The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1873-10-16
SagadahOc County Fair,


Were it not for the violation of both poetic
usage and metre, we might exclaim, "wbat is
so rare as perfect day in Octoberp' in view
of yesterdays sunshine and balmy air. The
proverbial meteorological luck of Sagadahoc
did not forsake it, and the second day of its
fair was all that the heart of the agricultural
ist could desire. Indeed it was too good for a
poor horse trot. 1t is a wanton Dissertation to
waste the hours of that second summer which is
only too brief, in vain endeavor to develop
speed from colts whose legitimate vocation is
to drag hearse. A fine race where the horses
tr It way down in the thirties or twenties, or
teens, is of course quite different affair, and
the hours never flew that were two good for it
The hall display was scarcely as good as usu-
al. There were great numbers of sewing ma
chimes, and other sef-advertising articles. OF
hose specimens of perverted ingenuity, patch.
work quilts, there were several. The usual
quantity of fancy work, quite as useless, but
less hideous than is ordinarily the case, was to
be seen. A Massachusetts man had fine con-
Geological collection on exhibition. The dis
play of grain was good, the corn being espec-
tally noticeable for its size and quality. APP
Piles, some yellow as the Chinese Mandarin of
the old Biographies, some with the deep red of
black-heart cherry, and some with rare-ripe
flush on their cheeks were exhibited in great
quantities. OF grapes the show was poor 1t
seems as though the southern slopes of Tops
ham hills ought to be especially well adapted
to the cultivation of the vine. Great turnIps
and squashes and onions were of course to be
seen, and there was a liberal display of that
meanest of all vegetables, the California pota-
to.
At the trotting park the attendance was very
large. The towns on the Androscoggin were
well represented by stylish teams, pretty wom-
en- and stalwart men. The forenoon exercises
embraced the examination of horses, the trial
of strength by draught horses, the trial of
walking horses The exhibition was quite up
to the average and fully met the expectations
of the examining committees. At p. NJ, the
stallion trot came off. There were entries:
Daniel Coombs MS BIS Burroughs boy
H. B. Pinkham ms BIS Sir Knight.
g BIS Geo. M. Lee.
Burroughs Boy won in 3.05; 3. 06,
Att p M, the race for five year old colts
was started. There were six entries Much
time was spent in scoring and at o'clock, at
which time our reporter left. the race was not
finished. Orphan Boy won the two first heats
in 2.543: Lazy Jim won the third heat in 2 "a
and Dixie the fourth in 2.50a.
For the race of four year old colts three en-
tered and two started. Daughter, owned by
Alfred Cobb,won in 2.57, z.52a. S. w. Thomp-
sons Shoe Fly took the second money.
To-day the grand race open to all horses
owued in the State, takes place. Time will be
called at 1 p. m. The purse is $3.50. King
William and Lightfoot have been entered, and
an exciting race is looked forward to.
THROWING COLD WATER ON ENTERPRISE
The latest and probably most successful meth
cd of dampening the ardor of peddlers, book
agents and other peripatetc men of business,
has been adopted in Virginia City, Nevada
The Territorial Enterprise of that town says:
ga gentleman has placed on each side of the
gravel walk leading from his front gate to his
door, a handsome iron fence, the top rail of
when is made of gas pipe filled with small
holes Before he thus fenced his walk he was
much troubled by book agents, map peddlers
and other persistent cattle, but now all is love-
ly with him. When he sees man enter his
gate with books under his arm, he simply turns
a cock and instantly thousand streams of wa
ter dart across the whole length of the walk
from side to side. The book peddler retreats to
the gate, gazes wistfuly up the walk for a time
concludes the man of the house does not want
to see him. and then travels wondering what
sort of internal machiaes people will next in
vent for the Encouragement of honest industry.
This beautiful and useful invention is not pat
ented."