The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1874-10-06
rHErAYLoR corNrY FAIR.
Attendance-The Races, re.
GRAFTON, October 8, 1874.

GRAFTON, October 8, 1874.
Editors of the Register:
The Taylor county Fair Is one Of the
things Of the past. The crowd has dis
persed, the gates are closed, and the lone
Waterman Is the sole occupant Of the
grounds. which were to-day the focus, or
centre around which and to which the
people of Taylor and adjoining counties
came. We put in the words "sround
which" properly, for hundreds ofpeople
basked in the sunshine, quietly reclining
along the hillsides around the grounds.
Like Daniel in the lions den, the show
did not cost them cent. They came
and they saw, but they paid nothing.
We suppose about fifteen hundred peo-
pie were in attendance to-day. We are
sure that is figure sufficiently large, but
we will err in making our estimate too
large if we err at ALL The races to-day
were very good, some of them excellent,
and we think every one went away Thu
evening satisfied. But before going fur
ther we will give the result Of the races.
For the county running race, half
mile heats, best two in three, there were
two entries, Harkaway and Belle Reese.
Harkaway won in two straight heats,
in 53l and 6lt. Both heats were very
dose and exciting, and were won only
by halfs neck in one, and a length in
the other.
For the sweepstakes or free for all
trotting race, three in five, to harness,
there were two entries: bay mare Josie
and black stallion Latham. The horse
took the first heat easily in 2:39, but the
mare won the next heat without much
difficulty, though the black never fell far
behind, and kept the mare well down to
her work. Time, 2:39 2:35l, 2:34a, 2:35.
The race in which the great interest of
the dav seemed TO centre was the run
ming sweepstakes, half mile heats, best
three in five. Although four were ex-
pected to start, only two came to the pole,
Parsons and Skirmisher. Parsons is
owned by the Messrs. Davis, and is a
beautiful little three year old bay, half
brother to Betsy, that ran yesterday.
Skirmisher is from Martinsburg, We
think, and is owned by Mr.. Powell.
Parsons was the favorite in the betting
and 100 to 80 was staked on him several
times, and about the same odds on
smaller bets. 1t turned out that the
knowing ones were correct, for Parsons
won in three straight heats in 81, 50
and 81. This was very fine race, and
very close, the horses never being more
than a length apart in all three heats.
And then we had the mule race
Strange to say, one of the docile animals
got stubborn and wouldn't stay on the
track, He 1couM run all around the sheds
and stables, but he wouldn't run on the
track. Then they gave them fresh start
but the same mule came around to the
home stretch and then broke for the
crowd. They made road for him, and
he sailed right up under the grand stand
before he stopped, Sothey tried it again.
This time the stubborn mule got sharp
and remained on the track until
he got about tw0-thirds
of the way around, when
he took short cut across the fields and
won bv three or four lengths. Everybody
was greatly pleased, and the race created
much laughter and merrimcnt.
After this scrub race was gotten up,
and the following five horses were enter
ed: Lake, Pat Jennings, Fitzmiller, Tom
DAVIS and woodward. The race was
half mile heats, best two in three. The
first heat WAS very exciting, first one
being ahead and then another, but Lake
finally won by half length.
On the second heat as the horses were
all in n heap on the back part OF the
track. some one drove a pair OF steers
across the track, and the horses went peil
neil into them. -Four of the five riders
were thrown, and three OF the horses.
The other two horses went on, one with
out rider, and finished the heat, Lake
winning the heat and race. One of the
riders, a boy named Conner, was quite
badly hurt. and Pat Jennings, owned by
Mr.. #. +. Davis, of this place, was so
badly hurt that he will probably die. 1T
i, treat wonder that none of the riders
were killed. To whom the blame belongs
we do not know, but it wa certain q
very careless piece of business to allow
stock on the track during a race.
This ended the racing and the fair.
We would be glad if We could say it wa
the best fair Taylor county ever held,
but if such is the case the previous ones
must have been very poor indeed. But
this one might have been far worse.
A great deal of dissatisfaction, however,
was cvinccd by visitors. Among those
feeling aggrievcd We may mention the
Stockholders. who were for the first time,
SUSPENDED from the dead-head list, and
compelled to pay for their tickets. In
this quarrel We felt very little interest,
for we had nothing to do with 1t one way
ar the other. and besides both sidesput
forth strong arguments TO sustain
! them. Sure il is, however, that many OF
the stockholders came and went away
! home again without entering, and yes
terdav threatened to tear down the door
unless admitted, but they desisted from
this Strangers and patrons compliance
! because the season tickets were IL 70, the
dav tickets IS cts, aud admission
/ so cents, and that one of these tickets
must BE- secured before you could even
get into the grounds to enter whatever
Won had for exhibition. And then, most
everybody growled and grumbled, and
manv STAYED at home, no doubt, because
! half fare tickets were not provided on
railroads until the last day, and that was
too late to do much good. Or course
| somebody was to blame for this, and the
| society lost heavily by the neglect.
II is. of course, impossible to getup
and carry on fair and please every one
but is seems the management were tni'
time very much abused, and very mar!
were disappointed, perhaps rightly, bu'
more. We feel assured, without cause
But we hope they will be enabled mex,
year Ia ma Ike such arrangements that al
will be pleased. And if they will allow
an humble outsider TO make a suggestion
we beg leave to offer the following: A
few such games, or kindred ones, as were