The Iowa transcript. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1858-1866, 1865-06-01
From The "Davcnport Gazette, - ult.
The Shearing Festival at Grin.

II any lingefin. of cid time sker'i
cistl has cherished doubts as 10 the
adaptation OF the soil and climate of
! Iowa TO tbs successful rearing Of sheep
snd growth of wool, such doubts arc
\ now entirely swept away, Or left with
ont scmblamcc Of foundation, Nv tho
ineSorahlc facts developed through the
intelligent zeal and patient etf,r's Of
snch pioneer wool growers OF Iowa as
Hon. J. 3. Grinnell. Member Of Con
gres> FOR the Fourth district, the pio
nrcr hock-mas;cr Of lowa,)J. $. Nc
l'arland aud Il. Dcntonof Iowa city
A Dixon.of indianapolis, S Gilmore
Of O,kaloosa, and others Ali deserving
more than merely honorable men
ton
Last "Wednesday, slresa and all who
have laborcl ami,fs, manv aiscousge
mc,ts and N spite Of popular prcdjc
tiors of failure. TO demonstrate the
superiority Of Iowa as a sheep raising
! and wool producing State We're ann lv
repaid for wears Of Ell rrt and sacrifice
in the exhibition made on that day, n
Griinnell, Of sheep and wool fully equal
/ iag il not indeed, eNccI,,ng the best
!. productions ~ even far famed Yer
mont The day was all .hat could lie
desired and the exhibition groand, IN
the public park at GrinneT, well chosen
/ The attend Ance of exhibitors ard spec
1 tators was BY no means as large as II
might have been had the rates ot
freight on railroad been lef GENEROUSLY
levied, and communication With the
| Sout,, and West been less difficult and
| tedious, : The fact, however that sheep
! were carried from Toledo, twenty two
miles distant, and from Ok aloosa, ~ ore
than thirty miles distant, attests the i,
terest ken in the exhibition AMI the
! desirs.o render il success. In the
I number Of superior sheep, a.a IN the
average If Superiority, the exhibition
greatly exceeded the most sangunc
I,expec.a,ons. Tndccd ,lis feature
ELECTED general surprise and admiration
Several Old flock masters on the ground
who had visited numerous fliis, Sc, in
the East assured US that hey had never
before seen 50 large = proportion 81
first class sheep am. fac fleece at any
exhibition, even in Nerma-r. The
sheep exhibited were all Merinos and
snos.iv nearly pure blood d.
The shsarng contest was lively and
participated in BY several experts
ard amateurs. Ouc or two Of the lat
ter did scrne rather serious tsciipping,"
lrut the excellent she.ring reformed
hy some Of the former more than atom
!. al for wan. Of skill in others, at least
10 all but The snferirg sheeT. Hon. J
B. Grinncil, though the master spirit o!
tie exhibition. had si.rt contemplated
i an entrance into Tie lists as a shparer,
but wha: Member e't Congress Care re
sist a9te oil his constituents? S, amids,
much merrment and The crack ing n
many joke, The u nfber e the Fourth
District seized bis sheep aud his shears
and soon had bis fleece ready for tolA
ing; beating his competitor in Inc weight
of fleece, brt :.ot quite sirrin, tie
prize, as wiz be seen by the list Of re-
wards
We omit the list OF en;er;cs an!
awards, will state however tat the
rams shcared from log TO p. ~: the
ewes from 10 l. H.. weight It l.cce
- d. Of TRaSscRiPT a
The shearlng aud exhibition was no.
ended until tie setting sun had WEI,
nigh ceased TO paint its COLLIN iecces
on the western sky; and then invitation
4 was given 10 a "w,ollv meeting, TO be
held At the Congregra,ioal Church Al
/ the c,ose Of the Lecture, Cone # the
4 regular College course, 70 be delivered
I, hv Professor Won Coellcn. From
whence came the crowds Of Ewes
smiling daughters, that in he evening
.;ocke 4 to she.ehurch building, with
the VOL growers aud wool 1earers (no'
! Of the raw materiaD seriously puzzled
those who had before known how
aaafpy men, women and children he &C
com,noiatc! in Grinnel residence
on y l.ich the latch slrlnf ever hangs
ont, while good cher ahonnhs within.
And so the cd flee was more than filled
and the carefully prepared lecture, re
J. viewing Tie wonders aud 'hsign 'oi
Creation, vas happily aelf1ercit to a
very msch lsrspr anlitnce then IL
au ho, had dreamed of.when patiently
unfoldn. lis store OF scientific 'i'te and
learned research will, vigorous zen II
! we'll ;,sel sintly and ..csk, evidently