Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1874-09-23
The Fair at Mortified.


the banner town for fairs 1t has fair men,
fair women, and the f,irest agricultural
fairs OF any town within our knowledge.
The cth:e1as, be they male or female, all
feel 4 town pride, that is not only COM
mendable, but sure to win for them success
where labor and tact and taste and talent
are needful and indispensable requisites
The managers and members of the DO"
River Valley Society work up and carry
forward their fairs rs the painter mixed
his colors-with brains.-and they mix in
withal a large share Of pluck and pcrse-
verance, and hard labor.
The weather during the Mortified fair
WAS not entirely fair. There was miz-
zling drizzle of moisture much of the time
on Wednesday, and Il drilling mizzle of
moist water most of the day Thursday
We took notes under an umbrella, with
the sadlypitying and much-wccping Re
cording Angel, or some other lachrvmose
sprite of the upper air, we imagine,
watching over our shoulder and dropping
tears to wash out our record nearly us fast
as we could make it. 1t was u record no
man need be ashamed of making, and one
that would not rise up against 4 fellow in
the judgment day; but that heavenly weep
er seemed determined to blot it all out with
many tears. Oar paper became fairly, or
rather unfairly, drenchcd Our ftircst
lines were cast in most unpleasant places,
and our pencil ''went through our paper
as easily as BarnumS bareback ridnn
Mademoiselle through 4 paper hoop. 1t
was a pursuit of bucolic knowledge under
difficulties. Even the patient bovncS and
meek-faced sheep looked Disguised and
revengeful. Nothing but one of Captain
Boynton capital dinners. served in the
SocietyS capacious refreShment booth
saved Us from using naughty words. and
put us in good humor and peace with all
the world and the rest of mankind
| One of the finest sights on Wednesday
was the big teams of oxen. from the
towns of Mortified and Brookfield reSpec
lively. The town team from Brookiield
was especially worthy of notice. and thos,
who aided in its magnificent get-up Ar,
entitled to much credit. The huge agr
cultural ear was appropriately decorate,
with the products of the farm, peepinr on
from amid evergreenS. and the American
flag proudly floating above them all. |,
was drawn by forty-eight yoke of oxen
headed by martial music, and upon it
arrival upon the ground was received Will
cheers and escorted by Marshal William
and the Northfield Cornet Band to til
place assigned it. Then the selection
were made of the best ten yoke Of oxen t
compete for the first and also the >ccon,
premiums. The ten best yoke. taking tn
first premium, were owned by +. w Far
well, A. Stanley, J. Dyer, A. l. WILDER
Ira Carpenter, ii. p. Abbot. ID. \. Mors
l.. Church, L. =. Fuller and {. f. Clatlir
: The second best ten. taking the thir
: premium, We're owned by :. Young, :.
Coburn, A. :. AlliS. Terrence Caligar
: John Heath, William NJ. Alvord. .Jr. j. {
Wheatley, Jr,A. f. Fisk S. Blanchard an
\. Goodwin. There were many fine 0Xe
; left after selecting these twenty pairs frol
the main team. among which should |
mentioned the likely three years old steer
5 owned by L. F. Fuller, c. +. CIatlin an
Charles Eddy; also two yoke of nice tw
p years old steers shown by f. ID. Richar,
+ son and }. Dyer, both Of which drew pr
I miums rs single entrees. Richardson
steers were cherry red. beautiful ~ doll
and only weighed 300 lbs. Mr.. Farwcll
; fine fat five years old oxen weighed IL
lbs. while the clean limbcd, comclv-shapc
well-matched three years old>, shown /
| L. p. Fuller, We're admired by all BrooI
# field men may well be proud.
|. Scarcely had the Brooktcld team ill,
past Us and into the position assigned
= ere the Mortified town team p,l; in 3;
: appearance, preceded by the good-lookil
e Marshal and the Northticld Cornct Ban
it This string of fine looking oxen number
forty yoke, and, rs if to prc>age the IN
lennum was soon to dawn. 10. littlc.chi
. did lead the entire hornrl-ho,t.
farmer> son. tor once ut least, had "col
- to the front, and we'll he played his pal
This was Master Elmer Clark. Il little :
years old son OF Royal w. Clark, Esq
Northtield, who headed the town tea
with his yoke of handy little yearlin4
He had broken and yokeu them himSe
:, and rs he proudly led the bovine colur
across the field with all the precision Il
authority of 4 military veteran. he was
admitted hero of all the men and WON
present. and the envy of all the - ou
Americas, who had before looked do,
~ with plying eyes upon farmers boys.
=" The Mortified team was then also
vided into strings of ten yoke together
IL competition, as best and second best
I'D yoke. There We're many fine >p"cime
t., of large. wcllformed, nicely matched /;
he fat oxen in this string, and we took
sic notes ofthem and their owners names,
ID the rain has obitcrated nearly our cnt
IN record of this department. The show v
Ill creditable to Northtield rs Il town.
Is; H. LOOMS, large fat working oxen, w
as much admired. Royal w. Clark cNhil
he ed y very nicelooking yoke of work
er- oxen and Il pair of brindle steers. be>
mt Master Elmer's handy yearlings. Jan
led Morse had a yoke of bright red ste'
ut small but pretty. S. Morfett Of Roxbr
He had, we think, the largest pair of oxen
nv the grounds in that division.
he The show of blooled stock would h
his been small but for the presence of the Il
est of fine Durlams. exhibited by l. Il. j
lvn of Waitsfield, and the superior Dev
X. shown by Edwin House of the same to
,aI .I-,n in nf both II