The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1879-11-05
The Press and Banner.
Wednesday,, Nov. S. 1879.
The Abberille County Fair.

Tho Eleventh Annual Fair Of the Able
willie Agricultural Society was held at the
Fair Grounds last week on Wednesday,,
Thursday and Friday, Goth, 30th and 3lst
nit. Ever since lSiS when the lirst OF the
post-bclium series of Fairs WAS held here,
our County has maintained a deep inter-
est in the success of her Agricultural So
cictv, worthy Of the high position She oc-
cuples among the farming counties Of
the State. That the Society has been
kept alive at all and its annual Fairs held
during the last four Or five years may
we'll be wondered ut when one considers
the revolutionary turmoil through which
we have. passed. The directors OF the
Society and the farmers and housewives
Of Abbevillc should congratulate them
selves on their energy and success. II
was not a difficult matter for several years
after the Society was founded TO nave /"
great Annual Fair. Cotton was at high
price, money was plentiful and our rc"-
ple showed an alacrity in spending II.
There was not, moreover, any other OPP
~portunity given Il citizens Of meeting
together during those years Of dark radl-
cul domination,-no great polltica! mass
meetings at a time when the white people
had no share in politics. Hence the
Crowds that Come III Thousands
to the Abbeville Fairs in those days glad
to meet together, see each others faces
md vie with each other i'll exhibiting the
products of the farm, the garden and the
pantrv,-for the peaceful pursuits OF az
r~iculture and domestic economy were
the only lines then open for the enter
prise of our people. Those were the
DAYS when tho treasury Of the Agricul-
tural Society was full to overtowlng,
when even dividends were paid on the
stock. when the Abbeville Fair was the
greatest County Fair in the State-was
equal, indeed. in some respects superior
to the State Fair.
With the first beginnings Of the poiltl-
cal revolution that eliminated in 1876 the
struggles of the Society "egan. AS the
public interest in politics grew hotter
and higher the interest in the Far
vaxed weaker and colder, until
it sometimes seemed a hopeless
task to keep the Society in be-
ing. So much of the precious time OF
our farmers was necessarily given to at
tendance ut political gatherings Big
Tuesdays and Hampton Meetings, not to
speak of the frequent meetings OF town.
ship clubs and County Conventions,-it
was not to be wondered ut that they found
little or no tune to prepare for County
Fair or 60 to it when it was held. They
had to work, had to raise cotton, corn
and red oats, but they were working just
to keep the pot a-boiling. They had
"feld crops but not for "eXhibltlon;'
they required all their red oats for the
faithful horses whose share tn the hard
work of the great campaign wasso great.
The notable housewives Of the County
were not idle either their nimble fn-
gers W re busted with needle-work and
embroidery and in cooking as well. But
their needle-work was not expended on
patch, needle, and crochet work. or OIL
"wax, hair, and shell work." for exhibit
ton at the Fair, but OH the historic Red
shirts and the banners Of the mounted
clubs. And. their cooking and prescrv-
ing were not then meant to swell blouse
hold Department A." or "B," or Z at
the County FAIR, but to fill the wallets OF
the Red-shirt Men as they trooped III
thousands to the great mass-meetings.
For two or three years, therefore, the
fortunes Of the Abbeville Agricultural
Society were on the wanc, and the Conn
ty Fairs were not successful. But torthe
indomitable energy and perseverance Of
the her directors, the Society would
have ceased to exist, and its Annual Fair
would nave been a thing of the historic
past. With commeudable pluck and
spirit they bore up againstaI all discourage
nent, and determined to save the Society
from failure. Besides, the Society they
represented was burdened with Il consid-
cradle debt, and like honorable men they
made up their minds to free it from this
incubus and stigma before they should
desert it. Their success in this audable
~eudeavour is at last assured. The for
tunes of the Society are again in the as
cendanu; the Fair held last week was al
most worthy of the Society's palmiest
days. The debt will, soon be paid OFT, and
next year the Abbeville Fair will DC as it
used to be in formerd days the %grandest
County Fair in the State of South Caro-
lima.
This Years Fair
was q great success. On the first day of
the Fair-last Wednesdav-there were
not many spectators on the Fair Grounds,
and most of those who were there at
tended for the purpose of enterinr stock
or specimens of field crops or other arti-
cIes for exhibition and competition. The
weather was beautiiul-the perfection Of
Autumn weather, and the very best that
the Indian Summer can furnish. We
need not remind our readers that the
Press and Banner predicted three weeks
ago that our Annual Fair would he bless
ed with splendid weatler,-vouchsafed
the information, indeed, that special ar
engagements had been made in advance
with "Old Probabilities to furnish good
weather for the Fair. The good weather
had only one drawback - it tempted
many OF our Industrious farmers to stay |
ut home in the cotton field and in sowing
the next crop Of oats, thus making the
crowd in attendance ut the Fair smaller
by their absence. A ramble through the
exhibition rooms and around the cattle
and stock pens on Wednesday convinced
us that the Abbeville Fair for 1879 was
bound to be a good one.
The Horses and Cattle
on exhibition were numerous and very
fine specimens. We have attended a
good many fairs in this State and else
where, and we have always discovered
that for tine horses old Abbeville is ahead
of all other counties. Atother fairs they
may have more horse-races and more
racing stock, but Abbcville always has
been and still is ahead of other counties
in her exhibition of horse-tlesh. The