The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-05-19
LETTER FROM TEXAS.
The State Fair at Houston.
Interesting Scenes and Incidents.

HousroN, May 10, 1876.
This is the sixth annual fair of the State
Fair Association. The last was said to have
been very largely attended. partly from the
usual reasons and partly for the purpose of
gratifying curiosity to see and hear Horace
Greeley, who from bitter opponent of the
Southern people had changed to staunch
friend, and had since the war taken their
part in a manner calculated to capture the
impulsive Southern heart. 1t is true that
MIR. Davis was to deliver the opening ad-
dress this time, but there was no certainty of
of it until day or two beforehand, and there
fore the thousands who would have rushed to
the scene to greet one who had suffered with
them without a murmur and had given up
all worldly wealth in the cause Of patriotism
and honor, were content to remain peace
fully at home and let the Fair do the best
it could without them. =.
The grounds are situated within easy dis
lance of the business portion Of the city, and
ere reached via street cars, omnibusses, hacks,
etc.; and here let me say word about the
street car system, as seen on the way to the
fair. There is a single track with turnouts,
and parties travelling to and fro are delayed SO
long that about the time the trip is hall COM
pleted they are content to walk the balance
AMI take the fare out in grumbling. The
drivers are lively cusses and the mules models
of deviltry.
There is always terrible crowd on board
at the start, and wo to him who cultivateth
the aching corn or the excruciating buniOn.
Reaching the grounds, after Interviewing Mr..
Dumble, the gentemanly Secretary of the
Asso ,iation, who tenders the courtesies Of
the occasion, one naturally strolls, first, over
to P over Hall, which is situated at the ex
treme right. Here are forests of plows and
widernesses of cultivators, cotton gins,
pumps and the many ct ceteras common to
like displays. Here Jadge Swasr holds forth
with his cotton and corn planter and deGes
all competition. Near the Judge was dis
play of hollow-ware, plows and grades of
Texas pigiron manufactured at Jefferson,
Texas, by G. A. Kelly, and as home indus
try are deserving of special mention.
The rules of the association in excluding
from competition agricultural implements
manufactured in other States is, think, un-
fair and calculated to work no good to their
own manufacturers, as blue ribbon gained
in such case is clear waste of silk, and
brings no notoriety to the recipient Turn
ing back to the opposite side OF the grounds,
Floral Hall is encountered. It Is filled from
floor to ceiling with towering shrubs, roses.
| geranums, heliotropes, the many-colored
| fox, and thousands of others which the
tongue would ache with prono1ncing. In
the centre is sparkling fountain, and on one
side rocky rill gushes out from meath the
| coolest of looking pine branches.
| Next comes the main exhibition hall. and
on entering found near the door splendid lot
| of malt, hops and brewers supplies generally,
| from j. A. Blaffer Il Co., New Orleans, with
Mr. Baffer at the helm himself. MIR. B in
politics during the last legislative unpleas-
antness was an uncompromising compromiser;
here his motto was mo compromise; blue
ribbon or nix" and the waving bands of sky
colored silk which encirele his embryo foam
ing lager are just rewards of merit. Further
on the we'll known announcement as to where
the best fitting, finest, most substantial shirt
can be procured, meets my view, and | see
that here, too the blue ribbon unfolds itself.
| This whole floor is cramned wi feminine
handiwork from an infants robe to lady 8
brocade, and from the finest of cambria and
| lace mouchoirs to the b eaviest of Ornamented
bed quilts. Loves of bonnets, jewels and fine
linen, and the thousand and one other indis-
pensable things that go to accomplish the
''get up" of our modern woman are displayed
in magnificent profusion. could go on to
tell you of the washing machines, the ironing
machines, the soda founts, the displays OF
cutlery, the ice-chests the preserves, caa.
dies, crackers, -four and hundre Is of other
things of Houston and st Louis production,
but won't
I pass on up stairs to the art gallery and
find many works of merit, especially some
pen and ink drawings by Miss Alice Kohl. Of
the German American school a. Austin, which
are works of some merit, and showed talent
worthy of cultivation. Here, also. are
atuffed birds, collections of old coins, and
displays of butterflies of thousand dyes i'm
paled on pins, and fancy bouquets and
wreaths of wax flowers, etc. From the upper
windows a fine view Of portioa OF the race
course and the city is visible.
Down stairs and out in the rear of the main
exhibition building is the carriage repository,
aud plac I'd on canvass announces 1t as the
headquarters of the Texas Veterans On the
inside found three carriages, three veterans
and three homemade tombstones, very pretty
things in their line and cheap, and calcu
lated, think, to increase the death rate, TO
with soffius proportionately cheap, any ont
could afford to die in the dullest part of tn
business season.
j There was a fine lot of jacks in the stalls
brought from Kentucky, and are the sur