taining means to carry on the necessary work
to be done in the city of Boston, (there had
been a monthly subscription promised during
most of the summer,) started the project ot
holding a ladies’ fair on a small scale. It was
first proposed to hold it in the early autumn,
hoping to realize some $20,000 or $25,000,
but as the affair progressed the time of holding
the Fair was postponed until the second week
of December, and the general interest ex
pressed by the ladies of Boston and vicinity
led us to suppose that we should realize a large
amount —but no one thought of over $50,000.
During the summer the interest increased, and
in the autum we began to look round for a
suitable building in which to hold the Fair.
The Committee did not, even then, realize the
large amount of work that had been done, and
EDITORIAL COMMITTEE:
GENTLEMEN,
REV. WM. 11. FURNESS,
FRANCIS WELLS,
R. MEADE BACIIE,
ASA I. FISII,
CEPHAS G. CHILDS.
PHILADELPHIA, SATURDAY, JUNE 11
the space that was needed to display the mate
rials which would be brought together. In
deed, there was no more eligible place than
the Music Hall, unless we could liavo obtained
tlie Boston Theatre, that is, the Academy of
Music. But as the Fair would be held in
the height of the theatrical season, the amount
of rent and other necessary expenses to fit it
up were considered too much for the extent of
the proposed Fair. There was no other large
building in the city, and no two halls near to
each other that could be combined for the use
of the Fair, and as for the risk of expending
a sum sufficient to erect a building on purpose,
it was considered too much, and the inclemen
cy of that season of the year would not make
it prudent for the ladies who had to tend the
tables.
We had no money given to us, neither did
we ask for donations of money or material be
fore the Fair commenced. There were no
committees formed to procure gifts from the
different trades and other classes of society.
The only intention or expectation of the mana
gers was a “ ladies’ fair.” One of the first
gifts to the Fair was the portrait of Washing
ton by Peale, received from Philadelphia
about a month before the Fair was opened. It
was subscribed for $5OO, and presented to the
Union Club. It was about the same time that
we heard that some of our friends in the State
of New Hampshire intended to send us a steam
fire engine, and that the same had already
found a purchaser in the city of Pittsburg for
PUBLISHING COMMITTEE
![ MRS.
I MRS.
|j MRS.
;'! MRS.
ii MRS.
ladies
ROBERT M. HOOPER,
E. S. RANDOLPH,
WILLIAM M. PHILLIPS,
THOMAS P. JAMES,
PIIEBE M. CLAPP,
$l,OOO. There were also sent from New Hamp
shire other machines, sleighs, wagons and har
ness, and a number of sheep. The net re
ceipts for articles from that State was a little
over $lO,OOO. From Vermont we received
some butter, cheese, &c., but the whole amount
received from other States than New Hamp
shire was very small.
Thus you sec, without the long list of dona
tions to commence with, which fairs that have
taken place since ours have had, and with no
contributions from other cities of any amount,
or from abroad, we were enabled to realize the
net amount of nearly 8117,000. (I have delayed
sending this, in hopes to be able to give you
some of the particulars of receipts from the
different tables, entrance money, &c., and the
expenditures, but the absence of the Treasu
rer, who has the papers, will prevent it.)
At the time of the Fair, we had a small col
lection of paintings of the old masters, and a
few fine modern pictures on exhibition at the
gallery of the Athcmeum, which netted, I think,
aboutslsoo. There were also a series of private
theatricals and tableaux during the two weeks
of the Fair, which netted some $2200. There
was also a small room devoted to a fine collec
tion of curiosities.
Although the Fair in Boston was not held
until after the one in Chicago, yet I believe it
was projected some time before that, and we
think our example gave an impulse to other
cities to raise money for the use of the Sani
tary in this way.
MISS SARAH F. CUYLER,
MISS ANNA M. LEA,
MISS GRACE KIERNAN.
MISS LAURA HOOPER,
MISS DELIMA BLAIS.