Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1882-01-12
The County Fair.

The county fair is one of the Oldest
institutions of this county. We have
traced its growth and progress until
we have found its origin almost lost in
the mildew past. Always back in the
midst of iniquity we find records of
the first county fair in the United
States. The county fair did not exact
ly come over in the Mayhower. but it
was perpetuated by the Plymouth Rock
people. 1t was projected by some of
the Mayfower passengers soon after
their arrival. The facts are as follows
they are historical facts, so we can
not vouch for them:
Some time in Ammo Domini 1760. a
man, in Maryland, named Sam John
son had a pumpkin patch. 1t was
about two acres in extent, and fenced
with cedar pickets. We are partic liar
about giving details, because this is
history. Johnson's neighbor, man by
the name of Williams-Dick Williams,
also had pumpkin patch. There was
only one acre of it, and it had stake
and rider fence around il. Dick owned
brindle dog, named Tyke. We can
not find that the dog did anything ex-
traordinary, or cut any figure in the
pumkin imbroglio. We mention him,
however, because this is history we
are writing, and history is made up of
such trifles (see ThralPs History of
Texas, for instance). Johnson found a
very large pumpkin in the southeast
corner of his patch, and Immediately
afterwards, Williams discovered a still
larger pumpkin in the northwest cor
ner Of his acre of pumpkins. Each
of them determined to beat that of the
other. Williams took the American
Agriculturalist, while Johnson sub
scribed to a grange paper and Land
reth's almanac. They read up all the
autOTities on pumpkins, and then put
their fruit under a course of treatment.
Williams used guano and phosphates
on his. Johnson by sweating, blanket
ing, and exercise, soon got his pump
kin to about equal in size the berry of
his neighbor Williams. When the
pumpkins were about ready to
drop from the tree, the respective
owners of each swore that his was the
best. They were about to quarrel,
when Johnson proposed to refer the
matter to Deacon Long-suffering Simp-
son. The deacon was unable to de-
eide, and suggested committee. The
committee failed to agree, and called a
meeting of all the colony to decide the
matter, and forever set at rest the
question as to which of the two pump
kins was the best, and the most calcu-
lated to promote and advance the inter-
est of the young AMI struggling colony.
The people met, and, after mature de-
liberation, decided that Williams
pumpkin was the largest and most nu-
tritious, and better suited for all pur-
poses for which pumpkins were in
tended, but that Johnson's pumpkin
was of the shOrt-horned variety; and,
furthermore-which was most import
anti was raised from imported seed,
seed that came from England, from
the hothouse of the Duke of Hereford,
Johnson having the pedigree of the
seed in his possession. So Johnson
was declared the victor, and had blue
ribbon nailed to the masthead of his
pumpkin. This was the origin of the
county fair. The neighbors of John
son and Williams went to raising
pumpkins, and their wives planted
rags and patches and raised a crop of
rag carpets and patchwork quilts,
which they took along with the pump
kins next year for exhibition. Then
the man with the headless rooster
came along, and the gubernatorial can
didate was put on exhibition and
made an agricultural address; other
patent windmills were exhibited, and
gradually the county fair grew and de-
veloped; but it was not until the pat
ent chuTn man, the Viii sS.e'gner
with the handorgan "a GLOW
with the blue and red BALBOA ssdne to
the front, that the county fair became
a permanent institution.
Fairs are instituted and carried on
for the encouragement of farmers
struggling with overgrown hogs, calves,
and other farm products; also that
awards of merit may be given to all
the sewing machines and piano max
ers in the country. OF late, horse races
have been added to the country fair
programme. OF course, only sinful
men, who wear horse shoe scarf pins,
60 to see the races. The superintend-
ents of county fairs desirious of cater
ing TO the prejudices and tastes of all
classes, have it so arranged that all the
good, respectable taxpayers and church
members can go over to the cattle
sheds and watch the Durham COWS
chew their cuds, while the races are
going on. To stand and look at cow
chewing her cud has always an exlIil-
Grating effect on us. We like the ex-
citement of it, but, somehow, when we
attend county fairs we are Invariably
caught in a crowd just in float of the
race track when the races dre taking
place, and cannot get odt until the
race is over. This very embarrassing
and-but we are getting away from
the historical aspect of the county
fair, and will, therefore, stop.