Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1872-10-08
THE ABINGDON FAIR.

THE ABHNGDON EAEkS.
The inceptionary movement Of our
Abingdon friends for the establish
ment of an agricultural fair, had Fri.
umphant demonstration on Thursday
last. Half mile south Of the town.
in beautiful grove, really one of the
most attractive We have any where
seen, there were gathered together
upon the short notice of ten days. an
assemblage composed oftwo thousand
people. There, spread upon the
beautiful slope of the hill. which
was shaded by oaks and bceches
which sprang from the earth before
Abingdon Was, were the fair matrons
and maidens. and the stalwart men
who decorate and till the grand old
county of Washington. A more
beautiful day nor q more pleasant
temperature never emptied the houses
Of Virginia. 1t was noon when we
arrived upon the ground. The hum
of voices, and the glitter of eyes were
eloquent Of satisfaction which per-
vaded every breast. A Brass Band
We had like to have said a splendid
Brass Band, xas on the ground, and
was to the occasion, what the steeple
is to the church. what Abingdon is to
the County, and what the occasion
was to our autumn of 1872. Al
though it had been but three weeks
under the tuition of Goodson's Pro-
lessor Hacker it filled those grand old
woods with the strains Of excellent
music. Right here We drop one
special wore for those young gentle
men who got it up; Bravo! Passing
over the hill-who ever got from Abb
ingdon to any point but Goodson
without passing over a hill?-we
wendell our way through the rast
crowd to the beautiful little plain.
which with its grass and its silvery
stream, skirts and finishes up that
sylvan scene. We wish to secure the
credulity Of the reader, but we would
hesitate to give numbers to the array
of bloOded horses and cattle which
we saw tethered there in a spirit IF
emulation, whose magic touch and
spell will be felt in the new future we
have now entered. We could not re.
main with out note book, for two
young gentlemen on horse. back, (how
our Abingdon friends love horse back
display in quick succession. notified
us that we we're wanted at the ladies
stand. Whether these gentlemen
feared the notes of GoodsOn Editor,
we will not stop to discuss, but We
we're assigned our position on the
wine committee" of which Dir.
Windham Robertson was chairman.
and with whom we found associated,
Mr.. Beverly r. johnson. and Esqr.
VIM. Il. Rhea. OF course the CON-
mittee could not in that locality, ad-
Just the delicate balance between an
array of emulously antagonistic de-
canters. The responsibility. was one
not to be evaded by our chairman.
who, whether in the gu5ernatorial
chair of Virginia, or in the field of
landscape decoration, among the
beautiful hills of the HolstOn. had
proven himself equal to trusts which
we're fully as lofty and delicate as
this. At his invitation the commit
tee repaired to the MEADOWS"
which beneath his hand, has been
made TO blush between the embar-
rassmeuts bred by rivalry of generous
nature and artistic taste. We would
love TO tell the reader how sped the
pleasant hours between the one
o'clock and four o'clock. which span
ned the work Of that vine committee
at the MEADOWS. There we're things
material and immaterial, matters po-
litical and matters religious, things
agricultural and things horticultural,
interests local and interests national,
things rural and things municipal,
things editorial. and things legal,
discussed across the mahogony which
held those rival decanters. The col
onial glory Of Virginia and the re-
bellion which broke tire sceptre Of
George the Fourth. sent is Sbadowy
shapes. their historic messengers
down through the family liniage Of