The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1871-10-20
THE WALLA WALLA FAIR-C0N-
TINUED.

buN VIC II NNhAuAt " say luat the falr
Grounds are situated three miles south
or west Of Walla Walla. The roads were
so incomparably dusty that no person
could reach the Grounds without having
acquired the begrimed appearance of a
forlorn forty-niner, yet, in spite of the
outward surroundings, many women
were out in fine array, their trailing
skirts reminding us of fallen Psyches,
and so marring our ideas Of the ''fitness
of things" that we were poorly prepared
to appreciate much that would otherwise
have appeared harmonious.
The hack driver halted amid the jam
of vehicles and mountains of dusS in
front of the entrance gate, and was or
dered to hshow his ticket" Jehu re-
fused in high dudgeon, and the alterca-
ton that ensued proved to US most pain
fully that if women are equarrelsome their
conduct is the result of precedent and ex-
ample.
Getting our clearance card" we
scrambled on through the sitting at
mosphere and clamoring crowds till we
brought up, with q scientific flourish OF
the drivers whip, in front of the pavil-
ion, where, some trouble having been
taken to deluge the thirsty earth, the
surrounding objects became visible, and
we alighted, glad indeed to have emerged
from the suffocation of the public thor
oughfare into the clear light Of day and
the pure breath of heaven.
Entering the pavilion, which differs
but little, except in magnitude, from
that of our Oregon horse racing grounds,
we found a meager display of very cred
liable home work, showing plainly that
the women of Washington Territory can
bring forward many meritorious produc-
tiOns Of their taste and skill, if any in
dueements are given them by which
they may be assured that the expenses
of the exhibition may be met. But, as
in Oregon, the mania of the purse-hold-
ing half of humanity runs to agricultural
horse trots and villainous side shows;
so in Washington the same species OF
hallucination is manifested, and wom-
ans work is in the main ignored.
The display of fruits and vegetables in
the pavilion was particularly meager
Not but that the specimens were excel.
lent, but they We're few in number ana
scant in quantity.
When We go to Washington Territory
to deliver an agricultural address upOI
"what we know about farming,r wei
tell the Walla Walla women how to worl
up a fair.
Look at home, good sister: Improv
your own agricultural races before yol
preach to us" says some honest and sen
sible woman, who feels justly indignan
at our impertinent insinuatiOns.
This reminds us of a good ministe
who was continually preaching agains
the vanities of women. His daughter
were excessively vain, and their gaud
attire was the object of much severe crit
icism.
"LOok at home !" sang out a membe
of his congregation one day, when h
had grown particularly severe in his dc
nunciatiOns of vanity.
His gaily-attired wife and daughter
were strutting up the aisle.
"God knows, my brethren" said tn
humiliated minister, 81 do look at HON
till my heart aches"
We trust that Oregonians can see th
point.
The hegrapes and peaches of Walla Wall
valley are the finest that we have see
anywhere, if we except the same produC
tions in parts of Eastern Oregon. y
: description can do them justice. The
must be seen and eaten TO be apprt
ciated.
The horse races developed many bet.
much disappointment, some dissati>
faction and hard swearing enough t
satisfy his Satanic majesty. We wer
unable to learn any further particular:
It's all in education, and our training il
that line has been neglected. We'r
afraid to venture upon a scientific dc
scription of an agricultural horse race
We made a ridiculous blunder last fal
at the Washington county (Oregon) race
We honestly believed the notorious bu
badly-beaten "Jack Miner to be man
Pointing out a haggard, seedy individ
ual, who looked TO us the personificatiol
of a half n dozen disappointed hors
racers, we said in our unsophistocate,
innocence to a bevy of knowing ones
''Is that Jack Miner >"
Horse racing isn't our forte.
Next year, when the Walla Walli
valley has a railroad from the head o
low water navigation to the metropolis
we'll go to the fair again. We hope tha
by that time the women will have be
come awakened to a sense of their polit
ical independence, and will show In,
men of Washington that they eSn man
age the pavilion, cash assets and all
and thereby make a fair more worthy o
an intelligent people.
Walla Walla has the country, the eli
mate and all necessary natural advan
tages to develop a magnificent agrieul
tural, horticultural and industrial dis
play. 1t remains for her to utilize thes
resources and teach slow-going Oregon
fruitful lesson.