Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-02-22


be beneficial to the farmers round about, oy
stimulating them to surpaSS their nefghoOrs,
and by affordng ready SAFE ioT eheil cd Hho
was then the editor of the National fntethgencef.
and the mayer OF washington, advocated the
project In his newspaper, and In August the city
council passed an act providing for the eStab-
ltshment Of the fairs, under such regulations as
the mayor might prescribe. The first fair was
held in October, 1904, on the ground now Occu-
pied by the Smithsonian Institution, and ex-
fenced over three days. Before the next fair
was held supplementary act was passed b.
the city CoQnci! authorizing the appointment OF
board or directors for fairs who were to make
regulations, receive stall and stand rents and
solicit subscriptions toward fund which VS.
"a ne distributed as premiums. Towards this
fund he modest sum of fifty dollars was apDr.-
prlated from the city treasury with a further
sum of nifty dollars for expenses, which doubt
less Included punch and toddles, as was the Gus
tom In those days.
Messrs. James Hoban, Joseph Hodgson and
Henry lngle were appointed unCcr this act 10y
Mayor Smith as the Board Of Directors, and
they secured subscriptions to the amoint OF
nfty dollars which, with the fifty voted from
the City treasury. made one hundred dol
lars to be awarded to the best lamb. sheep,
ally sold at the fair. There was a re5pe 3table
attendance at this second fair. which was held
on tie last Wednesday, Thursday and Friday in
APRIL h lsO5, and third fair was held in Noyem-
Der, 1865, after which they were discontinued.
Early In the year 1906, Joel Barow-poet. di-
plomat, and pOlitiCian-Whoh had Just com pleted
as 'kaiorama.'' unSucceSsfully endeavored to
organize here ''natiOnal academy whicn was
TO have departments OF agriculture and yctecin-
airy science.
Meanwhile an agricultural Institute" had
peen organized here by officers of the federal
government, members OF Congress. and Others
uSNo'eu 10 ooJectS connected with pubic econo-
my. Meetings were held at Mr.. iIeryey's, on
PENNSYLVANIA avenue, every saturday evening
from until o'clock. Among the subjects for
&c o4Lsioeratlon on the programme for the spring
q III ~ NJ
or the means OF abridging labor by useful it,
fthtiODS, implements, aud apparatus. 5tnly.
our agricultural economy, or the means Of pro-
duclnS the most abundant and most reciprocal
crops, under any given circumstance. without
doing Things by guess. 6thly. The economy OF
our forests, or the best management of our
la ent resources there.
Early in the present century, a popular deter
mlnatiOn throughout the union 10 wear broad
cloths OF domestic manufacture, gave an i'm
retlS to WOOL growing, and the importation OF
MeTln0 sheep from France and Spain became a
mania. Some CT these sheep were sold Il fabu-
louS prices:-shephe. Dis and shepherd dos were
III demard;-ald ''Sheep SheaTIugS' were the
farmers festivals.
TIE ARLINGTON T. sHEEP-sHEARINGs
Prominent among these ''Sheep-SEe iringS"
We're tfose established ana continued f." a
dozen successive years bY one who was per. n
ally Known 10 many OF yOu-GCgTgC Washing
ton Parke Gusts. They were held at tiIe well
known spring on the Arlington estate on the
Virginia side of the Potomac where large num-
berS OF citizens OF Washington and GeorgetO
Win prominent officials, used 10 be Hospitality
entertained beneath the marquee used tnrOurl-
out the Revolution by General Wa5hinef0n The
illustrious guardian OF Mr.. GUSTS After the
premiums had been awarded well-fiiled bowls
OF punch were brought to the marquee from the
manSi0n-house. and Mr.. GUSTS would give a
series OF impr0mptu tO1sts, calling on gentle
men from various sections 10 respond. while he
gave as his own contribution to the feast of
reason interesting TenliniSCencaS of his Child
hood at Mount Vernon. Noble old man, 4
merciiul Providence removed him hence before
one section on this repuo. lie was aITayed against
another, and MS beloved arlington was used
as q charnel-house for the bones Of those VINO
Ieil in the fratricidal contest.
THE C0LUMfIAN AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.
