Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1871-10-20
For the Free fress and Times
q. Inhnchnru

Having taken = great interest in the late Nta,e
Fair at ST. Johnsbury, being Instruments, win
the Superintendent, Mr. Shedd, as couiniiuee in
locating it at said place, feel that JUSTICE nA'
not been done il in the various representations
that have been given it by the press; some oil tne
papers having spoken dispsragingly oil H. msA-
inc il more insignificant than most OF the county
fairs The FREE Pass, am told, lnslnuated
,b.t il was small affair, and that Burlington
- the nlsoe 70 make money and St. Johnsbury
10 ,nepd it, at these annual gatherings. The
truIh is, if am correctly informed, we made
more money at the late fair than we ever DID
.nv one wear At Burlington. Rutland, or Brat
tleporo. and that, too, under the same arrange
meuts that we have always hal at the above
named places To be sure, the farmers and
merchants in Caledonia County did not seem TO
realize that they were part Of the State OF yer
mont and hence neglected to bring IN their
stock and fancy articles, supposing, was tod
thst they could not compete with the ceieori-
ties from other counties, who had ior many years
been successful as Etock growers, ana were
sure TO take the majority OF the premiums
Then there was some little misunderstanding
about the manner of conducting the fair, but
no more than we have always experienced the
first year in a new place Many wanted tickets
that they could run in and out Of the fair with,
a bad arrangement, as men Of respectablfty, so
called, were guilty of putting their tickets
through the cracks OF the fence TO let IN the
others one msn boasting that his ticket had
worked in dozen or more during the four dsys-
Then the ladies in the county who refused to ex-
hibt in floral hail. had at their county fairs been
admitted free, but We had no such arrangement
We did not suppose thst any one would ask
us to pay them for exhibiting, for II would
amount to that, if we admitted them free CIV
ing them premium, if the article was mertorl-
Gus, and charging nothing, as We always DID,
for the exhibition of their fancy goods. 1t is,
we think, something Of privilege to be ad-
mitted to fair, and enjoy "sght seeing
shaking hands with old friend', from all parts
Of the State, at the cheap expense Of twenty hive
ceuis day, and stand good chance OF draw
ing a premium, Of one, three or five dollsrs, &C
cordlng 10 the value snd rarity oil 'he article
exhibited.
An that was lacking to have made the fair
success ful in point OF exhibition, WAS little
more attention to floral ball, few more of our
bert horses from different parts Of the State,
especially those from the stock farm at shell
burne, Cochrsne's famous cattle and horses
from Canada, that We had reason TO expect
would be present, and who, l have no doubt,
could be induced TO exhibit another year, If the
society should see fl 10 20 there again.
Wishing TO learn President Roots opinion Of
the fair, | made inquiry Of him by letter relative
to it. and among otner good things he said IN
reply was the following The fair, IN my
opinion, taken whole WAS success II
some departments II was rather mesgre, but
what the main things lacked in quantity was
made up IN quality. Toe Attendance was large
to the last, and very orderly. and all seemed to
.t.e HEs rtaffg al
which was the best and hsppiest sight Of all to
me think The people in that psrt OF the State
are an intelligent, orderly, sober and soclal
body Of men women and children, sud it is ap-
psrent that the mere demoralizing elements Of
the larger places, h4ge not crept IN upon them.
The country people seemed 10 have an erroneous
view Of stare Fair, by never having one IN
their midst before, but If they should have II
there again, we could reetify Whist mist 'kes
we're made and have a mutual better under
Standing
To those who have been LED TO believe that the
show WAS about equal TO common county fair,
let me state that there were present over seventy
pens Of sheep, the best dis-lsy We have had for
a number of years, fine herds Of cattle OF the
Short Horns, Ayershires, Devous, Attorney and
Dutch-s mechanics hall better filed with use
ful machinery than We have seen 1t for long
time, with many ether things that a county
show could not begin TO equal
Should We 20 to St. Jobnsbury in 1877, by
that time the Montpelier & Wells River Railroad
and the Lamole rosd will be, for s good dis
lance, in running order, and We shall have more
stock, and more people tina; will attend the fair,
in my opinion
Will those papers in theirterest Of agriculture
in our State publish this article, in justice 10 all
concerned. JOHN GREGORY, Director.
N5rthiell, Oct. .. 1871.