Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1864-10-08
The mis.nnsIn Slaie Falr.


Character of the season, the unpleasant
leather of the week, the fact that the minds
,f the people are so much absorbed BY war
and politics, and that it has been so long
.ince the people of the State have been call
i gether in an industrial capacity, the
STATE Fair is a success. Ihave spent the day
n looking through it and find the exhibition
t,ken together creditable, and multitude
gathered to see it.
The grounds are those belonging to the
Rock County Agricultural Society, situated
s,.t Of the city, about mile and a-half from
e. business center. The land in the imme-
ji,te vicinity is low, and soaked by the rain
If last night. The paths, after leaving the
city sidewalks, were decidedly unpleasant for
the hundreds of pedestrians who worked
tleir way out, despite the lowering sky, BY
,pe side Of other hundreds in all sorts of We
LifIes crovding the entire length of the
rosd. Fortunately no rain fell to make mat
ters worse.
When reached, the grounds themselves are
seu adapted to the purpose, and have been
sell prepared for the occasion the combined
buildings, sheds, and tents of the State and
County Societies affording ample aecOmmO-
iltions for all departments of the show.
Passing the ticket Office, where we see
.,me familiar Madison faces, and turning to
the right on entering, we come first to the
.feep department, where there is the largest
md finest exhibition we have ever seen at a
Wisconsin Fair, showing a most gratifying in
crease Of interest in choice wool growing
from Walworth, Rock, Racine, WinnebagO,
Grant, and perhaps other counties, there arc
yrrv choice Spanish Merinos, with the finest
81 WOOL, some bucks having sheared over 20
-5uuds at once, and one. " America" recent
i imported by C. NJ. Glars, of Whitewater,
from Vermont, at a cost of $3.50, being one
Of the finest sheep ever brought to the State;
few French Merinos, some South Downs,
famous for mutton, and few Leicesters.
Next come some fine hogs, Suffolk and
Yorkshire mainly, one boar reported to weigh
.6me 1900 pounds, mostly contributed by the
RrBlEs of Beloit, who are well represented
il the stock department and furnish about
tie only poultry on the ground, including
,me choice fowls and mammoth Afghan
geese.
The show of cattle is extremely meagre,
lie following including the whole of it:
.aier grade cattle, yoke of oxen and of
go - tIrao covrs an1 ona hull. nm
Ier DevOnS, two or three bulls, half dozen
crws and as many calves and yearlings; under
D.rhams, four bulls and half a dozen cows,
aith two or three small fry; one Attorney
Jun. Among Devons, A. G. DARwIN's bull
champion" attracted most attention, and
among Durhams there were two particularly
re bulls from Milton.
There we're quite number of horses en-
tered, but the show did not fairly represent
the character of horses Wisconsin can boast.
Tie sorrel Italian Princeton" entered by
JOHN Bate OF TaftOn, Grant county, but
which has been owned by the RUBLFs Of Be
bit, attracted most attention. There were
tyv good jacks and mules, and this finishes
u the stock record.
Entering the " Fine Art Hail." we found a
fas display of plain and cOlUred photographs,
from GAINESVILLE galleries, some choice Origi-
Isl paintings from old masters, from the col
lection Of c. L. MARTIN, of this city; some
very good paintings by Miss. EMILY C. QUI-
yEs Of Madison; some fine hair and she'll
work, beautiful wreaths and bOquets of sea
NOSES and shells gathered on the Pacific
coast, some pianos and melodeons, knit
ing machine, Wilcox and Gibbs and Grover
i Bakers sewing machines, &c. Near by
i an elegant little pavilion occupied with
number of Wheeler and Wilson's sewing ma
chimes in operation.
In the fruit, horticultural, dairy and veg
atahle tent we found Mr.. J. C. PLUMB the
Superintendent. There was very good ex-
hibit,on of very good fruit, from Reck, Wal
worth, Milwaukee, KenOsha, Waukesha, JEFF
ferson, Dodge and Sank counties, embracing
a lot of splendid apples, as many as sixty va
rieties of apples by single exhibitors; few
choice pears; large variety Of grapes where
OF some black Hamburgs by Mr.. ]. NJ. KIM
BAIL, Of Kenosha, and the large collection of
Mr. ATWOOD, of Lake Mills, and Mr.. LOUDON,
Of GAINESVILLE, were particularly brOughtetO
our notice; and few Indifferent peaches
There was a magnificent display of dahlias,
including over one hundred varieties, by Mr..
J. 5. SHEARNlAN, of Rockford, and there we're
some other exhibitions of flowers, and shrub
bery, with some fine young trees from Mr..
PLuXBs nursery. There were also some
choice wines, some specially excellent from
Dr. II. SCHRoEDER's vineyard at Bloomington,
H.. some excellent sorghum syrup; fine
lot Of vegetables, particularly potatoes; some
excellent samples of grain, a fine show of
splendid cheese; few samples of good but
ter; specimen or two of bread, and perhaps
other unnOtieed articles.
In the manufacturers tent there was quite
a miscellaneous collection, including some
elegantly built and finely finished carriages
and buggies from GAINESVILLE shops; some ele-
CANT willow furniture and baskets from
RIrCHE's new mandatory at Beloit; CON
venient patent spinning wheel hand loom !;
Fairbanks scales model of a patent sheep
rack; stoves home manufactured cloth a va
riety of bed spreads, coverlids and quilts;
AMI other things " too numerous to mention"
In the line of Agricultural implements