The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1878-11-08
VOL. FL.
LYON COUNTY AGRICULTURAL FAIR.
What the Kansas Farmer Saws of it.


appointed the exhibitors, discouraged
the managers, disguised the hOrsemen
and disarranged the display.
The officers and managers of this So
ciety are energetic and did everything
that they thought could in any manner
assist in making the fair a success, but
the elements were against them. While
having "A good word to say for the Off
GERS Of this society, must have some
thing to say about the practice of this so
ciety as well as others, of letting gamb-
lers work at their vocation on the
grounds of the society during the days
of the fair-and while do so / am not
making point against this society only
in a general way.
Here was the wheel of fortune"
making IA fortune every day for its own
ers. i was slyly told by one of the pro-
prietOTs that it was per cent" wheel,
or that ninety per cent. of the money
staked went into the pockets of its own
ers! They paid the society $3.50 for the
privilege of cheating the innocent coun-
try boys. Is this agriculture?
Here also was the "chuck- a-luck''
boards, winning money, if-not quite so
fast yet Just as dishonesty as the wheel
of fortune" l will not try to describe
it, for it is a very common device for
drawing the hard earnings from the poor
labnrer's pocket. Is this agriculture?
Then there was another gambling ar
rangement where the unsOphisticated
threw rings on to II board stuck full of
spikes. EVERY spike is dime and the
center one dollar" This is what greets
the ear of the passer-by. The chances
are about ninety-five against five that
you lose. This seems more innocent
than the rest, yet for this very reason it
should be dreaded the most Again l
ask, is this agriculture?
There were a number of other gambl-
ing devices for cheating the innocent,
trusting country boy out of his hard
earned dollars, yet you all have them
among you at your county fairs and
description of them is unnecessary.
the privilege of practicing their profes-
sion on the society's grounds. This COM
pounding with felony should cease.
Elect such men for officers at your April
elections that will not grant license to
these gamblers, and this very objection
able feature will be removed.
CATTLE.
The show in this department was ex-
tremely good, yet the absence of that
well known herd of Short-horns owned
by Levi Dumbald, was noticed. The
only breeds exhibited were DevOns and
Short-hOrns.
The Short-horns exhibited by Hon. A.
Casterline, of Newton, were greatly adj
mired by every one. There were fourteen
in this herd. They received eight pre-
miums and sweepstakes. Among the
other exhibitors were II. j. StrattOn, who
received three premiums; J. MetZger,
Hon. w. II. COchrane and A. A. Allen,
who received one premium each.
The only exhibitor of DevOns was
Chas. Monkey, of Greenwood county.
His animals compared favorably with
any l have seen in the state. He received
Il number of we'll mcrited premiums.
Among the grades L noticed some very
fine animals owned by John M. Henson,
L. r. Wright, Hon. w. H. Cochran and
A. Casterline. The premiums in this
class were quite liberal.
VIM. Crandall, of Coffey county, was
here with his fat steer, which weighed a
trifle over three thousand pounds. He
was confined in a large tent, and an adj
mittance fee of fifteen cents was charged
to see him. During the heavy wind
storm on Thursday the tent was blown
down, and there stood the mammoth OK
in all his glory in the "free-for-all ring"
in view of the many hundred spectators
who appreciated the huge joke.
HOGS.
The show in this department was bet
ter than ever made in the county before.
Among the exhibitors of Polands were
J. V. Randolph, E. B. Pritchard, L. r.
Wright, n. Brown, and Hon. w. A. Ran
dolph. They all received premiums, al
though the hogs exhibited by the Ran
dolph brothers seemed to draw the heavi-
est crowd of admirers.
There were two or three specimens OF
that nearly extinct lin Kansas) breed OF
hogs, the Chester Whites, on exhibition.
They were owned by N. Brown and G.
p. Griffith. The Chester White, as a
breed, has about as many styles, shapes
and, was about to say, cOlOrs, as is pos
sible to conceive, and it was no wonder
| that many doubts were expressed as to
/ whether there was such thing now as
pure Chester White hog in existence.
Among the Berkshires l noticed some
| fine specimens owned by J. V. Randolph,
J. NJ. Miller, ]. NJ. Henson, N. Brown
and Hon. w. A. Randolph, all of whom
received premiums. To me the Berl1
shires are the handsomest breed of hogs
now raised in the west, yet their small
hams are very serious objection to
pork raisers. The sows are, however
/ Il
inclined to think that cross between
the two breeds is the best for the aver
age farmer. However it is all a matter
of taste, and full as much depends upon
the feeding as upon the breeding.
| SHEEP.
The sheep department was well repre-
sented. Among those exhibited noticed
sixteen head of Spanish Merinos shown
/ hrr Nm, hal Of IIov
carried off five first premiums and two
sweepstakes. Mr.. Dumbald is young il
the business of raising sheep, but this
exhibit shows he has struck the righ
branch of farming, and / predict that he
Will make an eminent success in sheep
raising.
Hon. A Casterline, of Newton, Har
vey county, exhibited a few specimen.
from his noted flock of CotswOlds. They
received three first premiums. At the
Shawnee county fair, and also at the ex
position ut Kansas City, and the Distric
fair at Neosho Falls, these sheep receiv
ed large share of the premiums in thei
class. From here they go to the Pea
body fair.
Messrs. Barber s. Steltzing exhibited
twenty of their Merino bucks that wer
much admired. They have at HON,
2 800 fine wool sheep. Their advertise
ment of eighty bucks for sale appears il
this weeks Farmer.
FLORAL HALL.
The west wing was mainly devoted t
the diplay of the NeOsho grange and in
dividual displays of grain and vegeta
bles. The above grange made splendiC
showing. The grange is composed O
active members, Intelligent farmers an,
public spirited citizens, and their exhibi
, is worthy of very high praise. They re
ceived a premium Of $25, which ! III
, derstand will be placed in their cooper
alive store.
Among the principal exhibitors @
vegetables and grain was Mr.. W. H Ho
> lingswOrth, who received six premium
: and sweepstakes ON grain; J. NJ. Hyde
who received seven premiums; j. Il
Dole, seven premiums and sweepstake
! onlvegetables, and p. G.. Hallberg, VIII
received a number of premiums.
noticed in this display the Hulles
: oats, exhibited by j. n. Evans, of Di,
: mond Springs, Morris county. N
Evans raised about five hundred bushel
: of these oats the past season.
81 There was a strong competition i
. Irish potatoes, the samples being by "a
, the best had seen the present year
The exhibit of greenhouse plants wa
most excellent. The principal exhibitor
! were p. G. Hallberg and Robt. Millikei
The books in this department and ais
: in the frsfff donaT-sTnerls NOT hafrser aece.