Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1878-10-23
A Countryman's Visit to the Fair.

Mr.. EDITOR:
Thinking your readers
would like to hear something reliable
from the Winchester Fair, have con-
Guided to write full account Of what |
saw and heard
Having purchased our tickets, jim
Jones and mounted the. big train and
were soon on eur way. Having taken
our seats, our attention was attracted
by crowd Of fellows that were running
through the cars under the impression
that they were compelled to occupy
every car of the train. l, at first,
thought they were running the whole
thing. until Jim Jones told me that they
were a lot Of fellows that never get on
any but excursion trans and had not
vet learned how to behave. just
wished that l knew John Garrett, Mr..
Averill, or some sfthOse railroad men,
[ would ask them to bave some cars
made like cages in a menagerie, and
when these wild chaps get on, cage them
up where everybody could see them
without their running about SO much.
We soon reached Winchester and
mighty big crowd there was around the
| little depot They had bands and
soldiers and men and women and a
pretty smart sprinkling Of negroes. |
thought tLey were all waiting for us but
when we cot out, they all stood still.
] looked around until saw aplain old
man with kind of fatherly look, that l
| thought wouldnot Get madat a civil ques-
ion. and | asked him what they were
all waiting for. lie replied that the
President was coming on the other
train. Sol waited teo and IN a few
minutes, the tram came up and l then
saw the President and the Presidents
wife. Secretary Thompson, and some
other gentlemen attended by some of
the biggest Winchester men they could
find. They were met at the depot by
the Governor and were escorted by the
Winchester and woodstock military
companies to The Governors residence.
l wondered why there was no cheering
at lha depot, but have since learned
that tle fellow that was TO start it NEST
carlessly neglected te perform his part Of
the programme. As we had net been
Invited around to the Governors, jim
ana /. at once made oar way TO the
a.r -r luds TO sec The big show. rs
sic both felt big interest in stock we
at ence went around TO see whether
we could find any better stock than
v had at home, jim rcmarking
ua ,.eNly Tat these fairs were big
INNINGS aal he didn t expect 10 see any
.hja- more than We could see on maRy
Of our shenandoah farms. Bat | tell
yoa. Nj. Editor. jim was mistaken, for
lhOy iai tremendous show, and such
alot ocb.s bulls, and COWS, and sheep,
and hogs. an goats aud chickens, aud
turkeys. and ducks and pretty girls and
neeloes.I never saw in all my born days.
and this was not all. but they had
,lresa,ny machines. and reapers that
could c-t lac grain, rake ltand bind it,
all ay itself. / just thought what a
nice thia. it will be to he a farmer, when
tacm1ch.ncry becOm es perfect, andall
a man has % do VIII be to start the
machines that Will plow the ground, |
aarrov f.. seed it. Gu, the grain. bind it,
tnle,hitaud all his work will be to sell
it and get tie money. But besides these,
thcy ha / steam engines, AMI drills, and
wheat fans and steam saw mills, and |
corn planters, and plows, and washing
machines ana pumps, and whole lot
ofojhor things too tedious TO mention.
but TO return to the stock, we saw
sir. Meryman's fine lot ofHereford cat
lie. sir. Longs Shor. Horns, Mr.. Harri- !
sons short Horns, a lot Of Attorneys, |
aAe stations. race horses, draft horses,
Leicester sheep. Seuthdowns. CetswOlds,
Berkshire aid Poland China hogs, big
lot Of fowls, IN fact, Mr.. Editor, DO
not believe that such a fine lot Of stock
was ever seen in the Shenandoah Val
ley before. Having seen all these, we
were wandering over the grounds. when
l saw a fellow who had lot OF doll ba-
b.cs on boards. lie handed me three
balls and asked me to knock The babies
OF The board. l thought would oc-
lcommOdate him and l threw the balls
and missed them. He asked me for five
cents, l ted him l had not hit the ba-
blcs. lie said that didn't make any
/ difference, so pad HIM his five cents,
but l didn't throw at any more babies,
babies are costly things any way you
take them.
1t was soon amour ced that the big
show would begin. and the gate at the
back Of the grounds was thrown open
and procession Uf carriages and mill.
tary entered. Two fellows with bright
colored ribbons over their shoulders, rode
in front and opened the gates. In tie
I first carriage was a gray haired man, with
stern expression Of countcnance, but
with q rather pleasing look, who was
pointed out as the.President Of the Fair,
and facing him was another man who
was SAID 10 be President o: the United
States, but some of the people said there
might be seine mistake about that, so l
took a good look at both Of them, 50 that
might be able to say when l got home,
that Lad seen the President. In the