Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1854-11-08
IN. State Fair.

iSNNOre Tor teW DAYS OF IscteS'"" A'sN"s -"
farmers of this State at The anua! Fan "i me
Sts,e Agricultural Society. We have neither
time aos space to give such an extended no''ee as
We should like, or IA the exhibition deserves all
We can do is To refer very briefly 10 the various
classes Of articles exhibited.
In the department of agricultural implements
aod machinery the exhibition was remarkable,
alike for it's variety and completeness. There
was no article. utpnsil. or machine used upon the
farm, from the large, complicated and complete
machine that at one and the same operation
threshed and cleaned the grain ready for the mill,
to the smallest and simplest. implement used in
ths kitchen garden, that was not to be seen upon
the ground And what was especially gratifying
to US MAS that very large proportion OF them
were from Virginia workshops. In this connec-
ton we cannot pass without noticing EARN
ers' Steam Engine" exhibited by Jos. t. Ander-
son & Cn., Of Richmond. This machine was
placed upon wheels, and could be transported
without difficulty or delay to any part of the farm
where its services might be required. Its power
was about that OF eight horses, and was capable
of operating pair of mill stones, saw mill, thresh-
ing machine, or any other kind of machinery that
might be desired. In country where WATERPROOF
er is not abundant it would be invaluable. The
floral department, we think, fell far below any
other in the exhibition. and we leel perfectly as
sured that the city OF Richmond alone could have
furnished much richer and more magnificent
display Of flowers, &c., Sc.
| But, on the other hand, the department Of do
nestle manufactures and household industry was
urge and interesting, displaying taste, skill and in
dusry in the makers and exhibitors. In this de-
partment there were So many articles deserving
special notice for their beauty and excellence !ha t
we find it very difficult to select any thing for
particular remark. There are two, however. be-
longing to the useful 10 which we must be allow
ed to give word of commentator, and one of
them take much pleasure in Noticing as II
was from our county. We doubt M, there were
many other articles from the county in this de-
partment deserving remark, but they escaped our
attention amid the countless multitude of articles
on exhibition. We refer to piece of linen man
ufactured and exhibited by Mrs. Van Lear Of Mos
sy Creek We do not know The quantity, nor
whether it obtained premium. but as far as we
were capable Of judging 1t richly deserved one
1t was certainly Of very superior quality. The
other article to which we refer was piece Of silk
pocket handkerchefs, containing some twenty-five
in number, and the manufacture Of Mrs. Slaugh-
Ter, by whom the silk was grown and prepared
and manufactured. The handkerchief were very
fine and beautiful, each one worth two or
three Of the flmsy handkerchiels you find in the
shops. Whilst in this department we must no.
tice the rich preserves, splendid pickles, beautiful
sweetmeats, the bread as white as the new fallen
snow and as light, the fine hams, magnificent
apples. and thousand other good things that
made our mouths water and caused US to wish
that we had been on the committee whose duty il
was to taste, to Judge, and award the premiums
We would here beg leave most respectfully to
suggest to the Executive Committee in future TO
make up the Judges of this department from the
| editorial fraternity.
In tue chicken department there was a Won
derfnl display of fuss and feathers, and drum
sticks" and the amount of Growing on the occa-
sion was fully equal to Col. Chapman's greatest
efforts after democratic victory in Indiana. We
hope the Executive Committee will hereafter Of
fer premium to every owner of Shanghais who
will keep them at home. And, by the way, we
would advise the same course in regard 10 the
Khasa cattle and their descendants forever.
The horned, the woody and the swnsh depart
ments Of the exhibition were all respectable, both
in numbers. size and quality. In the former de-
parlment we noticed very handsome pair of fat
steers exhibited by Capt. Alex Walker of this
county, and also prize COW by Mr.. S. b. Finley.
But after all the chief point of attraction was the
trotting course, where the horses were exhibited.
Here congregated the grave aud the gay, the old
and the young, the marion and the maiden. The
truth is admiration for and pride in fine horses
seems to be passion with VIrginians of every
class and condition, from the groom who curries
and rubs the noble animal to the gentleman who
owns him; and this exhibition Of thorough bred
horses must have more than realized the an,icipa-
tons of the most enthusiastic son of the Old Do
miniou. We do not profess to be much of Judge
Of "horse flesh, but feel perfectly safe in pro-
nouncing this magnificent display of fine horses
We shall not venture to designate any individual,
for fear we might find that we had bestowed our
praises the inferior animals instead of the SUI
perior. We shall therefore fire at the lump. and
: pronounce the exhibition superb. Ofone thing we
are certain, any Editor in the State wonld feel as
''terribly proud as the proud Miss Mcbride" were
he the owner of and mounted on the ''proper sde'
of even the worst of the blooded nags exhibited
on this occasion.
{ The crowd in Richmond was immense and was
estimated variously at from twenty thousand Il
sixty thousand persons. Every Hotel and board
ing house in the city was crowded to its utmos
capacity, and many private houses were also filled
wit guests. A more orderly, quiet, and well be
hayed crowd, we venture to say, never assembled
in this or any other State. There is one Other
matter over which we must be allowed to expires:
our feelings of PRIDE and that is the noble bearing
of the men, and the grace and beauty of the wo
men. There certainly can be no csuse for despon
dency in regard to the future Of State which car
assemble in its capital thirty thousand Of as hand
: some women and fine looking men as were at the
) State Fair.
The Annual Address was delivered by the Hon
WIN. D. Preston, in which he sustained his repu-
tation as an eloquent orator and sound thinker