New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1860-09-28
FIFTH ANNUAL FAIR
or THE-
St, Louis Agricultural and Mechanical Association,
OPENING DAY.
TWENTY-FIVE THOUSAND PEOPLE PRESENT

sncetsl to the New orlsans creseent.1

ST. LOUIS, September "a, 1860
Mr. Edttor-The opening Of the great Fair un-
der the auspices Of the ST. Louis Agricultural and
Mechanical Association, to-day, grand affair.
The liberal premiums offered by the Directors for
the products of the field, garden, orchard, farm
yard domestic animals, the works Of genius, |
science and art in all their branches their depart
ments Of usefulness and taste, have attracted the
attention Of the whole country, and over fifty
thousands people were on the grounds to-day to
witness the display and enjoy the grand opening
day.
The city has been in feverish excitement for
the past two weeks. st. Louis is certainly the
worlds tavern at present, where all natonalities,
languages, costumes, faces and manners have put
up. The streets present gay and busy appear
ance, and are filled by thousands of strangers
from every part of the country. The anticipation
of the great Fair has peryaded all classes for some
time past.
The st. Louis Agricultural and Mechanical Asso-
citation, it at present exists, originated in the
year 1885, by an act Of the Legislature incorpo-
rating the Association, 'for the better develop
ment of agricultural and mechanical interests
A Board of Directors was at once elected, and the
| purchase of the present grounds effected on the
4th of June, 1856, from Col. John O'Fallon, at
cost of $4,000. The first Fair was held on the
| 18th October following, and was great triumph,
considering the haste in which everything was
| prepared and the magnitude of the enterprise.
Thousands focked to the exhibition, and the Pc
cuniary results were so gratifying that many other
| additional buildings were erected, and the pre-
MUM list increased for the second Fair upwards
| of $4,000. It proved a success, more decided even
than the first; and the Fair then became recog-
| onJ ,F
thousands of strangers during its progress gave
impetus to every branch of business The number
/ of contestants for various premiums increased
wonderfully, and last year the fourth Fair took
place and the attendance was even greater than
upon either of the previous years. Over twenty
| thousand pamphlets, giving description of pre-
mums offered were scattered throughout the
| country and the managers were compelled to turn
away good many parties who came too late with
| their offerings.
Every one who was in this city during its pro-
gress cannot forget the general excitement and
pride among all classes of citizens which it elected
Not less than $4,000 people were present at vari-
GUS stages of the exhibition, a large proportion of
| whom were from abroad. The profits of previous
fairs have enabled the association to offer superior
inducements for stock raisers, farmers, mechanics,
and artizans of ali classes to compete for prizes,
and in fact exceeds that of any fair exhibition in
the Union. As for example: The great leading
premium of $500 for the best roadster stallion in
harness, is one of unparalleled munfcence, and
has created sensation among the owners of choice
stallion flesh throughout the Union. For thorough
bred bull, best booded stallion and sweepstaha
roadster stallion, there are premiums Of $1,000
each-each of the great premiums divided into
three parts-thus insuring greater number OF
contestants The second and third prizes, though
much inferior to the first are attractive for their
pecunary value, and will be criterions of merit.
The present exhibition opened to-day under the
most brilliant prospects, and its fame as the
"mode' fair on the Western Continent will ever
be upheld, if managed with the same generous
spirit that it has been up to this time.
"Going to the fair is the great password at
present. You hear it Il hundred times day, and
see it, too writtenn large letters on every carriage
furniture car baggage wagon, or any other of the
numberless vehicles which everywhere to be
found egong to the fair.' Besides these. the
street rail cars leading out to the Fair Grounds
are in great demand, so much so, that the cars
are all crowded to spfocation with hardly room
enough left in them to drop pin. Being rather a
comfortable youth, S1nS gene as You well know,
dear Crescent / engaged the fourth seat in a car
riage and off we went to the fair. The streets
leading out to the Fair Grounds had such lively
appearance and attracted my attention TO such a
degree that | scarcely looked at my fellow.trav-
elers until | heard voice singing out, "a very
fine morning, sir! which fact politely acEnowl-
edged at the same time taking the opportunity OF
examining my worthy companions. The party
consisted of gentleman and two ladies' The
gentleman was dressed in pea green suit, and
even wore green spectacles, which threw such a
green aspect over his coppered nose that he
looked and reminded me of King Nebucadnazzar,
who the legend tells us, ate nothing but salad
and grass in his later days. and lived altogether
like beast of prey. Whenever he addressed
the two ladies', he smiled like big mastif
with a bad cold The lady sitting next tc
him appeared to be his wife, great big, far
extending woman, with red milestone physlog
nomy dimpes in her cheeks, which looked like
spittoons, and heshy down-hangng chin, whicl
seemed to be the continuation of her upper face
: hieh-heaving bosom Of some torty-five summers
surrounded by st-laced collar, looking like one
of those European fortresses which are surrounded
, by bastions and turrets, and which, according tt
G history. have tsnever been taken,i' made up he
figure Whenever the old mastiH addressed her
she answered at least eight notes above the regnla
pitch OF q woman 5 VO1Ge anu MHSH= =sHe iduSne
it reminded me of the neghing Of a colt just Il
months old Another lady, evidently the friend o.
relative of our above named couple, was passenge
No. 3 in our carriage. Her face was mixture 0
:, midsummer nights dream, moonshine, nightingale
voice, blue heavens and rose scent. She full
made up for the freaks of nature in her relations
and if the carriage hadn't brought us at last to tn
rates of the Fair ground am inclined to think you
CORRESPONDENT would h ave missed writing, hayin
: been lost and too absorbed in the never-to-bt
forgotten azure eyes of his fair travelling con
). panion.
Having alighted at the gate of the fair ground,
y spectacle presents itself which would have been
hearts delight to the immortal Hogarth. Their
are some fifty outside shanties, tents and booth
!, containing the young American giant, the Egypta
: crocodile, the great sword and fire eater with h
= = pet serpents, the calf with two heads, and man
: other unnatural curiosities too numerous to mel
= ton. The lager beer and bretzel stands are
course close by, and music played by every IL
aginable instrument enliyens the scene DutC
organ girls and Italian harp and fiddle players al
81 here in their glory reaping golden harvest. II
- picture can only be compared to Goethe
t anftb hnl