Cairo evening times. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1865-1866, 1865-10-18
RANDOLPH COUNTY FAIR
From the Chester Picket Guard.

linens OF mechanical skill from q distance, 1t
Glanced to be our privilege to attend. The at |
tendance during the three days that the fair
was in progress was very large There is
probably nothing upon which opinions will
differ so wide as upon an estimate of the num-
Der of persons IN a crowd. All we can say to
the inquisitive reader who had not the good +
fortune to be there, is, that we heard the num-
Der on tho ground broadly estimated by differ
ent individuals, at from five to twelve thousand,
whichis likely to be as near the true figures as
they will ever be Appropriated.
Somebody has written that every one is sus-
ceptible to the influence of praise-that if it
this ones big apple, or that ones fine hore, or
that other ones good riding chances to meet
the approving eye of the judges, another ray
of happy light breaks in upon that ones life
and drives away all sympathetic remembrance
of the disappointment of the unlucky competl-
TORN Short that we are all nothing more
than human cats, and, if our fur is only stroked |
in the right direction, we will pur as audlbly |
aud with as much satisfaction as full grown |
tabby. This seems to be true for since the
fair the purring of exhibitors tells very plainly
whose fur was stroked in the right direction
and whose was not However, all cannot ex-
pect to be best, neither can judges be supposed
TO be iniallible in their opinions-so try again.
We must take occasion here to say tina. we
cannot see the propriety of selecting judges as
they were selected there. Would it not be
better to choose them on account of their
knowledge of what they are to Judge? We
are hardly prepared to believe that a manufac-
turer of buggles is the best attainable judge of
the qualifications of plow, or dealer in
wheat of the merits of a horse, more than we
believe bashful old bachelor to be capable of
Judging, or even at all approaching, the beau-
ties of lady equestrlansbip. @s@s
The Ladies' Department did not sustain the
prestige Of former years-the articles on exhi
btion being few quilts, hose, &c. What
there was, however, was creditable to the ex-
hibitors.
The display Of vegetables was splendid.
Mammoth ears Of corn: squashes as big as
pumpkins: beets that might have been mista-
ken for small stumps and everything else IN
that line exhibition. There was also a
bushel of potatoes, all of good size, which had
been raised from single seed potato-some-
thing that is not often heard Of So
The show of wheat afforded tangible evil
dence Of the adaptation of this county, to wheat
raising. Every sample was unexceptionably
splendid. To II. c. Cole, of Chester, would
have been awarded the first premium had the
quantity he exhibited been sufficient. q.
The exhibition of stock is entitled to espe-
cial mention. The sheep excelled any thing OF
the kind ever exhibited in the county before,
as did also the pigs.
Of all eatable things in this world, we think
Ilcc SllCC Vi -inttue DTedu. luuClOuSy
buttered with such butter as some folks we
know Of can make, is the best. Take it, un-
trammelled by any unnatural or cultivated appe-
tite for sauces, seasonings and gimcracks, and
it is food for a king. So thought reporter
as he witnessed the display of these articles
but at the same time he safely suggested that
while all that was on exhibition was very good,
yet it was not good enough to bring TO a fair,
where everything is expected to be a little
better than the best
The Agricultural Implement Department was
filled with dhe usual variety of gang plows,
straw CUTTERS hay rakes, &c, by means Of
each and every one of which it is proposed to
plow, cut, rake, &C., as the case may be, in a
manner different from and better than any ma
chino hitherto known.
The show of horses was very good. A Ran
dolph grey entered by Mr. BARLEY Tovera-
who comes near knowing all about horses
as any one-was a noticeable animal. Mr. Y
has for some time had the keeping of both sire
and dam of this colt, and has displayed much
veterinary knowledge in rearing it. Mr.. Eli
Berkeley offered two individual premiums, one
Oslo and tic other of SIS, for the best suck
ing colt sired by the imported draft horse
John Bull. The exhibition Of draft mules was
never beaten. Mr.. T. Page, Of DnQuoin, had
AS fine pair as can be found in the State.
The award of premiums for buggy horses ex-
cited considerable criticsm-the first and
second premiums being awarded to two fine
PAGERS, owned respectively by j. W. Drewry
and Robert Andrew, while the majority of the
people seemed to be of the opinion tina, trot
ting, style and endurance were the qualitica.
items requisite in good buggy horse. The
popular verdict seemed to be in favor Of the
stylish trotter entered by Msssrs. Perkins &
Orr.
The trial Of skill by the lady eauestrians was
q Appointment and attractive feature of the exhi
fhnro
opinion between the judges and the people
The first premium was awarded to Mrs. Harris
the second to Mrs. Robb, and the third to Mis-
Peters, while large majority of those in at
tendance contended that the first prenl;an
should have been given to Mrs. Douglas, til,
second to Mrs. Garwn and, by general con
sent the third was agreed to have been prop
erly awarded to Miss Peters. All Of the ladie
showed much skill and grace in managing thei
steeds and, inasmuch as there is only differ
ence of one letter between s'the price ant
s'the praise we do not think any one SHOULD
be dissatisfied
One of the finest races that took place wa
between the stallion Of Mason. of Perry coun
1y, and Julian Chenu, of Kaskaskia, thi
county. Mason won the $40 prize and Chen,
the $40 prize. these prizes were for tn,
sweepstakes, and were the largest prizes
awarded. We learn that Mr.. Chenu will ru,
his stallion at Waterloo, Monroe county, this
week. Mr.. Masons stallion was the finest O,
exhibition.
The attendance would undoubtedly hay,
been much larger, but for the unusual preva
lence of sickness through the country. But a
it was, the Fair was a gratifying and enc oura
glng success.
The thanks of the public are due to the off
GERS of the association for the evident pains
they had taken to make the fair source o
public entertainment. John A. Wilson ha
been President for number of years. and ;
better choice could not have been made VIM
Allison is Secretary, and does his duty wit
urbanity and accommodation The Executiy
Committee, Messrs. Robertson, Mcintyre, Dob
bins and Sproul, had arduous duties to per
form, but seemed interchangeable. The Marsha
was Mr.. T. S. Elliot, assisted by Mr.. R. R
Burns, both of whom. together with the gat
keeper, Mr.. Samuel Burns, won the esteem c
everybody.
The receipts at the gate were over $1,000
We have not learned what the receipts fror
other sources amounted tc. 1t is contemplate
in future, we are informed, to raise the premi
I'm for sweepstakes to 5000, the second pre-
lnium to 500, and other premiums in proper
ton. We hope tliss true. a fair is sug
@estive Illustration Of the poetry of farmer
life, and Of the Ingenuity and apticipations. G
the inventor. They cannot be too much en-
couraged; but at the same time, those havin
them i'll charge should not be backward il
holding out Inducements An advance in thu
amount of premiums will be no loss.