Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1866-11-06
LANCASTER. Oct. 90.
Mr.. Cover ::

few inquiries, and make some sug-
gestions relative to Agricultural
Fairs. The Grant Co. Agricultural
Society appears strictly an Agricul-
tural Society. The Mechanics have
a little Side Show to be sure, like a
Fifty dollar P. c., in comparison to a
IS, 900 salaried one, just enough to
keep them in humor. In proof of
this | will cite an instance or two
3 doz. Carrots, best get a premium of
Sl,00, worth after exhibition ten or
fifteen cents best doz. Tomatoes
e1,00, worth % cents; best Squash,
$1,00, worth 10 to 10 cents. Best
two horse carriage, worth from So, 90
to $500; best buggy, worth 800 to
5000, $500 best farm wagon, worth
S125 to S175, $500 Idon't cite these
instances to prove that carriage
ought to have premium in exact ac-
cordance with its value but to sub
stantiate the position that Mechanics
have only very small Side Show l
will venture the assertion that in
Grant Co. for the last FIVE years not
man has made one cents worth Of
effort 10 produce the best dOz. carrots,
tomatoes or squashes. he simply
walked over his patch Of squashes,
tomatoes or carrots, and saw some
very nice ones, and thought there
was q chance TO make his entrance
fee q chance for an annual member
ship for all his family and with it the
privilege of entering all his Stock
and vegetables, family and team in
to the bargain u carry all into the
enclosure, and then st his pleasure
ride all day, showing his rising family
Of daughters, or his fancy team, com
peting for prize ia three or four
classes, offer his Plugs for sale, Or to
cheat some man less versed in horse
flesh than himself He succeeds. A
poor Mechanic with an honest inten-
ton makes up his mind sixty or nine
ty days in advance of the Fair that
he will compete in his branch q set OF
harness and puts on FIVE, ten or fif-
teen dollars worth Of extra labor.
The Plow Maker, five or ten dollars
extra. The Cooper nearly double the
labor to produce barrel worthy his
fame. The Wagon Maker, twenty to
fifty dollars extra labor-fOr what
Throws it into the scale or
public opinion to stand or fall
beside his competitors. If he
wins he gets from three to five doll
lara. and the name of taking the pre-
MUM, if he loses he is out the prof.
IS Of ten to thirty days labor-one
18th of years time gone. The
Farmer with his doz carrots Is reim-
bursed his outlay of one dollar for
his family ticket, pockets his prize
on carriage team, $500 best carrl-
age mare $500 best Sweeptakes
$1,000 best sow over enc yoar old,
$500; best Fannisg Mill (that be
ever made) $500 best grain drill
$500 (never made by exhibltor)
Be loaf corn bread by Sally Maria
$1,000 worth twenty-five cents lar
gest Pumpkin by Justice Tobias
Ethan Allen, his youngest sou, 81, 90, ,
Wife takes along 10 lbs honey, 90
S1.00 sells a. 40 cts. per lb.-s44, 90
q pretty good Investment shows he
is thoughtful and good fnancier.
All | find fault in the above is that
Mechanics will be duped into believ-
ing, zig Agricultural and Mechani-
cal combined, while outside the coon
SAYS, Grant Co. Agricultural Socie-
ty.,, But inside the little de show
mentioned. Now, will you tell me
one thing Is the Grant Co. Ag. So
ciety, legal body can they sue and
be sued? Can they enforce a con-
tract, and can they be compelled to
live to contract ? If this Society
publishes to give premium to the
best so and so, who are to be the
judges. Are the men appointed by
said Society competent to render
Judgment Is it final Is there no
appeal? If forty nine out Of fifty
members and visitors decide in ia
vor of one Mechanical production
and the so called judges, decide ad-
verse to that popular opinion, are the
usages 80 arbitrary that there is no
appeal ? This point should like to
be informed upon through your col
umns. l had thought to put on the
grounds 8 very nice family sleigh,
but an accident happened few days
before the Fair came of, in breaking
tho dash which kept me from enter
ing said sleigh for competition : but
since the awards were made | was
very glad ! did not enter the same,
for there was no class under which
it could have been entered, but would
have been put with the Discretiona-
~. There it might have been taken
for Bureau or side board, or Fan
ming Mill, if the Judges were no
more competent than those who act
ed in class [.
4 BY the by, l am unable to learn
who they were, as they could not
write their names, or were ashamed
to sign their names to their awards.
Pro Bono Publlco
A LIFE MEMBER.
REMARKs.-There are points and
references in the above, the writer
one of the leading n ohanics and
manufacturers in tho county, which
should be taken into account for