The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1877-09-05

Formal Opening of the Exhibifisn-The

AT THE PARK.
Formal Opening of tue Exhibition-The
Raets-GIances at the Stock.
AT eight o'clock yesterday morning Chand-
ler's Band left the headquarters in Market
Square and took Robinson's boat for the Park.
Their lively music called out large crowd all
along the route. aud the scene at the head Of
Preble street, the place of thar departure. was
very enlivening. Upon their arrival on the
grounds, they took up their place in the stand
and continued their music. Chief Marshal
Adams and his ads-SIwyer, Rich and
Wharf-were on hand at an early hour.
The usual unoccupied space between the
upper gate snd the grand stand is now thor
oughly taken up by vendors of tooth powders,
prizs packages, &c. The usual side shows are
By no means neglected, and the refreshments
are as thick as flies about sugar barrel.
Among the great wonders shown are the
two-legged horse, a sea tiger, a sea serpent, a
wonderfully formed calf and the sacred OK
Then there are two or three Punch and Judy
shows, the inevitable picture saloon, &c., &C.
The scene in this vicinity all day was lively,
and at all times the crowds drawn were
immense.
1t was announced that the formal opening
exercises would commence at 9.45. but it was
nearly II o'clock before the distinguished per-
sonages who were to take part arrived. Gov.
Connor arrived, accompanied by Gen. Burnside
and was driven about the grounds.
At little before II o'clock Gen. j. Marshall
Brown called the company to order in the tent
within the circle Of the track, which is used for
DIR. Loring's headquarters. Governor Connor,
DIR. Loring, Gen. Brown, Gen. Burnside Gen.
William Sutton of Ipswich Mayor Butler,
exGov. Perham, and others, occupied seats on
the platform. In the audience were noticed
ex-Msyor Richardson, DR.. Tewksbury, @. e.
Jose, ESQ.,. w. w. Thomas. Jr., Esq, Gen.
Beal, Mr.. Noyes of the Massachusetts, Plow-
man, Hon. Rufus Prince, Judge Knight, John
Hall, ESQ.,, of Berwick, N. r. Boutelle, Col.
Kicker, and other gentlemen interested in
agriculture.
After calling the meeting to order, Gen.
Brown spoke as follows:
GEN. BROWNS SPEECH.
Mr.. President and Gentlemen of the Ne,o
England Agricultural ty: The time has
now arrived when it beco mes my duty to make
al. President of the Maine State Agricultural
Society, an official report of the labor performed
by our officers, since you determined, at our
solicitations to hold hereland with us your annual
exhibition and fair. But first let me express
the great satisfaction it gives us, to meet with
you in this friendly association and to bid you
in the name Of our Society most thorough
aud cordial welcome.
welcome you to the State of Maine, the
youngest of that noble brotherhood of States,
whose proud privilege 1t is to bear on this side
| the sea the name of the mother country
and x1hn hoac haax. and tel nk haua he
free institutions, which our fathers brought
and which have been and will lbe maintained
and defended to the last.
The youngest of the New England States,
and yet so far as concerns authentic history,
the oldest of them all Sixteen years before
the Pilgrims landed at plymouth Rock, the
French planted their gardens on our eastern
border, explored our rivers named our islands
and mapped our harbors and established claims
of dominion which were not abandoned until
century and a half later, when the intrepid
Wolfe stormed the heights OF Quebec. Two
years later the English planted colony at the
mouth of the Kennebec, and from that move
ment was derived the title of old England to the
New, and from that day the English were
always to be found here, 80 that when the
starving Pilgrims att Plymouth looked about
for bead it was here they sent their
shallops and received both welcome
and a supply. So that We may say, with
pardonable vanity, that Maine is the mother
of New England as well as always part and
parcel OF it all, under the egis of the Bay
State to be sure, but through all her
her share of the work. Your doughty Sir
William Phipps was born in the valley Of the
Kennebec and Sir William Pepperen was a
Kittery boy, and many Maine soldier stood
with him at Louisburg; and so through the
long list of distinguished citizens of our sister
states will be found scores of names of those
whose early home was within our borders.
bid you welcome, also, Mr.. President and
Gentlemen, within the limits of the ancient
town of Falmouth, now nearly $50 years old,
but renewing her youth in her children, for out
of her old-time fair proportions have been
| carved five goodly towns, having more tran
per cent. of the population of the state with
more than 16 per cent. OF its valuation and
paying about 20 per cent. OF the state tax, rep
resentng too 1 think L may safely say, to a
considerable extent the improved methods of
agriculture and exhibiting commendable ex-
ample of agricultural prosperity and thrift
We have invited you to meet with us be-
cause we felt that 10 every way your coming
would do US good. 1t is worth something, in
this work-a-day world, to make new friends;
it is of inestmable value to our farmers to
get away once in a while from their usual rou-
tine, to 60 among their neighbors and rivals
and study the markets and learn the popular
taste and demand, and see the tools with which
others win success. do not believe an agri-
cultural fair can be held anywhere without a
marked and immediate influence upon the en-
from this new impulse and vigorous and
steady advance.
A very large majority of the people of our
State are engaged in agricultural pursuits and
yet as you well know. Maine is not called an
agricultural state The reasons are obvious.
Laundering, commerce, the fisheries have made
our young men restless and impatient of a
quiet life with its slow rewards. California
and the rich virgin soil OF the great West have
tempted them away, and the civil war thrust
its greedy fingers into every household and
took lay the young and strong
Dull however, as has been the prospect.
think but echo the opinions of careful obser-
vers when say that in these years of returning
peace, there has been q marked improvement in
Maine. Homesick wanderers, tired of the
fruitless search for sudden wealth, have come
back to the farm; capitalists longing for the
free air OF the country, have discovered that in
more ways than mere money returns
"farmiug pays. Pleasure as well as interest
are caring for the WORKOUT pastures and the
sick iand hungry fields. You come then, at
an suspicious time; all New England is your
proper missionary field, but this year it is we in
Maine who have raised the old time CRY 'Come
over and help u.s." know your work is not
tor US alone and. that your missionary iag Sas
nave wider scope than our limits, ana tHss
Whatever good results follow will Dc l broa ad
and near, just as the circles spread an the va
ter is disturbed .,.-.;.,,
Again bid you welcome anu ,.,oa ,hst Iw ~
to what you see about yon as eYidence .nss We
for your annual festival, place its control into
your hands, where it righuully belongs.
At the close of his remarks, Gen. Brown
introduced Governor Conno-, who spoke as
follows:
GOVERNOR coNNoR's REMARKS.
Gentemen of the Neao England and Name
State agricultural Societies 1T gives me
great pleasure to be present at the Inaugural
ton of this enterprise of public importance
which you have united in undertaking here in
the chief city of our state. To you, gentlemen.
who come from our sister states and are their
in society, whose title is signifi
cant of the community of interests which
Maine shares with them, 1 am happy 10 have
the opportunity of offering, in behalf of the
state, greeting of sincere cordiaiity. The
people OF Maine are glad to receive you
whether your presence be due to a law or custom
Of your society,or to the selection Of state for
the holding OF your exhibition. Both societies
are to be congratulated on an association when
Is SO full OF promise of mutual benefit and