Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1860-11-16
From the Rural Now-Yorkor.
MR.. PLOWHANDLE AND THE STATE
LAIR

MR.. PLOWHANDLE AND THE STATE
FAIR.
The following amusing, suggestive, and in
struotive letter. by our esteemed and fast-be-
coming celebrated correspondent, Mai John
Plowhandle, was first published in the Rural
Of December 5, 1857. 1t attracted consider
able attention, and was widely copied and
commended at the time Since then We have
had many requests for copies Of the paper
containing it, republication Of the Majors
account Of "Smith's Bull" 1t will be read
with interest by those who never saw it be-
fore, while thousands will enjoy its ro-perus-
al
COL Moore Some years ago got acquaint-
ed with one Of your contributors who edited
the Wool Grower, and he used TO put me in
print | must say my vanity was fattered
by seeing my name printed in the paper, with
some things l said and some didn't say,
and we've kept the papers ever since After
all, every body likes a little fame, but some
arc satisfied with a smaller amount than
others. Well, have not the editor any more
to sotm out, so have been thinking would
Just try and see if you would not put me in
to the Rural on my own hook-especially as
] want to tell you all about my going to the
State Fair at Buffalo the other day.
CONCLUDES TO GO.
As it was not so far but what we could 90
with our own teams, mother and | concluded
VIC would hitch up and have a week to see
the sights and some cousins we had not seen
for long time. Mother Chats wife, you
know thought we ought to take something
to the Fair. ] told her to take a tub Of her
butter, but she said she didn't think it was
good enough, but thought ] might take some
of the stock. But | thought it would be
great bother. However, Sam was pretty
strong in the faith that we could beat every
body on horses and wanted to take old Nance.
She's right smart beast, is that old mare,
you may depend.
TAKES THE MARE.
Well, we packed off Sam, for was willing
tn give the boy holiday. 1t does the boys
great good to attend these kind Of Fairs,
do believe, after seeing all saw there
Co.'s IN.
We got safely to town Monday night, and
Tuesday went up carly to tho Fair grounds
to sec what was going on. | got in and
hunted up Sam, and found he'd got the mare
entered, and had got his card on her head,
and good stall, and all things comfortable.
The animal arrangements were first rate gen
orally, and during the Fair the supply of
fodder was good. think that Major Patrick,
who was everybody in managing things, a
trump sort Of a man.
HEARS SOMETHING.
As | was standing up near the business
office in the crowd, | heard a couple of men
talking about premiums One said to the
other
Are you an oxhibitori'
yes"
$50 am I, and VIC better look to the com
mittees."
"Why so ;"
"Nou see the committees arc never all full,
and if you are on hand at the big tent when
they are called, it's easy to slip in friend,
which is mighty nice thing sometimes
"Well, am showing patent for making
coweumbers, and if you can get the premium
it will make my fortune"
"And | am showing new kind of bob
tailed hens, and a premium won't set me
back"
"Well, you get me on your committee, and
| will name you for mine"
"All right; go in to win when you can"
Thinks |, perhaps if that's the way the
thing leans | may as well take care Of my
self as anybody else. Everybody for him
self seems to be the rule on these occasions.
SO off ! streaked it to the cattle pens to find
Smith, who is my neghbor, you know. Smith
is in the patent bull line. Mr.. p evidently
means "improUed. Says |, "Smth, you're
showing bulls and am showing old Nance,
and guess if merit counts we can win. And
that's the talk here on paper Then told
him what I'd heard about the committee.
as that so p
Exactly"
"Well, think old Nance is the best mare
in the yard
And you've got the best bull on the
ground
Then told him that we must be up at the
tent in time.
Well sure enough, when the committees
were made up was on Smiths bull commit
tee, and he was on the mare committee.
THE COMMITTEE ooEs oUr.
The head man took the book as had the
things in it, and we were all Introduced 10
each other, and went down to look at the
bulls We were on the red bulls. So VIC
went along and looked at them, and didn't
say much till We came to Smiths bull, and
looked at him pretty carefully, pulled his tall
punched my fingers into his RIBS, and went
through the motions as had seen the others.
Says |, that's bull that looks like it. ~
Smith had combcd him all over with a fine
toothed comb, and brushed him with hair
brush and he did look slick, for he was just
as fat as hog. And from all ! saw think
fat at fairs, like what tho lawyer said about
charity, covers a multitude of sins.
GETS THE HORNS roKrD At Nm.
just as | said that, the fellow who had a
/ bull in the next stall comes to me pretty fierce
and says he:
"What do you know about bulls"
"WeIl,' says l, 81 think know what they
are used for in my section"
MAY be- says he, You are on the com
mittco :"
81 have the honor says l.
But" says he, "that bull hain't got any
pedigree
well" says I, she had father and moth,
or, didn't lac -
"Oh yes, but then nobody knows who
they were"
oWeU fhon uohodv Lnowg lint thn,, ,ror.