Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1855-10-19
Gbe lfwisburg Cbroniflr.
FRIDAY, OCT. 10. 1853.
Written for the Lswisturg Chronicle.
New York State Fair,

State Agricultural Society, occurring this
fall at place convenient to Northern
Pennsylvania, was attended, as we were
glad to see, BY many citizens Of our State.
Lewisburg and vicinity had a representa-
tion of thirty or more. The facility of
reaching Elmira from this quarter, now
contrasts strangely with the tedious hard.
chips Of two or three years ago, and one
who remembers the old cart towed by
horses which the driver pelted with stones
over the Ralston Road, as he now whizzes
along on the "lightning train" has prac
tical exemplifcation of ''progress" which
is edifying to behold.
The arrangements for the Fair, as far
rs they depended on the people of Elmira,
appeared to be of the most comfortable
kind The place itself is a striking in
stance of the favorable influence Of Rail
roads, on some communities at least. Just
six years sgo, the great Erie Road slowly
creeping West, first reached that place
with its cars, and now the Jefferson Road,
the Cauandaigua & Niagara Falls, and
the Wiliamspart & Elmira, all centre
there, and give to the ueighborhood Of the
Depot the stir of large city. During
this time, the population has more than
doubled, and an air of intelligence, enter
prise, thrift, and refinement pcrvades tue
whole extent of the community.
The exhibition on the Fair Ground, was
in several respects excellent, though some
Of the departments were scan.ily furnish
cd. Inside the large enclosure was a
range of stalls for stock, Joining the fence
on three sides, with several rows, also, oc-
cupied by the cattle, within. Mechanics
Hal, containing implements and machines,
was large and quite substantial structure,
while Floral Hall, Dairy Hall, &c, were
fitted up with tent roofs. The state of the
weather during the first two days rendered
these latter hardly sufficient protection,
though even they were welcome alterna-
tive to the dismal rain without.
OF the live stock exhibited, We were
most interested in the cattle, fine speci-
mems of all the different classes of which,
Gas Devons, Durhams, Short Horns, fat
Cattle, working Oxen, &c, y were to be
seen, except that we do not remember
meeting with anything remarkable in the
way of mich cows.
OF Horses, We understood (for we paid
less attention to them) there was tOlera-
bic display, while Sheep and Swine in
their several varieties, were well rcprescn-
ted. We saw Col. Paxton there with a
pen of the latter, bred BY himself for
many years from native stock, which he
praised as surprising any other sort in the
country. When asked what breed they
were Of, he jocularly answered, ''Pennsyl-
vania Dutch" The building devoted to
Poultry, was painfully empty, so that the
growing Of the four or five Shanghai cocks
sounded unusually hollow and sepulchu-
raj, and the whole department, not even
excepting the Eagle which was Gagged
there, had sufficiently crest-fallen appear
ance.
The show Of Machines, Implements,
and mechanical products generally, was
very satisfactory. He must have been
very knowing or very contented man
who could not see something new, there,
suited to be of great use to him in his bu-
siness or his home, and therefore highly
desirable. Among the objects which at
tracted great deal of attention, were
barrel making machine, which did its
work with marvellous expedition and sue
cess-shingle machincs-an apparatus for
manufacturing gas from wood, such as
could be set up in any single dwelling-se-
veral new pumps-and two different wash
ing machines, which looked as though they
might really take off from the women's
hands the hardest part of household druid
gerry.
Churns, butter workers, and cheese fig
lures we're there in great abundance, and
each with some special merit. An apple
pearer was much applaudcd which pared
and sliced the apple, very neatly and
economically, almost before you could say
Jack Robinson. So much interest wa,
manifested in an alarm Bedstead, as to in
dicate that the Workers must be hard to
wake in the morning. 1t was like any
other bedstead, with small alarm clock
attached to the head board. This went
of with the usual din at the appointed
moment, and if the sleeper then bounded
out, we'll and good but if not, after CIV
ing him a reasonable time, two
pins we're withdrawn, which held up one
side Of the sacking bottom, and the bed
suddenly became an incliued plane which
would naturally roll the inmate to the
other side Of the room.
Time would fail to speak of the agricul-
tural implements, of which there was a
very complete collection. We missed
scarcely anything important in this line,
except Gibbs Rotary Digger, substitute