The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1860-10-04
Something Funny and Wise.

Something Funny and Wise.
We commend this 10 all who attend State
and County Fairs. 1t is from the Rural
Neso Yorker, and was first published in that
journal about a year ago, and it is now re-
published in the Rural, for the benefit of
officers who fill vacancies in committees.
Col. MOORE Some years ago got ac-
edited the Wool Grocer, and he used to put
me in print. l must say my vanity was
fattered by seeing my name published in the
paper, with some things said, and some
things did not say, and we've kept the
papers ever since. After all, every body
likes little fame and some are satisfied with
smaller amount than others Well, have
not the editor any more to set me out, and so
have been thinking would just try and
zee If you would not put me in 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 team, mother and concluded
we would hitch up and have week to see
the sights and some cousins we had not seen
for long time. Mother (that's my wife, YOU
know thought we ought to take something
to the Fair. / told her to take tub of her but
fer, but she didn't think it was good enough.
but thought might take some of the stock.
But | thought it would be a great bother
However, Sam was pretty strong in the faith
that we could beat everybody on horses, and
wanted to take old Nance. She's right
smart beast, is that old mare, you may de-
pend
TAKES THE MARE.
Well, we packed off Sam, for I was wiling
to give the boy holiday. 1t does the boys
great good to attend these kind of Fairs, do
believe, after seeing all / saw there
GOES IN.
We got safely to town on Monday night,
and Tuesday went up to the Fair Grounds
to see 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 arrangemants were first rate gen
orally, and during all the time Of the Fair
the supply Of fodder was good think that
Maj. Patrick, who was everybody IN man.
aging things, trump sort Of man.
HEARS SOMETHING
As was standing up near the business
office in the crowd, heard couple Of men
talking about premiums. One said to the
other:
aArs "Are = you an exhibitor ~
$50 am I, and we'd better look to the com
mittees"
"Why SOP
"You see the committees are 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 very nice thing sometimes"
swell, am showing patent for making
cowcumbers, and ifyou can get the premium
it will make my fortune"
And am showing new kind of bob
tailed hens, and premium won't set me
back"
"Well, you get m, 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 any one else. Everybody for himself
seems to be be the rule on these occasions.
So off / streaked to the cattle pens, to find
Smith, who is my neighbor, you know
Smith is in the patent bull line. Mr. P.
here evidently means improved" SAYS I:
Smith, you're showing bulls, and I'm
showing old Nance, and | guess if merit
counts we can win And that's the talk here
on paper"
Then I'told him what I'd heard about the
committee.
SIS that SOP"
Exactly"
"Well, I think old Nance is The best mare
in the yard"
And you have got the best bull upon 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 CON-
mittee, and he was on the mare committee.
THE COMMITTEE GOES OUT.
The head man took the hook 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 we
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
tail, punched my fingers into his ribs, and
went through the motions, as had seen the
others. Says I, "Thar's bull that looks
like it," Smith had combed him all over
with fine toothed comb, and brushed him
with hair brush, and he did look slick, for
he was Just as fat as a hog And from all I
saw. think fat at fairs, like what the law
yer said about charity, covers multitude of
sins.
GETS THE HORNS PoKED At HIN.
just as said that. the fellow who had a
bull in the next stall comes up to me pretty
fierce, and says he:
"What do yor know about bulls?'
"Wel." saysI, 'Ithink know what they
are used for in my section"
'May be- says he, "you are on the COM
rnitteey"
81 hare that honor" says I