Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1873-10-01
HAD River valley Fair.

HAD River Valley Fair.
Following close upon that of the WASH
ington County Agricultural Society, the
Mad River Valley Fair was held in Waits
field last week. 1t was this year holden on
the new ground, leased Of Capt. o. G. Will
der, about midway between the village Of
Moretown aud Waits6eld. The grounds are
pleasantly situated, with mountains encom-
passing them about on three sides, and q
very fair half mile track has been prepared.
Agricultural or Floral Hall is not large, but
is well constructed so far as it goes. In-
deed, everything about the grounds bespeaks
uewness and incompleteness. Time and a
little judicious expenditure of money each
year, will remedy these defects. The wealth
er was moist and threatening Wednesday
morning, and this prevented general turn
out of the people the first day. Still there
we're many entries of articles and animals,
and by noon, we were told, the hall, the pens
and the hitching- posts showed very credit
able representation of Fair. The weather
proved to be tolerably propitious, and the
sun went down with every prospect of a fair
day on the morrow. Nearly all the stock
was taken off the ground at night. Thurs
day morning the weather was chilly, and
clouds hung low and long upon the surround
ing hills. About eight clock the stock be-
gan to come in, and an hour later the peo-
pie put in an appearance in goodly numbers.
There were many ladies present, and it is a
pleasant feature of fairs in these latter days,
that the farmer takes his wife and daughters
along with him, and the rustic lover esteems
it a most fitting time in which to give his
adorable an airing and regale her on the pea
nuts, the candy, the gingerbread or the more
substantial meals which the fair ground
booths afford. These booths were abundant,
an seemed to receive liberal patronage.
Huntington's pea nut rooster was present,
and doing hot and rushing business under
the direction of young Butterfly and Curtis,
and their cries of hot peanuts, fresh roast
ed and ready to be ground down your threats,
right up here" resounded early and often.
Buzzell'sswing with its cry of " now you go
up. and now you 60 down." revolved con-
stautly and continually, save when the pro-
prietor paused to gather in the dimes and
load afresh. The clown in fantastic dress and
gaudy paint. made himself ridiculOusly con-
spicuous, and played the fool to perfection,
as he retailed his small wares, and nauseate d
the crowd with bis funny sayings" and
grotesque actions. There were the side
shows, the snakes, and the more slippery
performers inside, who, for a considera-
ton, performed, we doubt not, most wonder
full and most horrible antics. Luckily they
were screened from the public gaze, and no
one need to look upon these monstroslties
unless he desired Let US now return and
take survey of the fair proper and its le-
climate belongings.
Entering the grounds Thursday morning
our attention was first called to the sheep
pens, situated on the left hand of the en-
trance gate. Capt 0. G. Wilder's fine flock
of Cotswolds had the first and foremost place,
and they were worthy that preeminence.
Every one was deserving premium, and the
Captain is to be commended for his success
in this line If he made half as good a
captain as he is sheep-raiser, he must have
been immensely popular with the boys in
blue. Otis Wallis also showed a pen OF
Cotswold ewes and buck that would have
been called superior in any other crowd. G.
W. Bragg of Warren exhibited superior
Lincolnshire buck, and Capt. Wilder seven
Leicestershire ewes that were much admired
Of the Merinos or fine woods we can only
say, it was sorry sight-not to see them.
Mad River Valley evidently does MT consider
them her - best holt" although we learned
that Edwin House showed on Wednesday
superior samples from his flock Of fine woods,
Many of the cattle, sheep, &c , were taken
from the fair grounds the previous evening,
and thus we had no chance to interview
them.
Our Jewish confrere of the Argus would
have been in ecstasy over the show of swine.
A couple of black pigs, nasty and repulsive,
and an old overgrown porker were all the
four-footed hogs we saw upon the grounds
not sufficient herd by any means, to have
afforded receptacle for the Scripture devils,
ana we doubt if they could have contained
the evil ones that gather at country fair.
We. saw no coops of poultry, and concluded
the farmers of the valley had remembered to
do as the Sandy Hill Reporter advised the
suburban New Workers to do when the Ver-
mont editorial excursion went through
Lake George-lock up their hsn-roosts We
noticed pair or two of forlOrn geese, on
exhibition, but they looked SO lonesome that
we feared they could mt even raise a quack
Coming next to the cattle-pens, We were
delighted with the sleek herd of full-blooded
Devons shown by Edwin House. N. D.
House also had Devons of high degree, ano
we were told Hon. Ira Richardson made fail
display on Wednesday, but his pens were
empty on Thursday. All these gentlemen
had grade Devons of superior quality. A.
NJ. Pierce showed fiae Hereford cow. In
Jerseys and Attorneys Albert Davis, E. W
Bisbee, w. II. Walbridge and G. A. Prem
tiss were exhibitors, and Mr.. Bsbee SHOWED
a really fine grade cow and heller. In full
blooded Durhams the herd of l.. R. Joslyn
Esq, stood first and foremost in numbers ant
quality. As all the fine Durhams-and they
are seen on every hand in the valley have
sprung from this herd, and Mr.. Jeslyn anG
his father before him are entitled to so grea
credit for introducing, improving and per
petuating this notable herd, We shall be par
doned for lingering admiringly about the
pens containing those animals. First, there
is two years old bull weighing 1870 lbs.