The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1871-11-01
THE ABBEVILLE FAIR.
4 CREDIT TO THE COUNTY IND ST4TE.
Inspecting the Stock-A Grand Dis
play-The Crowd of fVisitors-A Warm
ing to Charleston and Columbia.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE NEWS.

ing to Charleston and Columbia.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE NEWS.
ABBEvILLE COURTHOUSE. October 30.
Chance, or some other leader, brought me to
this place last week in time to attend the
Abbeviile Agricultural Fair, and 1 am de-
lighted it did 80, for that fair was splendid
success, and would have been creditaole to the
State.
Wednesday morning, the first day Of the
fair. was gloomy: the lowering clouds emptied
themselves in occasional showers during the
day, which prevented very large attendance;
but knew that was the day to examine for
myself, so rambled to the grounds, and enter
ing the gates turned Immediately to the right
and began seeing for myself
First came the porkers-and there they
were in perfection. Imported Berkshires,
beautiful grades, the plump Essex, lazy Ches-
ters and fine natives were there, Of all sizes
and ages, from ninety days to two years, and
from sixty pounds to nine hundred. Ifthese
people don't live well it isn't because they
don't and can't raise hogs. Further on were
the sheep; the ugly but valuable curled horn,
tight-wooled Merino, the square South Down,
and the longlegged native were the varieties
on exhibition. The cattle display was u com!
mon-splendid milch cows, fatted beeves,
whose quarters seemed almost too fat for
seeaks, handsome heifers, patient oxen, man.
ageable bulls and other classes of Ayreshires,
Durhams, Brahmins and natives filed up
every stall on the grounds.
Passing beyond these and continuing my
.ambles through romantic looking grove,
across a pretty stream that affords water
enough for the occasion, l came next to the
horses, and the row of stalls over two hun
dred yards long Is filed entirely, and several
splendid animals are hitched out in the grove.
There stands noted stallion, whose beautiful
colts are in more than o dozen stalls, and
not one of them Inferior. Just beyond are
matched horses from Kentucky, and adjoining
countes In the State; further up are single
horses, saddle horses, jacks, mules, mares and
colts, and. each and every one Of them would
be pronounced "hard to beat" out of the fair
grounds.
hours, repaired to the fair building expect
ing to get seat; but to my surprise there was
scarcely room for the crowd to stand, much
less luxuriate upon seats. Bales Of cotton,
hay and wool filed one end of the lower story,
while upon counters running through the mid
die and on the sides of the house we're placed
bags OF every conceivable gain; and under
the counters, and wherever space could be
found, were strewed the handsomest collection
of vegetables ever saw. Nearly all the snm-
mer vegetables, over fifty varieties of garden
seeds, exhibited by two or three, potatoes as
big as milk piggins, turnips that wouldn't get
in peck measure, and pumpkins that would
furnish shells as large as batteaus, literally
covered the floor of the hall. But these were
not half, for upstairs there were bacon, lard,
hams, butter, (Oh, didn't wish some of your
city folks could only see that butter y pre-
serves, pickles, syrups, cakes, breads, and
every imaginable article of cooked food that
would tantalize poor hungry devil, as was
about that time; but just behind the railing
they had sharp. keen-eyed, freckle-faced lit
tie fellow that seemed to have eyes in the back
of his head, and he would neither let a man
touch, taste, nor smell. &c. on went among
the paintings, and patchwork, and needle
work, and quilts and blankets, and enough of
ladies' handiwork to make as good q dry goods
store as King street could want.
When came down stairs actually felt be-
wildered, and couldn't tell whether my
stomach or eyes had suffered most; and, as If
to provoke tired man, just as stepped out OF
the door below, great Shanghai rooster,
almost as big as l was, stretched open his
immense bill and crowed in my face, seeming
to say proudly to me: And-what-did-yo
see-up-th.e-r-e I wished I could have
told him; but couldn't and didn't.
The display Of poultry surpassed all else, as
fine as all else was. There were games
enough to whip out the State of Georgia;
Bramahs, Creve Ceurs, shaughais, and halfa
dozen other foreign names; dunghills, domes-
tics, and every other kind that anybody ever
had; turkeys of all sizes and colors; ducks that
qua-qua-ed, and geese that squalled and
squeeled with every possible note.
Well, about this time I began to think of
hunting my hotel and Illuminating whether
had not made in few short hours one hun
dred per cent. on my investment of fifty cents
in gate tick-t, concluded had
The next day was the day. By sunrise, bug
gies, carriages, wagons, ox-carts, wheelbar-
rows and vehicles without names began to
roll in, and by 10 A. N. the population of Alb
bevile village had increased about fve-fold.
It was beautiful sight to stand on the fair
grounds mile out of town, and watch the
continuous stream of vehicles and pedestrians
as they wound along over the hills towards
the grounds like varlegated worm. This un-
broken line was in constant and unceasing
motion from A. NJ. till noon, and finer
looking population could not be found in
America Handsome, well-dressed men, beau
tiful women, genteel and orderly freedmen,
allNtogether, created tout ensemble have
never seen before. What'a pity Grant could
not have been there, instead of at Bangor!
The exhibition to-day was magnificent.
From 10 A. NJ. till nearly 8 P. NJ. the "ring"
was occupied by some variety Of stock, and
there was not an instance where horse
"walked over the track" Every entry had
It's competitor, and the contest was generally
very close. Ten of the finest saddle horses
ever saw, all ridden and handled well, were
~ tho trooty OF once The djsplay was go fine,