In 1862 the citizens OF his District eSta DitShed
the "COiumbian Agricultural Society" which
held tie first agricultural o. hto.LiOn or cattle
snow, known on the American continent. The
nISt one was located at the UIiCn-N0W the
eSt End-iiOtel, in Georgetown. The doueS-
TIC Eahuf&ctul eS were exhibited in the Dl!i-
room 81 the htte1 While the stOc., Here shown
ID The large wa on yard. NelrIy every g1nt!p-
man present woe clothing on domestic manu-.
faCture. President Mad Sn0rfeI his tna,1-
@uratlon suit tie coat made from the merino
"ool OF Col humphreys flock, and the waist
coat and small clothes from the wool or the
Livingston Eoca at Clerlnont, on the Hudson
river. Mr. EarloW wore suit of green broad
cloth, manufactured in Western Massachusetts,
ana Gen: John Mason, then.Indian agent wore
a suit OF nankeen, made from nankeen cotton
raised on AnalOStan Island
PROMINENT among the animals was Hgaro
a large brown bay horse. which then belonged
to that worthy and useful citizen DR.. Th0rnfon
Conn CoInIniSsloner OF Patents. "Carl0 had been
imported by Robert Woln, {,yho had been a
represent alive IN congress from Philadel phtal
ana hau pedigree reaching back thirteen
generations TO The Layton Arabian mare, and
enriched Dy crosses with the best stock In Eng
land. There was q large and fine exhibition OF
Sheep, every one OF which was shorn before the
committee and a premium was awarded 10
EdWard Emo, Tor the neat, expeditions AMI safe
manner in which he handled the shears
ne iiVe SUBSEQUENT Sem1-annual exhibitions
OF me Columbian Agricultural Society were held
In PARROTS Grove" belonging to Thomas
Beall On the heights Of Georgetown. The Presi-
dent was a constant attendant, with the foreign
dlplomats and the leading Federal officials But
The war with Great Britain engrOSSed public at
lentlon, and the society became extinct, having
awakened more general interest in the various
departments OF husbandry, not only here In the
immediate vicinity OF its exhibitions, but ia the
adjacent states. Had not the war tryImpct sum
moned many OF its leading members to the
tented field, there is good reason to believe thai
It's circle OF usefulness might have continued to
increase.
such, gentlemen, were the early efforts Oh the
cltnenS OF the District OF Columbia to carry out
the wishes of Washington, that the agriculture
OF America should be improved and advanced
THE ADoRNMENT OF OUR STREETS
Ild time permit, | might narrate the original
establishment OF a botanic garden here watch
was the germ OF subsequent extensive propaga-
ton and distribution OF rare plants, vines.
shrubs and trees. And | might pay passing
tribute to the piOBeer IN the glorious WORK az
adjoining the avenues and streets OF the national
metropolis with shade trees,-Tn0naS IcTer-
son. Many OF you, gentlemen. can rene nber
the oouble row OF Lombafdy popiarS whicl eX-
lehueo along the center Of Pennsylvania avenue
from the Capitol grounds gate to the Executive
square, Whlc1 were planted under Tie personal
direction or the sage OF Monticello. Hnlorei
be the memories OF John Foy AMI Of Lanes
Maher, whose practical success as arb0rlclltlr-
lists has been rivaiied, i'll later days, by William
X. Smith and by William Saunders
TIE PROGRESS OF IMPROVEMENT IN WASHING
TON.
Having nus, gentlemen, contributed my mite
10 your archives which are TO furnish the ma
teI1alS FOL the future historian of the District OF
Columbia, permit ne TO congratulate YOU on
The recent Improvement Of the federal city.
wien congress 1lrSt assembled here In Nov
elGpeT, lSGO, the House Of Representatives re- |
panied 10 the senate chamber-afuer the exam |
PIE SET by the British Parliament-and PresI- |
cent Jonn Adams addressed the two houses in |
person lie congratulated the people OF the |
I Ittd states on The assembling OF Congress at |
We permanent seat Of their government and !
ne congratulated tie Senators and Representa- |
yves On me prospect OF residence not to be |
exchanged" He invited them to take into |
view the future probable situation OF the terri
Tory, Tor the happiness of which they were |
ABOUT 10 provide, and said: ''You will consider |
IL as Tie capital OF a great nation advancing |
WIN uneXampled Tapidity in arts. in commerce.
LII LII wealth aud III population" Alas the
pieuees made III reply were never redeemed,
ara IL Is only within the past few wears that
hoe "a