Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1854-10-13

STATE FAIR.


with another rain However 1T cleared OF at
last, ana the sur, probably from the exerton Of
struggling through such an unusual accumula-
ton OF obstacles, was very warm. The day has I
been beautiful. and the attendance 4; the Fair has
improved by ii immensely. The crowd today
could hardly have been less, and don't feel at !
Ill sure that itwasn't larger than | have ever 4
seen a. either q the former Fairs. Outside and !
inside Il the enclosure There almost I'M
penetrabe jam OF people, through which one 1
had 10 worm his way. much after the fashion OF /
snake crawling through hackle. II that be
possible feat. Ea.ing tents and stalls and side
shows Of every imaginable humbug. line the road
for several hundred yards from the Fair Grouna,
and the groups around them can often be count ,
en- by hundreds
The grounds lie :. the wesl end Of the city,
a short distance beyond the railroad and are +
most admirably adapted e such a. exhibition.
4 high ridge, sioping of gradually towards the
river. and tslln abruptly on the north, into the
Crooked creek bottom, Is .he prominent feature
q the locality Along it, and spreading into the
level on the south. the various halls for Dairy
Products, Me .aicsll. Agricultural and Miscei-
!aneous Productions aud across i, on the west,
the cattle stalls The horse stalls extend
along the north side, IN tie low ground along the
creek. The slow ring for horses IS an immense
circle, quite quarter of a mile around, and lies
bclWctl Lie Stdls tHt G4A Aat-f'r,
north Il is excellentv located, as the hlii side
furnishes full recommendations for Ten thousand
spectators uile as comfortably the rising seats
in a circus In the centre is Floral Hall vldelie,t
a large tent crowded 10 sufocatlon every MN
ute in the daH from O'clock 70 shutdown. In II
are the fancy articles, the tasteiuliy wrought bed
quilts aud worsted work the fruit plate, pictures
aud such like. The ladies' most do congre
gate" here. aud the noisy unfortunate beggars
and rascaIs who infest such places, have fixed teir
stands and woven their evils Ill around It. IN
every direction YOU sec some catch penny swim
die il full blow. Why the Directors have per
mi,tod 1t, | cant understand. Il was never At
tended before 10 such an extent and most certain
y never should be allowed al all Those who
paid dollar 70 see the Far, didn't bargain for an
allowance q noisy auctioneerng and trade dri-
wing, turn winch way they would. II IS true
nobody Is compelled 10 buy but everybody IS
compelled u endure Disgusting exhibition OF
which no inlima,ion given il the printed an
nouncements Of the attractions and terms Of the
Far. ~ establishment tof private profit should
be permitted within The enclosure but those ne
cessary TO accommodate the wants Of the visitors
This was the opinion Of all whom | heard speak
of It, and we nope the managers of the next Fair
Will see the soundness OF the popular iud.-
nent.
The exhibition on the whole, is inferior 10 any
previous year, though the attendance Is excel
lent. Not only The number of entries Is less
but the variety and quality OF articles shown are
behind our former eff rts. La Mechanic Hall
the articles don't FIJI one-ffth Of the space allot
ted to that class, and a rood portion Of them,
am told, are sent by from Wavne coun-
ty. Manufacturers Hall is probably rather bet
ter filed, but The show in that is very small and
not extraordinary, good In Power Hall, ex-
cept plethora Of Straw cutters, (which seen. to
De a sort Of '.tirst Lesson" in Invention 70 Ne
ehanlcs, which body must study and
beautiful little Steam Engine made by a firm II
have forgotten the na,ne.) of Madison, there is
almost nothing. patent Cider Press, a Cheese
Press and one or two other articles are actually
about all there is 10 be seen. The little steam
engine IS an exquisite piece Of Workmanship Il
Is an upright, or whatever it is called: very
simple IN construction, and runs as noiseessly as
clock work.
The show Of Poultry IS hardly 50 good as that
At our County Fair either in number OF merit.
The Hogs do better, and are probably up TO the
mark Of either Of the former FAIRS Dairy Hall
is better filed in proportion to the space allotted
than either of the others, and even in this the
vessels are more tLan half empty. Indianapolis
has almost nothing. In the Floral list are the
silver beauties Of Baldwin's aud Bailey work
in the manufactured articles. McGnns has some
superb hats and Hasselman d Vinton have one
Of their vel known Threshing Machines. and
know whore 10 find it. The show Of Cattle Is
fair, and that Of Horses The best vet The mum
Der OF horse entries considerably exceeds that d
either previous year. This is a fair statement Of
the Exhibition as it appeared to me.
Its maagreness is very generally admitted and
accounted fer by the heavy rains oi the first two
days, the hard times and the disastrous drouth
The Fan is d failure for all the purposes which
such exhibition can lie ultimately sub
serve The competition is spiritless the show
unat.ractve, and the effect will Ie fell "a the Fair
OF 1895.
There is article or rather two, on the
ground, that l hope 10 have a chance 10 see
thrown over the fence. L nsists OF a couple
OF young gentlemen whose legs and arms haY g
gone into decline. who call themselves the
Skeleton Brothers, They dress in black, Gloss,
fitting shirt and drawers, play the fiddle exccra-
bly,, and look immensely, as though hearty
kicking would help them % I..te flesh Their
legs are about the size Of stout mans arm
rather under the average except among <hang-
hais-but plenty stout to hold item up while their
arms could shove plane u pull thread II
about the most disgusting exhibition | ever saw
excepting Jesse D Bright euloging Henry Clay
and the Superintendent ought have them
eJected BY the shortest cut. tried To re. 10 see
the Threshng Machines al work, but they missed
the appointed time . widely that gave it ND till
aft1pd Il -, II