The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1858-12-24
THE LATE DIVISION FAIR.

M. fvins: = Incidentally picking nm
'Brownlow's whie' of the so,h .ultimo, was
struck with the singular awards made at the
late Division Fair" at Knoxville. It caus.
ed your whilom correspondent, who so oh.
ligingly informed your startled readers that
the East Tennessee and Georgia Railroad was
built for the express benefit Of Knoxville,
(when they, poor ignorant souls, thought it
was built for the public good to loom up be.
fore me, and thought, surely man, you were
dreaming Of the Fair and the county, instead
OF the Road and the city. Curiosity prompt.
ed me to make hasty examination as to how
the premiums were distributed over Eost
Tennessee. found that Knox county reoeiy.
ed two hundred and one. and the small nor.
tion Of East Tennessee remaining received
seventy. Of these, viz: four sets of
plate and two cups, for trotters and pacers
were taken from Knox county per force
Now, sir, this disproportion is all wrong
Most OF the articles were contested, and any.
where else they would, in my opinion, have
been successfully so. l was informed on the
ground that nothing but race horse pedi.
gree could have showing in the ring Of what
they were pleased to call Thorough. BREEDS"
when in fact there were no such animals upon
the ground. 1t was the topic of converse.
ton amongst the outsiders that local infu.
ence alone caused the ruling out all stock but
the mongrel "thorough-breds. do not
know as to the truth Of this. 1 heard one of
the judges say that they paid no attention
to anything but pedigree-consequently the
long-legged, light.bodied, and, to Il farmer,
worthless race horse received all the premi
ums. To show you the Righteousness of these
awards. will just mention that it was pro.
claimed from the stand that an ordinary sad.
die horse had beaten the best time of these
(by courtesy thorough BREEDS 1t is a com.
mon saying at the North that these waspish
looking horses can go so far in one day that
it takes them three days to return. would
suggest to the management that as there is
but three Thorough bred" horses in all East
Tennessee, and as the race course proper il
obsolete and not likely ever to be revived
here, that the premiums for thorough breds''
be dispensed with entirely. But be that as
it may, the reign of the race horse is over in
East Tennessee, for already see the Morgans
are here, soon to be followed by the Messen.
gers the Hambletonians, the Cleveland BAYS.
and the Black Bashans. As it has been eyerv
where so will it be in East Tennessee. The
racer has always disappeared before these
horses, like the Indian and buffaloe before
the approach Of the white man, and for very
good reasons. The farmer or breeder soon
perceives, that the harness horse lie in market
two years sooner than the racer, and that he
will sell from two to five or even ten times
as much as his race stock, and common sense
tells him which to raise. was amused at
the perplexed countenance of q man engaged
in raising Morgan stock. Said he, "what the
devil are we to dove can't show in. the ring
of thorough.breds, consequently we've no
right in the ring of draft stock, for the Nor
gan is not properly draft horse, although so
powerful an animal and feel as though l
was outlawed for the use and benefit of Knox
county, although have no stock upon the
ground" He struck bee line for the "'bus."
and that was the last Of him. In all fairness
and honor, the managers of the "Division
Fair" ought to make ring for the harness
horse, for in year or two they will be the
horses Of East Tennessee. and they should be
encouraged and not have cold water thrown
upon them as was evidently done at Knox.
vile. There is a growing feeling of opposi.
tion to the Division Fair amongst portion,
and a large one. of the people of East Ten
nessee. In another article or two, with your
permission, / will point out what, in my
opinion, is producing this effect. Persons
may say that l eat sour grapes at the. late
Fair. Such is not the fact-.f was not inter
ested, directly or indirectly, in a single thing
exhibited at the Fair.
A LooKER.ON IN KNOXVILLE.
November 9Th, 1853.