Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1879-11-06
THE CHESTER FAIR.
lBy our Special Reporter.

| LIE CnGO i LII A1h.
lBy Special Reporer
The first annual fair of the Chester Agricul-
tural, Horticultural and Mechanical Associa-
tion, was held in the town Of Chester last
week, commencing on Tuesday and closing on
Friday.
The Association is composed of Chester,
York, Fairfield and Lancaster, and the mem
bership includes many of the best farmers and
the most enterprising citizens in other pur-
suits, of those counties. This of itself was
sufficient to raise high expectations on the
part Of the friends of the enterprise; but we
venture the assertion that the most sanguine
were unprepared for the complete success
which attended the first display of the agricul-
tural, mechanical, industrial and art resources
Of the counties which made such creditable
exhibit upon the fairgrounds at Chester last
week.
Chester county made the largest and most
varied display, as was expected, and for which
her sister counties, in according full need of
praise, should feel an honorable pride; but the
exhibit from the other counties composing
the Association were by no means insigniti-
cant, and afford cause for congratulation up
Oh the the encouraging fact that our people are
fast awakening to the Importance of improved
methods in farming, and as a consequence
are prospering in the same ratio that these
methods are employed. Especially do the
farm products and the live stock that were on
exhibition confirm the truth of this PROPOSE
tion. Finer horses than some of those eXhib-
tied at Chester cannot be found in the most IA
nous stock-growing region of Kentucky; nor
can the most favored portion Of the Union
produce finer specimens of fruits, vegetables,
esculents and cereals than were displayed in
prOfuson by the enterprising farmers COM
posing the Association.
The Fairgrounds were formally opened on
Tuesday morning, and while the attendance
was as large as could have been expected un-
der the circumstances, more especially when it
was known that for unavoidable reasons the
entries were not all completed, yet it was on
ly slight indication of what the attendance
was to be during the three remaining days.
Senators Hampton and Butler arrived on
Tuesday afternoon, and visited the grounds
soon after their arrival. This was the occa-
sion of large and enthusiastic crowd lining
the streets and vending their way to the same
point of destination, all eager to catch a
whose presence contributed additional interest
to the occasion.
1t was known that the address was to be de-
livered by Senator Butler on Wednesday,
which arrangement, rs well as other features
of the programme, attracted, on that day, the
largest crowd in attendance on any one day
during the week. At II o'clock A. M, Sena.
tors Hampton and Butler rode out to the
grounds, where already a large crowd, mum
bering about two thousand persons had al
ready assembled. The Rock Hill Silver Cor
net Band, under lead Of Capt Iredell Jones,
had already arrived on the grounds, and after
airs, Mr.. o. A. Wylie, President of the Asso'
citation, called the crowd to order, when Gov.
ernor Hampton, in few brief remarks, pre-
sented the orator of the day, who delivered a
practical address upon the industrial and ag.
ricultural resources of the State, full report
of which, by our own reporter, is published on
the first page of this issue.
Soon after the conclusion of the address
the musical contest between competitive brass
bands took place. Only two bands-the Ches.
ter, Edward NJ. Evans leader, and the Rock
Hill-were entered for the contest. 1t is only
necessary for us to say here that each band
played well, evincing, as all who have heard
either must admit, fine musical culture and
good eXecutant ability.
The only remaining tsacClon of the day,
outside the exhibition building, was the mill
tary reyiew;a advertised to take place either by
competitive companies to drill for prize, or
portion of the Eighth Brigade under orders OF
the General commanding. But no companies
entered for the contest, and owing to the nef.
ficiency of the militia laws Of the State the
battalions ordered to be in Chester for inspec.
tion and review did not report, so that this
feature was necessarily omitted. 1t is but
proper to state, however, that the Brigadie1
General, with portion of his staff, was pres
ent, prepared to make the review, and we even
feel authorized by him to say that as the mi
litia law now stands on the statute books, he
regards it as dead letter. We make this di'
gression in order to give the true reason fol
the failure of the military display.
On Thursday, the principal attraction on the
grounds was the parade Of the Chester Light
Dragons, Capt. T. M. Sanders The troop
made a fine appearance in their snowy uni
forms, and displayed genuine soldierly bear
ing and thorough drill and discipline. During
the military exercises, and at intervals through
the day, fine music was diScOursed by the
Rock Hill Band.
The attendance of visitors was reasonably
good, though not near so large as on the pre-
ceding day, which was fortunate for those de-
string to inspect the large and varied number
of articles on exhibition. And this brings US
to the main exhibition building, a neat, sub
stantial two-stOry wooden house, built in the
form of cross, with piazza and averandah
all round it. Here, in the agricultural depart
ment, we found fine specimens of the most i'm
proved varieties of corn, wheat and oats
which clearly demonstrated that care had been
taken in the selection of the seeds as well as
the mode of cultivation /; turnips, beetS and
potatoes of huge dimensions, of which three
of the latter weighed twenty-One pounds, and
were taken from the same hill :; pumpkins OF
enormous growth and as showing the. re.
markable capabilities of our climate, among
other vegetable productions were shown large,
L. Il ,Hnl
on the 9th of July. The display of cotton
was likewise fine. There were fancy bales on
exhibition, mammoth stalks laden with bolls,
small specimens of long and fine staple, ginned
and in seed. In the department of field crops
alone, there were fftyone entries, and in one
of these there were eighty-two articles of ag-
ricultural growth, the product of one farm.
Of horses and mules there were siXty-nine
entries, and of the grade and quality of the
animals we have already spoken. The eXhi.
bition of the horses took place on Thursday
morning, and included saddle, single and
double-harness horses, brood mares and colts.
and though the quality Of the animals was
good, yet the small number reminded us of
Senator Buffers assertion on the previous day
that this is not a cattle-groWing State. We
hope, however, that time will prove that it can
be made to produce as fine cattle as any State
in the Union. Of hogs, there were fifteen en-
tries, and of sheep only seven. Of poultry,
bees and dogs there were thirty-eight. The
poultry exhibits were specially fine. Among
them were Chinese geese, exhibited by j. 7.
Marion, Richburg; white Brahma chickens, by
Mrs. W. D. Simpson, of Blackstocks; Poland
chickens by L. S. Douglass, of Blackstocks ; a
coop of Brahma chickens by H. G. Rothrock
a pair of white turkeys-the name of whose
exhibitor we could not learn-and also fine