The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1866-12-20
For the News.
More about the state Fair---
writing under DiGicultics---
EDisOde I'm q Farmers Life.

of visitors upon the grounds on Fri
day, the last day of the Fair, as on the
preceding day. The stalls for Horses
succeeded the Sheep-pens, and en-
braced nearly one-half of the continu-
Gus shed, which bounded the grounds
on the south end, and Ranked the en-
closure SO as to form three sides of a
square-containing in all 533 stalls.
Leaving the ladies to pursue their
researches in the Domestic Depart
ment, Mr.. Nc. and I made the
rounds, or "swung around the circle"
Time would fail to tell of the thorough
bred Horses-the mammoth Jacks and |
Mules-the monster Ok, weight 5000
lbs.-the Devons, Herefords, and Short |
? Horn Cattle-the Berkshire, Suffolk
: and Chester White Swine. A cursory
glance was bestowed upon the various
|, Halls, appropriately designated as
, Farmers, Fine Art, Fruit, Floral, Do
$ mestic, Manufacturers, Power and
e Mechanics.
l And now, leaving the entire exhibi-
q ton to the Imagination of the read
, er, let me beat hasty retreat from
), the Fair, in order to record little
: episode of a farmers life at home.
u Monday, the Sd inst, as you may
!, all remember, opened with a shower
il in the forenoon, closing with rain at
~ night-fall. The pitchy darkness then
q intervening was favorable to the de-
D. signs of vermin and vicious men. The
: "Atlantic," the "IIerald," the "Advo-
(cate," "Rural," and the s'News," had
been dispatched in reverse order of ro
Of tation, and there was nothing to dc
ct but to sit by the blazing fire and
~ write--a newspaper article-or some
l. thing -no,matter what-quite an easy
~ :. affair with such surroundings as a hall
er dozen noisy uveniles-romping, ask
n ing questions, jostling ones elbows,
e. ETC., as those who have experienced
- the like may properly apprehend, and
o. they only. Well, under all the diff.
ls- culties, the writing may be said to have
ke proceeded vigorously at the rate of 6
gs sentence per hour-the ideas being ex.
- - pressed with the perspicuity of very
in Opaque mud
ay just at critical point in the pursuit
en- of the ghost of happy thought, will
le. which to embellish page, there wa:
Iy an uproar in the poultry-yard, tha
n fairly eclipsed the din of the sitting
in room.
1t Evidently the time for ,cordS was pass
II, ed, and the time for action had come
IN Wife shielded the lamp with the dish
at pan, and through the darkness anC
he pitiless rain we advanced with desper
'r- ate resolution to the scene of-(witl
III the dogs at our heels)-to the scene
+" (the children bringing up the rear)-
to the scene of--6Lood. Extended il
ran the last agonies, the young rooste
gasping lay beneath the porch. "Tht
rats did it," cried one. "Here, jim
ny!-rdtS!-sick! Mr' at is surely
pi-rat-ical deed" said one, in ghastl,
ny effort at wit. "Poor chickey!" echoes
my pet girl. BY this time the dog
ne were barking, and scratching about
w. ~, heap of rubbish at furious rate. Di
Ter rectly going to their aid, the lumbe
IN was removed and as the last board wa
in displaced a snarling, crouching crea
i,p- ture was dimly revealed, and in a.
,ro instant was pounced upon, and after
Dot brief struggle literally stretched by tn
dogs. "I'd say this is a good size,
rat, )" and Uncle Billy held by the tai
laS ut arms length, nasty, wriggline
.6a whitish thing, with a long nose, and
,er mouth such as an alligator might b
i've proud of. The bold intruder wa
In, placed beside his luckless and innocen
~ victim, and there was a great manife'
tation of joy over the fate of the Joa
foe; insomuch that the mourning fo
on the dead chicken was not prolonged
he not even by the little pet girl, who's
az az moral nature was satisfied with til
ed swift retributive justice which fell upo
,de the assassin in the form of dogs. Th
on willy thief was in reality not yet deat
at but after all his severe buffetings wa
.ea simply "possuming''--si11ply in th
led case, for to make assurance doUbl
sure, he was taken to the wood-pil
and beheaded, when 10 the dissen
ure bling creature, forgetful of strateg,
ith struggled and diedl
This, under ordinary circumstance
should have sufficed rural family
fortnight in the matter of sensatio,
-ou but in accordance with the proverI
in ''it never rains but it pours," in clos
len proximity to the foregoing thrillin
u" tragedy, the hired girl tumbled into tn
!, spring, and little pets clothing caugh
tly fire. to her sad fright and to the ser