Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1878-11-21
The State Fair.

IT was our good pleasure TO attend tho State
Fair OF Columbia last week. We left Walhalla
on Wednesday morning at 7 A. NJ. and reached
our destination at =. NJ, being Two hours be-
hind time on account Of tho heavily loaded cars
of live freightboth of bipcds and quadrupcds
After enjoying the hospitalitics of our kind
friend MIR. j.. for the night, and making cal or
two on other friends in the city, We went to tho
Fair Grounds to sec and bc seen. Showing our
complimentary" TO the gate keeper we passed
in ond began at once our inspection. We found
the display in oil the dcpai 'ments equal if not
the best ever made at any Stale Fair ever held
in Columbia. The products of tho farm and
garden and tho whole vegetable kingdom sur
passed anything heretofore exhibited at tho
State Fair and equaled those of any other
agricultural fair ever held in any locality.
II Is seriously to be questioned whether finer
specimens Of grain, fruits, vegetables, oane,
oorn, cotton, hay, roots, &c., could be, found in
any other representative collection of similar
articles in the cultivated world
The household department was we'll filled,
and this year it furnished no room for execution.
rs the visitor was madc aware after q hopeless
and dazcd ramble through labyrnths Of knitted
and scwed aud quilted woollcn and cotton work,
relieved at frequent intervals by numerous
delicate and indcscribablc specimens OF, .be fair
handiwork, which must have been ccp9 to bo
appreciated aud admired. In this department
we noticed silk quilt. made by lady from
Chester, which contained about six thousand
patches
The exhibition If poultry was good. There
were to be seen every variety of turkeys and
geese, and ducks and chickens and rabbits, de-
sirable for purposes Of barn yard ornamentation
or Christmas table decoration. We saw two
geese, which for sizo NH no doubt for feathers.
surpassed anything of .he kind that we have
ever seen. These animals must have each
weighed twenty or thirty pounds. A beau
tiful fouatain with pond Of water surround
ing it was provided for the web footed ani-
mails to sport in, and they attracted much at
tenton.
The art gallery received its share Of attention
by all loyern Of fine pictures. 1t showed q
better selection of contributions in tie line of
paintings, drawings. photographs, plain mud
colorcd, &C., than usual.
Tho exhibition Of s!oc!. vas certainly tbs
finest over seen at any State Fair at Columbia.
The horses, cattle, sheep, goats and hogs were
far ahead Of any wo remember to have secn.
The various classes wore fuller and more COM
pleto. Mr.. John +. Lewis, of this county,
entered eight head Of oattlo in the stock depart
ment and carried off nine premiums Among
the finest animals on tho grounds was "Louise
Waddy," three year old short horn Durham,
the property Of Mr.Lewis. =
Our attention was next directed to tho agri.-
cultural machinery. Steam engines, cotton gins
and presses, and other machinery for agricul-
tural purposes were to bc seen in great profusion
Among the most notable of these wo wore much
interested in little machine oallcd tho "Patcnt
Nonpareil Mill" This excellent mill is intend
cd for general crushing and grinding both for
the farmer and mechanic. It is constructed of
iron in its principal parts and is not only
strongly made, but is powerful in its operation
| and very durable; il is not at all liable to de-
| rangement, and may be operated by almost any
| ono. BY tho adoption Of this mill tho farmer
| can do all his meal and feed grinding at homo,
and save both timo and toll in going to mill.
Mr.. W. Lowry, of Columbia, s. c., is tho agent
| in this State for the sale Of those mills
We must not forget to notioo one Of The most
beautiful specimens Of handiwork that came
under our observation. 1t was an agricultural
wreath, made by Mrs. Miles N: Sitton, of this
! county. 1t was composed of tho seeds, &c., of
tho farm and garden, beautifully and tastcfully
arranged in all kinds Of figures, and looked
more like the work of nature than that of art.
We understood that tho horse racing was
pretty fair, but as We took no stock in this fea-
turo Of tho exhibition, we cannot speak advis-
edly. We heard some dissatisfaction expressed on
the ground Of on extra admittanoe fec Of fifty
cents being charged to see the races.
There are many other things that we could
mention did time and space forbid. We will
sny In conclusion that in our judgment tho