The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1883-01-27
The Fairs OF Leipsic,

turesque place, more picturesque than
beautiful. From 10000 to 10000
strangers attend these fairs. The vast
space in front Of the principal theater,
occupying three squares in length. a
space fully half a mile long BY three
eigh6hs wide, is given over to lbooths-.
canvas-covered affairs set up in rows with
q little avenue between them, and full of
goods of every conceivable quality and
kind. -'-'' ''- '-t"- lists
Manufacturers from every part of Eu-
rope bring theirg goods TO these fairs. and
not only merchants, but heavy farmers,
come to lay in their years supplies.
This square is not the only part of the
city thus occupied, but booths are set up
along all the business streets, even the
alleys and passages under buildings
being thus monopolized. ~
The retailers of the city find profit in
moving their stocks out into booths for
the three weeks the fair continues, and
renting their stores to those manufacture
ers from abroad, whose goods require
better shelter and facilities for display
than a booth would give them.
1t would be much easier to enumerate
what is not offered for sale in these booths
than it would to make list of what is.
You can find anything from ships
anchor to knitting needle. There are
furs from all parts Of the world tbas.pro-
duce furs, wooden goods from every
country that produces wool, c,tton from
England, India and Ameria; jewelry
from Germany and France, watches from
Switzerland, silks from ISelgium and
Switzerland, and laces f'om Brussels,
boots and shoes from everywhere, iron
mongery and cutlery from Birmingham
and Sheffield, sewing machines and pi-
amos from America thing, in brief,
that is used either for Use or ornament.
( And the buyers! You see Jews from
Poland and Russia, with their long coats
reaching to their feet, and absurd long
hair hanging down their backs and
twisted at the side, Just in front of the
ears. into corkscrewtinglets, you see the
Turk with his red fe and sash, the Ar
menian besashed snd clad in various
colors, the Greek, 1.-The and active, the
heavy German WHO runs little store
somewhere and ipver sees the outside
world except or these occasions, the
English dealer in continental manufac-
lures, and the Fiench ditto, the Russian,
fur-clad and very heavy and stolid, the
Bohemian, side by side with the dapper
merchant of Vienna and the Hungarian
yelbowing the slight built Partisan, .i
The hotels are crowded and the cafes,
restaurants aud beer halls swarm with
men Of all races, all countries and all
conditions. ..ta-stt yW na
One street is devoted almost entirely
to furs, Leipsic being one of the great
fur markets of the world, the annual
sales amounting to 100000 sterling
year. The sellers occupy every avail
able inch Of space on Breille Street
during the fair, even the doorways being
rented for their displays. Everything in
the way of furs worn is exhibited, and
there are miles of manufactured skins
of every fur-bearing animal in the world.
Even the American coon is represented,
and the familiar smell of the skunk was
not entirely wanting.
The contest between the BUYERS and
sellers wax warm, and on every side YOU
hear the loudest kind of talk. 4 sbit1nish
between Polish Jew and a Greek. both
of whom are said, in Germany, to be in
capable of speaking truth. is worth going
to Leipsic to witness.
Once upon time minister who had
married second wife decided to preach
sermon acknowledgements, to which
his new wife objected, because there
were two distillers in his congregation.
Seeing the point he proposed Sermon
against avarice. lIuN9 mt-
WithDeaoon Smith and Deacon Jones
in front of your replied the wife. 'sWhy.
everybody will know it was leveled at
Them
"What shall Ipreach against then?"
asked the domino
''Whack away atthe jews" answered
his practical help-meet, ssthere isn't one
in the church" I.f rs et
las there are no Greeks in the United
States, it is entirely safe to make the re-
mark about their untruthfulness.
The wants of these transient BUYERS
and sellers in. the matter of eating and
drinking are well considered. There
are long rows of booths with some sort
OF cooking stoves, presided over by
women, generally aged, who, for a very
small consideration, furnish the omni.
present. sausage and sauer-kraut, the
smoked herring and eel, and the other
dishes of the kind which satisfies not
only the hunger of the continental Eu-
ropean, but pleases his palate. There
are booths which make specially each
of dishes for the Italians, Turks and Bull
garians, and one Russian eating estab-
lishment of this kind did a fiourishino
business with the cold cucumber soup Of
that country. Whether business was
dull or brisk with the merchants, the
eating booths did rushing trade from
early in the morning till late at night.
At night, when these streets of can
vas-covered stores are all lighted up the
scene is as picturesque as could be
imagined. The many-colored cloths re-
Elected as many colors of light; the
thousands of people passing and repass-
ing, now in light and now in shadow,
the long lines of light crossing and re-
crossing each other; the amusement
booths all brilliantly lighted, taken all
in all was gorgeous and very pleasing
sight. ''i. i'l7lf 2
These fairs have been held in lleipsic
for centuries, and for years were the most
important factor in the prosperity of the
city! In the oldon times, before the in
VpntiOn of thn nonn,oro;al +,,o.,a1.., "a