The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-10-28
For the Disla.ch.
The Augusta County Fair.

The Souhty
STANTON, Va, October q, lS69.
Tn 4hc Richmond ENQUIRER and Examiner
Of Tuesday last, the a9th OF October, ap,,
reared an editorial headed '.DanVille and
stanton" speaking Of Fair Week at
those places, in which we find the following
pararraph d" At the former the Border
Agricultural Society held its Fair. and at
the latter the Augusta County Fan was
held. Both were failures. Perhaps we
might euphemiZe this expression some"haI
if we were writing simply to please the
GOOD people of the two localities in ques-
lion. But we hold it to he the highest duty
of newspaper to tell the truth. So we say
both were failures" Then comes It's own
observations on the Danvllle Fair, with
which VIC have nothing to do, winding up
with the urban(e) remark that the sports,
&C., at Staunton were well-sulted 10
county fair" adding that the show was
better at Staunton. than ut Danville. Now,
all this might have been forgiven if the En-
0uirer had not blown the trumpet so loud
and long to call the people from far and near
to the Augusta Fair, and promised, i'll an
issue few DAYS before the Fair, to he there
himself as one Of the shows.
Now. what az the truth about this mat
ter? Was the Augusta County Fair a fail
IRE in any sense! The assertions OF the
Enguirer have led us to investigate the re-
I. The grounds We're liz fine order, en-
bracing several acres more than last year
thirty acres in alias large as any State Far
has the roads were good; the track was
good the green was fresh and clean; and
there was '.elbow-room" for everything
and everybody some left for the bis"
men like the Enquirer.
.. The crowd was Il good one. There
were ten thousand people there that paid
Ii IN, IN thOll-
sand cOmplimentarieS," including the lu-
natics, the blind, ct ID, DC.
3. The receipts were over SG,OU0, IN
Guiding 81, 400 for life-membcrS.
q. Notwithstanding. the large crowd ga
thered from all quarters, representatives
from England the regular correspondent of
the London Neacs was there, but the EnQui-
rers was mott, Germany, Baltimorcans by
the dozen, delegates from the Rockbrldge,
Lynchburg. Wltheville, and State Agricul-
t,iral Societies, swarmS Of people from the
surrounding counties, and letters of regret
for absence from General Lee, General Ma
hone, Governor Walker, &c.-(none from
the Engu1rer.) There was the most COM
Dlete good order and good humor-nobody
hurt, nobody's toes trodden on.
5. The exhibition was good in quantity
and qualty-a' real marvel when we bear
in mind the fiery trial the Valley has passed
through in the drought of last summer and
fall The Enquirer has not seen the 9ur
solid columns of the Spectator and Vindica-
tor, of this week, that it takes to hold the
brief announcements of the four hundred
and thirty premiums that were awarded,
and that have been distributed. Last year
about three columns held the list.
In 1865 there were 1874 entries for exhibit
ton and for an account Of that Fair we
refer to the Enquirer Of the first days Of
November Of that year. That Augusta
Couuty-Far was "big thing" success.
But With 1000 entries in 1860 it was
failure-as seen from the Enquirer office,
its editor looking through the big endsof its
tield-glass. 1t is not the first time the wrong
end has been gotten hold Of by somebody.
But then the Fair was failure--people
enough, things enough, but no show, no
variety. Let us see: 100 horses were
-thsre-quick draught, heavy draught, sad
breds. Why, even the Enquirer, we think,
would 60 from its corner as far AS Main
street to see procession of 100 fine horses
especially the 70 of the various classes
that were awarded premiums, and that
wero the best of Bedford, Albemarle,
Augusta, Rockbridge, Warren, High
land, Amherst, aud Kockingham-no mean
counties for good horses. The mules We're
not numerous only 3-enough to show the
ness, long ears, &C., rs extant productions
of the State. Fifty fine cattle-the pride OF
the fut lands of Kockbridge, Augusta, and
Pocahontas, with some Kentucky visitors
DurhamS, Ayrshires, and natives and
grades-fne, fat, well-to-do cattle, that it
would put even the Enquirer in good hui
NOR to look at. Then pens OF fine sheep
were sheep at the Fair that they had not
all been left at home. Over score OF hogs
big, fat fellows-Chesters, Yorkshires, We
such as Bagby delights to picture wish he
would draw one for fgure-head y Poultry
in full feather-pairs by the dozen. A hun
dred agricultural imrlements-sorhe late in
yentions-of the same stock that raised
Mccormick & Gibbs. Dozens of sam
pies OF workings in iron and ores that
will carry the palm from all the rest Of the
State-part of the backbone Of Augusta
that will some day edo a great deal OF
good" A score or more of leather doings-
saddles. (How much it would have added
to Miley's collection of the curioSities OF the
Fair that he photographed il the Enqu're,
had been there in an Augusta saddleD IWen-
ty-tiye churns, barrels, and the like. Reapers,
mowers, corn-harvesters, wagons, buggies,
horse-powerS, stoves. Twelve premiums to
ploughS. Slate, from Amherst. Routt, with
his numberiess earth-disturbers. One hun
dred samples of domestic manufactures
linens and laces, woollens and cottons, the
fine products Of the Charlottesville mills
the cunning needle-work of the ladies of Al
bemarle and Augusta elegant cotton IA
bricsfrom Georgia embroidery, &c. Of the
Enquirer had been there, we don't think he
would have gotten beyond this department
during the whole Fair. He's fond of pluming
himself before the ladies. But he says they
are failure. He won't think SO if the hun.
dred inSulted ones that he has calumnied
all come down to the State Fair and demand
satisfaction.) Nine premiums for printing.
(Nope from the Enquirer Office on exhibit
tion.) Fifteen premiums for paintings,
photographs. &c: elegant photographs of
noted men and places-the only failure the
one TO mud the Enquirer Office in the places,
and its unknown editors in the, faces,
shown; 100 samples of wines, liquors, and
tobacco; Bumgasdner's pure whiskey
ON Augusta, and Bucks pure wines and
brandies from Warren, that man NAV
taste and stu know the difference between
faiiure and Q successive commend these
10 THIS Enquirer 100 samples Of fine fruits