Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1864-10-06
The Wisconsin State Fair.
Editorial Cores pondence of the State Journal
EVANSVILLE. THURSDAY. Sept. 90

OF the people are so much absorbed by war
and politics, and that it has been SO long
since the people of the State have been call
ed toge Their in an industrial capacity, the
State Fair is success. Ihave spent the day
in looking through it and find the exhibition
taken together creditable, and multitude
gathered to see it.
The grounds are those belonging to the
Rock County Agricultural Society, situated
east Of the city, about mile and han from
its business center. The land in the imme-
date vicinity is low, and soaked by the rain
of last night The paths, after leaving the
city sidewalks, were decidedly unpleasant for
the hundreds of pedestrians who worked
their way out, despite the lowering sky, by
the side of other hundreds in all sorts Of We
hicles crowding the entire length of the
road Fortunately no rain fell to make mat
tiers worse.
When reached, the grounds themselves are
well adapted to the purpose, and have been
well prepared for the occasion the combined
buildings, sheds, and tents of the State and
datons for all departments of the show.
Passing the ticket Office, where we see
some familiar Madison faces, and turning to
the right on entering, we come first to the
sheep department, where there is the largest
and 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 are
yery choice Spanish Merinos, with the finest
Of wool, some bucks having sheared over 20
pounds at once, and one, " America" recent
ly imported by c. NJ. CLARK, of Whitewater,
from Vermont, at a cost Of $3.50, being one
of the finest sheep ever brought to the State;
a few French Merinos, some South Downs,
famous for mutton, and a few Leicesters
Next come some fine hogs, Suffolk and
Yorkshire mainly, one boar reported to weigh
some 1900 pounds, mostly contributed by the
RUELEs of Beloit, who are well represented
in the stock department and furnish about
the only poultry on the ground, including
some choice fowls and mammoth Afghan
geese.
The show Of cattle is extremely meagre,
the following including the whole of it;
under grade cattle, yoke of oxen and of
steers two or three cows and one bull; I'M
der Devons, two or three bulls half dozen
COWS and as many calves and yearlings; under
Durhams, four bulls and half a dozen COWS,
with two or three small fry; one Alderney
bull. Among Devons, A. G. DARwINs bull
"Grampion" attracted most attention, and
among Dtrhams there were two particularly
fine bulls from Milton.
There were quite a number Of horses en-
tered, but the show did not fairly represent
the character of horses Wisconsin can boast.
The sorrel Italian Princeton" entered by
louN BATE of Tafton, Grant county, but
which has been owned by the RUBLFs of Be
lott, attracted most attention. There we're a
few good jacks and mules, and this finishes
up the stock record.
Entering the Fine Art HAIL. we found Il
fine display of plain and colorcd photographs,
srom GAINESVILLE galleries, some choice origi
nal paintings from old masters, from. the col
lection Of c. L. MARTIN, Of this city; some
very good paintings by Miss. EMILY G. QUI-
NER, of Madison; some fine hair and shell
work, beautiful wreaths and bOquets of sea
moses and shells gathered on the Pacific
coast, some pianos and melodeons, q knit
ting machine, Wilcox and Gibbs and Grover
& Bakers sewing machines, &c. Near by
is an elegant little pavilion occupied with
number of Wheeler and Wilson's sewing ma
chimes in operation.
In the fruit, HORTICULTURAL dairy and veg
etable tent we found Mr.. j. c. PLUMB the
Superintendent. There was very good ex-
hibition of very good fruit, from Rock, Wal
worth, Milwaukee, Kenosha, Waukesha, JEFF
ferson, Dodge and Sank counties, embracing
a lot of splendid apples, as many as sixty va
rietcs of apples by single exhibitors; a few
choice pears; a large variety of grapes where
of some black Hamburgs by Mr.. j. NJ. KIM
BALL, of Kenosha, and the large collection Of
Mr.. ATWOOD, of Lake Mills, and Mr.. LoUDoN,
of GAINESVILLE, were particularly brought to
our notice and a few Indifferent peaches
There was a magnificent display OF dahlias,
including over one hundred varieties, by Mr.
J. s. SHEARAlAN, of Rockford, and there were
some other exhibitions of flowers, and shrub
berv, with some fine young trees from Mr..
PLUMBs nursery. There were also some
choice wines, some specially excellent from
DIR. II. SCHRoEDER's vineyard at Bloomington,
III: some excellent sorghum syrup fine
lot of vegetables, particularly potatoes; some
excellent samples of grain, fine show of
splendid cheese; few samples of good but
ter; a specimen or two OF bread, and perhaps
other unnoticed articles.
q miscellaneous collection, including some
elegantly built and finely finished carriages
and buggies from GAINESVILLE shops; some ele-
can't willow furniture and baskets from
R1rcH1E's new mandatory at Beloit; a con-
yenient patent spinning wheel hand loom !;
Fairbanks scales model of patent sheep
rack; stoves home manufactured cloth a va
rietv of bed spreads, coverlids and quilts
and other things 6 too numerous to mention"
In the line of Agricultural implements
machinery and labor saving contrivances, the
exhibition has rarely been excelled in the
state and would we'll repay a farmer for Wis
;.;po in order to compare different nipple
.,+s needed about the house and farm.