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.
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