The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1858-10-20
Tho Wiscouain State Fair

Chen for the Madison State Fair. After sup
per at Mazomanie. drousiness took possession
of us ind notwithstanding two of our wide
awake friends were in a seat near by, they
quietly slipped from the cars at Madison and
left us to pursue our way eastward. Waking
up near Stoughton, We landed and put up at
the Pavilion, one of the best houses in the
west. The landlord kindly escorted us to the
4 o'clock train, on which we arrived at the
CAPITOL little after o'clock. We breakfast
ed at the U. States, and Immediately after re-
ported our name at the Editorial headquarters
under PuMP's Patriot ofice-found lots of
good-looking, wholc.souled boys of the tribe
typographical, interchanged sentiment, rccipro-
Gated champagne, &c, &C., and in an hour af-
ter marched into the Assembly Chamber where
the Editorial Convention was in session.
saw REED, President, PoMEnoY Secretary and
sundry genii (PuMr included) sitting at a long
table as scribes-listened to the talk till an
adjournment for dinner-followcd Pump into
the basement Of an almighty saloon, where
ordered, delivered and demolished I'D ibitum-
left that place and marched to the fair ground,
one mile and quarter east of the city to the
left of the r. Road as you come West. There
VIC saw several thousand people, any amount of
potatoes. corn, cabbage, turnps, apples, grapes,
plums, peas, melons, furniture, sewing ma
chimes, big hogs, pretty hog-, hairless hogs,
great bulls, little bulls, handsome cows, long
wooded sheep, wind mills, sugar cane mills,
shanghais, dorkings, game chickens. pea fowls,
morgan stations, patent saw mills, beautiful
boquets, aquariums, statuary, natural curiosi-
ties, artificial absurdities. military companies,
fire companies. bands of music, side shows,
apple stands, fast horses, Prof. Rarey, mustang
colts, unmanageable horses, steam plows,
threshing machines and God knows what
else that goes to make up State Fair.
We went round and round gaping at every
thing before US till rain came OH in the after.
noon, and then the scattering for the city, in
wagons and on foot, was glorious to behold
The next morning the sky was clear, but,
Jupiter, how the wind blew All creation was
out as on the day before, though it was most
shocking time for the modesty of that graceful
portion of humanity who enrap their precious
forms in the circling embrace of-none Of your
business. The envious wind rudely dallied
with the gossamer ornament, and true to its
aeionau9ht-ic instincts it-but we forbear-
The next day, Friday, was the day. TWENTY
THOUSAND PEOPLE were on the ground. The
committee had attached premium ribbons to
every article Of stock exhibited but the Eques
TRAN ladies, and the public were busy in looking
up cause for condemnation or approval of the
committees. The Military companies were
marching and counter-marching in. their ell
campment and thousands of yurals like our.
selves were drinking in the spirit of July T.
l776, with the cxhilernting notes of Yankee
Doodle and Hail Columbia. Auctioneers were
yelling their discordant "half and halls with
the cry of "positively the last chance to see
the striped hyena, the white Bear and the
Scotch Giantess." Every body was wide
awake. The organ grinder in front Of a ten,
of monkeys performed his Office with desre.
ration that plainly said. "the last dime in this
crowd shall be mine! Prof Rarey was lee.
turing louder and louder to the masses to pay
lone quarter" for the privilege of seeing him
''tame the mustang colt and the kicking stall.
ion." CAssIus NJ. CLAY was holding forth to
three or four thousand unpoetic and unromantic
individuals who were coldly noting the theory
OF Agriculture as ne eToqucnuy IaIu II uuwn.-
The Milwaukee cadets "a splendid company o
young men in command of Capt Hibbard
brother to our Sly were trying one of theil
company for grand misdemeanor-refusine
to stake drink when invited or some such
un.soldierlike conduct. He was condemned to
death, file of soldiers detailed and at the
word "Fire" the poor fellow dropped lifeless Tin
horn) with bottle IF schnapps close TO his
neck. He was carried to the grave; the bands
playing dead march, buried, speech made
over him and then much to the qualification OF
the sympathetic portion Of the crowd, the
sprightly young soldier sprang to his feet and
ran away The mock ceremony was we'll done
and the youthful troop won thunders of ap-
plause.
At three o'clock the Female Equestrian Pro.
session escorted by the Madison Cavalry enter.
ed the enclosure and set the excited thousands
in blaze of Juror. There were twenty-five
ladies. most Of them young and all Of them
handsome. They walked their horses round
the half-mile course then they 'rotted. cantered,
paced, racked and about the third revolution
they looked very much like racers in earnest.
The rell-broke horses won all the prizes q
Miss BuTroS, Of Milwaukee, carrying off the
first by the aid Of a pacing equine that carried
her as smoothly as the cradle in which her
mother rocked her. One young lady rode with.
out saddle. and on one occasion she dropped
the reius on her horses neck, piled the whip
aud came in ahead of ali competitors She
got no prize, but she was the best rider in that
troop or we are no Judge. But no matter We
had SO tender feeling towards the angelic crsa.
lures that we we're in pain while they were ex.
ercising-it looks dangerous to see ladies' rae
ing horses, and we were glad when it was over.
During the riding platform of seats fell
down breaking mans leg and unjointing a
lady's aucle The grounds are ampitheatrical
the military, the tents for fruit and floral exhi-
billions and the Hall of Fine Arts were all on
the rising ground, while the machinery, the
stock and the course were in the vale or bot.
tom. This arrangement enabled US to see the
sports Of the ring by remaining on the upland,
aud the show Of the human multitude by going
down to the valley. The knoll or mound on
which the Hall of Fine Arts was erected, must
hare contained, at one time, Ten thousand
persons. The elevation Of their heads one just
above the other. like seats in theatre, gave
them most splendid appearance. the "red,
white and blue" trappings of the ladies con-
trasting with the darl drosAca Of the rouoh ar