The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1870-09-22
rh, State Fair.

Tuesday afternoon was devoted to the three
first races of the Fair. The attendance at the
track was small, but the sport was quite excit-
ing from the large numbes of entries for each
class. There was good deal of scoring, which
delayed the work SO that it was quite dark by
the time the horses were called for the last
heat of the third race. The first race for horses
that had never beaten $50, best three in i've,
was won by the Howes Horse; best time 240
Young Hambletonian was awarded the second
purse. The exhibition of stations for general
use followed. The first premium was given to
Gen. Knox, the second to Gilbreth Knox. The
other entries were Young General, Winthrop
Morrill, and Gen. Lyon. ts
The third race was for the best four year old
mare or gelding. John Mays gelding won the
first purse; best time 2.52.
The Farmers meeting at the Court House
was very SHINY attended, not more than thirty
or forty persons being present. The subject for
discussion was draining in Maine, participated
in by Messrs. Perley of Naples, Whittier of
Mt Vernon, Bracket of Belfast, Williams of
China, Luce Of Bangor, Scammon of Scarboro,
Boardman of Augusta, Grinnell of Exeter and
Dill of Phillips. The discussion took wide
range.
Wednesday morning opened more prosper
ously. A heavy extra train from the up-river
towns came in at an early hour, and the streets
and vacant spaces around the grounds were
better filled with country wagons. The exhi-
bition halls were filled at an early hour. At
10 o'clock on the grounds, the drawing match,
the exhibition of mares and colts, and the
thoroughbreds on the track took place.
The exhibition of stations of different ages
on the track gave the spectator an opportunity
to witness some of the finest horses, we think,
that were ever shown in Maine-at least of
Maine owned horses. The entries were quite
numerous, and it is difficult for correspondent,
whose only province here is general sketchiDg,
to refrain from particularizing some of these
fine animals. The thoroughbreds were also
quite numerous and Of superb quality; and
this class included several elegant matched
pairs of approved blood.
I do not think the merchants and tradesmen
of Augusta have labored very hard to make
the exhibition at the State House a brillian:
success by contributing of their wares and
manufactures. There is a lamentable lack in
this respect, for in looking around the halls
and rooms find comparatively few collections
bearing the names of local people. Perhaps
one reason for this is found in the fact of the
unsuitableness of the State House for such an
exhibition. Aside from the rotunda and the
Representatives Hall, the apartments are
small and the corridors and staircases too mar
row for the crowds attracted by an exhibition
of such pretensions -such crowd, for exam
pie, as was gathered inside the walls on We'd
nesday. 1t was literally crowd and jam. In
would have offered better opportunities for
both exhibitors and visi ,ors.
In looking through the building we should
begin at the basement Good sized rooms here
are devoted to the farm products, and the dis
play is very fine, both in variety and size.
Corn, squashes and potatoes predominant, and
in quality these products could not be excelled.
The root crop tables show some monsters in
their way, as is usually the case. Cabbages
were non est, believe. The crop in this Sec
| ton was almost entirely cut off by worms
| The dairy products, however, were magnii-
cent, especially the butter Finer and more
| tempting l never saw.
The rotunda is devoted to carriages, the fine
l dTtS, ucCudulCdi iuV0uLiOuS, kltCueu furniture,
| sc. Of carriages half dozen specimens of
| good degree embraces the lot. The fine arts
gallery is very fair, and embraces specimens
in oil, crayon and pencil, chiefly by artists and
amateurs of this vicinity; and yet the room is
we'll filled with materials that will interest the
spectator, and occupy ten or fifteen minutes Of
his time proftably. The music room shows
several fine pianos and reed organs, many Of
the latter entered by Maine manufactu rers OF
dealers; and this is. crowded constantly, tor
there is always some one al hand willing to IA
vor attentive listeners with good music. Some
very handsome samples of cabinet work occu
Ply the corners of the room.
"Roon No. 6" is par excellence the fruit
room, and it is a grand success. The horticul
turlsts OF the Kennebec valley, almost exclu
sively, have filled it with the choicest and mos
tempting products of their trees and vines
One gentleman furnished seventeen varietie.
Of pears and almost as many species of grapes
Apples and plums were quite abundant and
remarkably fine; in fact I should think il
would be difficult to name variety of the
former that could not be found on these tables
Bread, honey, syrup, jellies, canned fruit, veg
etables and meats, filled up the interstices.
I shall leave the other rooms for another let
ter, for my time to-day has been chiefly spen
upon the grounds, and I have not had time te
finish the inside exhibition to my satisfaction
and besides, three races are announced for thi.
afternoon, for which respectively, seven, nine
and fifteen horses have been entered, and the
| sport promises to be excellent NJ.
Nilsson md Cary.