Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1881-10-06
RI.OONINGTON

| Blakes PRAIRIE Agricultural Society held its an
nual exhibition on Friday and Saturday. The
| weather. which has been a very uncertain uuanti-
| ty for many days, caused the society to POSTPONE
| the exhibition for two weeks for the purpose of
| giving the elements an opportunity to sober up
| and settle down to something that could be relied
| on. Thursday morning dawned sombre enough
| and Friday did not seem to act much better so il
| was agreed that Saturday should be the main day
Posters were therefore struck off to that effect
| and circulated as much as possible through the
| surrounding country. Saturday dawncd in the
| full glory of rich Autumn day, and the weather
| which had been so bad In ITS actions for several
days. deigned to smile on US. and right well did
| il do its part so far the fair was concerned
| The crowd was not as large as it would have been
had the fair come off when 1t was first advertised
The display Of horses, cattle and sheep was very
good-in some respects better than some years
| previous. There was very good display ofvege-
| tables and small grain There was q fair display
| of swine and poultry. In the mechanical part
ment there were sulky plows, ironing tables and
windmills. This department was not as full as
usual, owing, no doubt, to the fearful condition
| of the roads. In the saddlers' and shoemakers'
works there was nothing, showing that the sons
of Crispin not much on the display. The dai-
| ry products were few but good There were very
good samples of wheat, oats, rye and fax seed.
| The vegetables on exhibition large and
I good. John Jeidy seemed to have some of the
| finest potatoes and Sam Woodhouse had a neck
| Of the finest onions in the country. There were
very fine samples of corn and large heads OF cab
/ hage Turnips and beets were there large and
| good aud monster squash raised By Leroy Hud-
son. Fruit was scarce There was but one per
| son that entered any apples, and grapes were a
minus quantity. There was but sample of
honey and that seemed TO be a very nice one Ii
was all the sweetness on the ground except the
fair ones who gracel the occasion, In the cattle
department was noticed herd Of five calves of
| the Badger stock belonging TO Alden Parker They
were nice ones and in good condition. Ballan-
| tine Bros. had fine herd of sixteen head fine
| Durham bull sired by Ex-Governor Ludington's
| famous animal being one of the sixteen He was
| model Of beauty. II. A. Welsh had fine herd
| of five Durhams all thoroughbred. James Meliner
k,1 s..nn rkup, hrl1
| monster in his way. d. " Perrin had several pens
| of Berkshire hogs aud pigs on exhibition, nine
| teen hogs and pigs in all Mr.. Perrin has taken
great Interest in hogs and keeps none hut the
very best. Samuel Perrin had some fine Cotswold
| and Merino sheep on exhibition. Mr.. Rhodes had
| some very fine sample 0f Merno sheep. Ballan-
tine Bros. had five pens of Cotswold sheep. The
sheep appeared to be in very good condition and
| of the best qualities. There some fine car
riage teams on exhibition and also few excellent
| stations, and your correspondent must confess
| that he did not learn whose they were.
We will leave the stockyards and stables aud
| pass iuto the floral hall, where there are many
! things formed by fair hands which represented
days and weeks, aye, mouths and years of patient
| toll. Among the curious things was quilt made
| over hundred years ago by Sarah p. Hamilton.
What scenes have been transacted since then
\ We did not think to ask for an introduction to
| the lady nd to ascertain how long it took her to
make it aud who was at the quilting bee when
| made, Martha Washington might have taken a
stitch i'll 1t, and could several OF the ladies of
| her time. Miss Daisy Brooks had mauy pieces Of
| needle work that reflected much to the credit Of
| that young lady. Susan Bidwell had many pieces
| Of needle aud head work. Miss Watts had twelve
| pieces of needle work. among which silk
| quilt of the finest work. +. l.. Greer offered
| premium of china tea set consisting OF ffty-six
| pieces TO the lady who could exhibit twelve pieces
| OF the best needle work. OF course this set the
| ladies to work at their level best aud as conse-
quence some very fine handwork was on exhibit
| bitioa. Very many thought that Miss Watts was
justly entitled to the prize account of the SUI
| perior quality of the work but Miss Bidwell got
| away with it. She had the most pieces. A patch
| quilt made by a lady over eighty was another Gu
| rosity. Among the other exhibits were: shaded
| quilt. by Mrs. Hutchcrough; chutz rug, by Mrs
| J. ID. Clayton; merchandise by +. l.. Greer; mil
| lenery, by Mrs. j. f. Dodge and Mrs Woodward ;
| scroll work, by George Higgins photographs, by
John Chambers pencil drawings by ID. A. Perrin :;
| rag carpet. by Mrs George Maker; knit counter
| paine by Kate Kingsley oil paintings by ID. 7.
| AieDauiels, of Chicago. In the foot-race in the
| afternoon John Haveril of Wyalusng took first
money aud Pat Mulroouey, second In the go-as-
you-please Frank Wanyie came of victorious.
| An attempt to get up sack-race failed for lack
of sacks. In the trotting race there were but
three entries. German Boy took first money, W.
| b. Clark's horse second aud George Diggle third.
The day closed aud all felt as il they had had a
pleasant time, Only one feature seemed bad aud
that was so many gambling Institutions