Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1882-09-12
OPENING DAY
Bad Weather Postpones the Races-A Fine
Exhibitions and Promising Prospects
Notes cfthe Fair and the
Separate Exhibits.

The weather has been anything but kind
TO the State fairs. Last fall the closing
days brought such copious showers Of rain
that the immense crowds Of people who
came were but q small portion OF what
might have come and the end of the fair
was a comparative failure. The spring
meeting was sadly marred by showers
which seemed to have no end, and a por-
ton of the races were had on
track heavy with mud. The present
exhibition bid fair, yesterday, to be
similarly treated, heavy shower in
the morning placing the track in such
condition that racl ng was impossible. How
ever, the storm passed over in the after
noon, though the weather was lowering
and heavy, and the sky, last night, gave in
dication Of better weather to-day. The
races were postponed, and will come off
this morning, so as not to interfere with
the regular programme for to-day.
The fair opens under the most favorable
auspices, and in spite of the backwardness
apparentr last week, is far ahead of last
years first day. Everything seemed post
poned, by exhibitors, until the last day,
and then done all at once, so that yesterday
morning found the main hall nearly ready
Tor visitors. Comparatively few of the
booths were unfinished, and OF them the
wagon portion was completed by evening,
and this morning will find everything in
readiness.
The grounds presented quite an animated
appearance, yesterday, even though the
large crowd was missing. There were
enough people to make show, and to-day
will bring the crowd. The buildings were
CAV with flags and bunting, and already
some dozens of refreshment and amuse-
| ment booths are scattered over the ground.
| The "knock.me-downs' men are there in
| force. with their confreres with other time
4 killing designs, and the visitor will find no
difficulty in disposing OF his supernuous
Conspicuously prominent, on entering
\ the enclosure IS
THE LOG CABIN.
One Of the most interesting and novel
sights in the grounds is the log cabin
| erected in commemoration OF the Fort
Henry tradition. 1t is built substantially
of logs chunked with split sticks and
adorned with coon skins, possum hides,
muskrat and groundhog pelts, and hides
from larger animals, with plentiful inter
mingiing of squirrel skins. 4 skin canoe
of venerable appearance, which has done
duty in the sedgy lakes OF Minnesota IS
| hung up near the front entrance, while all
around it depend guns and other warlike
implements of primitive construction
ana crude formation: From pegs de-
! mend long strings Of drying
apples, but cut and hung in such manner
| as to bring tears to the eyes of the Oldest
female inhabitant. Within the cabin are
some Of the paraphernalia that decorated
| old Fort Henry and some OF the cabins OF
tradition. Mrs. Henry Brues presents the
crane that hung in the wide open fire place
before which Col. Zane toasted his famous
shins, and against which he expeCtorated
the expressed juice Of his Graveley. Near
by is the cradle in which the famous
Betty Zane was agitated to the frontier
| lullaby of her intrepid mother.
| Other equally interesting remin-
| ders Of our early history are found
at each turn, prominent among them
venerable appearing hat rack that certain
| ~ made some pretentions to the gaudy. a
| century ago, but which now would be
| hustled to the garnet or the auction rooms
| with feminine haste.
Near by is rocker upon which we read
| the legend, Rocker used by John Mcclure,
| Sr., for Is years Made in 1907"
A Bible represents the character of the
| literature of the fort, and perhaps was the
only book in il at that day, in Ohio county.
This cabin, while it is not constructed pre-
Cisely according TO 1872 rules, is still very
fair iSS2 cabin, but as it is only erected i'll
commemoration of time to
which all native Nirginians refer
with pleasure and many of our inhabitants
| look back to with genuine pride on account
| of the connection their anteCedentS had
| with the original There are in Ohio County
| and in the city Of Wheeling to-day, hun
| dredS of the descendants OF the defenders Of
| Fit Henry, many of whom will take part in
| the centennial celebration of that remarka-
! bic defense. To Judge Cranmer is due
| much of the credit of initiating the steps
necessary to the celebration of the victory
| over the Combinded white and red forces IN
| l7S2, not only by his vigorous articles in
the newspapers, but by his individual active
| effort in furtherance OF the scheme.
! Mrs. Henry BrueS has seconded every
| movement of Judge Cranmer, and to her l.
| also due whatever of success the project
! has attained at the hands of the ladies Of
| the city, Taking an active interest herself,
| she enlisted many others, and by to-day
the tangible results Of their efforts are
made apparent. In the rear of the cabin is
| a large shelter tent, which will be used as a
| sort of cuisine for the preparation of coffee
| and sandwiches, which will be served up as
part of the curiOsities of the cabin for a
| nominal sum.
The ladies who will have charge OF the
cabin are Mrs. Henry Brues, Mrs. Judge Il.
L. Cranmcr, Mrs. NJ, T. Carr,
| Mrs William H. Caldwell. the
Misses Shriyer, Mrs. DR.. George Bird, Mrs.
| \. Richardson. Mrs. DIR. J. c. Hupp, Miss
Sophie Carr Mrs. Plat. Zane, and Mrs. T. G..
Wilson. Mrs. W. II. Caldwell will person
ate Betty Zane and Mrs. Plat Zane will per-
sorate Mrs. Ebenezer Zane, while the other
ladies will appear in costumes appropriate to
the occasion represented. The occasion will
be q most happy one, and on the day of cell
ebration there should be a general Outpour.
q La nit:rnna only Of tha nitA. In Z