The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1875-10-29

DOW CREEK VALLEY FAIR.
A Fine show OF Fruits. vegetabIes. Etc.
A Small Part OF Lyon County Beats the
Great s. W. K. u. Fair.
EDITORS NEWs:-Your correspondent
was fortunate enough 10 attend an eXhi-
bitIon of the products of Dow creek val
ley on Saturday the 23d inst, at the Cen
trail school house on Dow creek, and he
must say that he was we'll repaid for the
time and trouble of the trip. 1t came to
my ear late on Friday evening that the af-
fair was TO take place, so 1 took the OPP
pOrtuniiy of driving out there, and saw
sight the like of which is not often seen.
l have been at county fairs, State fairs
and exhibitions OF various kinds where
thousands of dollars were lavished on
fast horses, and dozens on g. aims, Vegeta-
bles and horticultural products; but for
The amount of windwork that was done,
venture the assertion there never was
better display than was gathered togeth-
er OF last Saturday ut the Central school
house. l have seen dozens of the regular
did not near equaI this one in the value Of
the display, as an evidence OF the capa-
billties of Kansas as an agricultural coun-
try, and of the Dow creek section of Lyon
county in particular.
The idea originated in the Fremont
grange, 1 believe, only three or four days
before the exhibition, and an Invitation
was at once sent to the Neosho grange to
participate and they responded with a
will; really the Neosho grange excelled
the other in the extent and variety of
products exhibited.
Tables were arranged In the form of q
! hollow square in front of the school house
/ extending 40 or SO feet from the building
| and nearly the same in width, and were
! laden with grand assortment of grains,
vegetables, and many that were late get
ting their articles in had to display them
| on the ground. gu lcIe Billy Hollings-
WORTH was on hand with large assert
| ment of almost everything that grows ia
the ground or on the top OF it from his
mammoth $50 pound squash to carrots the
| size of mans arm and two feet long, and
from a castor bean t. stalk of pop corn
| with q or I ears on it.
| In the line of products, Uncle Billy had
an assortment covering almost every thing
from the mammoth stalks of corn to a
bunch of blue grass.
Jimmy Dole was not to be out done by
his neighbOr, hence was on hand with his
delicious wate-melOns, Il know they were
good because 1 was on the committee that
dIssected and proved it), luscious toma-
toes, egg plants, etc, and al infnitum.
| When l began this little article did
not intend to be personal and particular
iZe, as knew could not do justice TO all
as there were SO many, (and I did not
take any notes as did not intend at the
time to write anything about it), and il
is not fair to speak of these and say moth.
ing of Jack Roberts magnificent cabbage
both Flat Dutch aud Winningstadt,. nor
his mammoth onions; nor Of Mr.. Davis
enormous beets and onions; nor Mr.. Mil.
ler's squashes, pumpkins aud Tadishes
oh, pshawl 1 wilt quit or viii never
do the matter Justice. Here have gone
on at this rate all this time and have ncv.
er mentioned the tall corn that Brother
McCreary, who is acknowledged to have
more perpendicular altitude than any
other man in the settlement, could not be.
gin to reach the first ear, and no telling
how many ears there were above and oui
of sight. Yes. and j. N. Miller shows one
of the kind of stalks that the man on horse
back could not reach the ears of. II
measured just IA inches high and had 8
sound, well developed ear, as much as {
inches long. A leading feature OF thu
IShnyU xEya ha ahilHTau1S fol
which the meeting was especially appoint
ed. Several fine displays were made by the
children. 1 believe small premium wa
awarded to mel itorious articles in their
departments. Inside the school house
tables were spread and on them in mag
niticent array, rolls Of golden October
butter, stacks OF snowy bread, mountains
of cake, and iellies. jams ct id oDaRe genus
almost in bewildering quantities. Unfor
tunately, Tor perhaps fortunately i die
not get appointed on the tasting commit
r tee and can only report on them from ob
servatiOn. Possibly this is one OF thu
cases wherein distance lends enchan:men
to the view. am really convinced tina
such is the case, for about half past on
, o'clock \ kind neighbor dragged me OF
and set me down to a most excellent din
= ner to which 1 can assure you, Mr.. Edit
, Ors, did full justice, and when l return
ed to the school house had no anxiety t
relieve the committee Oh preserves Of it
onerOUs duty. Patch WORK, fancy needl
. work, including bliss Davis canvas pici
4 ure OF Abraham Offering Isaac, were Al
! ranged around the room in various places
- Upon the whole the enterprise was
good one and productive of much good
and think will do much TO stimulate tn
q farmers to try to excel each other in pro
: dueing the finest crops. 1 think on
. granger friends made one mistake an
! that was in appointing committees to 50
which wa3 the best 1 thinK it is too OF
n en- prOvOcatiOD Of envy and petty jealous
:, les to have committees decide on the me
its, especially ifthey decide, as they some
times will, against the popular yerdIc
Unless there is some very impol tant que
ton at stake, believe it is better at GU
local and county exhibitions TO quit til
r practice OF Offering little sums OF none
q as premium, which as often IS anythin
n else is only . matter to dispute an
Il WI angle over, and nine times out Of te
3 bears no comparison to the expense ID
n Individual Is to IN making the display.
o hope to see this kind OF enterprise fosteE
. ed and encouraged by the farmers ali owe
l. the country, and think it will be q su,
e cess If judielously managed. 1 believe |
l. can be made vastly more profitable to tn
e farmers than the side show OF fruits an
vegetables that is usually attached 70 OF
annual horse races, and know it will I
less expensive.
Begging pardon for consuming 50 niue
D. Of your valuable time and space,
in am very truly yours,
b, HORTIcOLA.
EmpOria, October %, 1879.