Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1875-09-18

Martinsburg and Berkeley county
went over to the Hagerstown Fair
yesterday Thursday The large ma
jority took the 6 o'clock train, and at
that hour there was some prospects
of a clear day. Before the O'Clock
train started, however, the heavens
were overcast with heavy clouds.and
a heavy mist was falling. But those
who reached the depot determined to
go, rain or shine, and at 10 o'clock
We landed in Hagerstown, in the
midst of a lively shower, and it con-
tinued with slight intervals during
the entire day. We found a convey
ance and went out to the Fair
Grounds, about half a mile from the
town. There were several hundred
persons on the grounds, all crowded
into the Round House and other
buildings, to keep out of the rain.
Taking the chances of good duck
ing, we made an inspection of the va
rious departments and the articles
on exhibition. The stock department
is not largely represented, although
there are some fine Durham and AL
derneys entered. There is a very
creditable display of carriages, agri-
cultural implements, poultry, etc
The farmers of Washington county,
like the farmers of Berkeley, do not
seem to be sufficiently interested in
Agricultural Fairs, if we may Judge
from the small display of grain, veg
etables, &c.
Early in the day we run across
Messrs. Adams and Herbert of the
Daily Ne,cs, and Mr.. w. III. A. HAM
ilton, who i'm addition to his duties
as practicing attorney, loves the
journalistic art, and is well-known
as the reliable correspondent of the
Baltimore San and american. We
didn't look for Adams, because we
found at the depot So barrels of Han
nisville consigned to him, and our
meeting with him was purely acct
dental We ate oysters with him,
joked about his excelsior clogs,
and heard him commend Price and
Quenzel as the best managers, and
Zimmerman as the best figure-caller
he had ever seen at a dance. We are
sorry the rain prevented good,
jolly g hoe-down." We met Mittag
of the Herald and Torch, Norris and
Gruber of the 1tcice A Week, and
Boyd of the Reporter and AdUertizer,
and our judgment is that if the peo-
pie of Washington County will keep
pace with their newspaper men they
will have better fairs and more pros
porous community.
Washington County is large in ter
ritory, with rich and productive soil,
and thrice the population of Berke-
ley. Hagerstown is neatly laid off
with elegant buildings and peopled
with intelligent citizens possessing
immense local wealth but if they
will permit an outsiders opinion we
will say we believe there is too much
of their money interested in stocks
and jobs that do not assist in the
building up of their town. There is
enough local wealth in Hagerstown
to make it the peer of any inland
town in the Union. OF the Fair
grounds, we must say the buildings on
them are not proper representatives
of either their wealth or intelligence
nor is the collection of stock a fair
average Of what is in the county and
the products of the soil whilst speak
ing well is presented in such sparsity
as to lead one to suppose that the
grasshoppers and potato bugs had
proved too much for their farmers in
telligence and industry-and Floral
Hall-well ladies it is upright down
right square inactivity and negli-
gence. That is all.
The rain prevented any operations
either on the track or by Co. ID, of
Washington Light Infantry. The
whole performance was suspended.
But few of the town people or visi-
itors attended, and from all indica-
tons, had it been a fair day, the
grounds would have been crowded.
We sympathise with them as we do
with their feminine friends in their
draggled skirts, who necessarily look
forward to busy wash-day, and
trust that their concluding day may
be both bright and profitable.
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