The Iola register., 1883-01-26
n. Fairs Of Leipsic.

Nc " A<SAkSASe
The great feature of Leipsic which is
of interest, is the fair, which Is held twice
wear, spring and fall, the autumn ses-
sion being the most important. Ittrans-
forms the busy city into a most pic.
turesque place. more picturesque than
beautiful. From $4,000 to 10000
strangers attend these fairs. The vast
space in front of the principal theater,
occupying three squares in length. q
space fully half mile long by three
eighths wide. is given over to booths
canvas-covered affairs set up in rows with
a little avenue between them. and tull OF
goods Of every conceivable quality and
kind.
Manufacturers from every part of Eu.
rope bring theirgoods 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 manufactur-
ers from abroad, whose goods require
better shelter and facilities for display
than 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 that pro-
duce furs, woolen goods from every
country that produces wool, cotton from
England, India and America; jewelry
from Germany and France, watches from
Switzerland, silks from Belgium and
Switzerland, and laces from Brussels,
boots and shoes from everywhere, iron
mongery and cutlery from Birmingham
and Sheffield, sewing machines and pi-
amos from America-everything, 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 corkscrew ringlets, you see the
Turk with his red fez and sash, the Ar
menian besashed and clad in various
colors, the Greek, 1.-THE and active, the
heavy German who runs a little store
somewhere and never sees the outside
world except on these occasions, the
English dealer in continental manufac-
lures, and the French ditto. the Russian,
fur-clad and very heavy and stolid, the
side by side with the dapper
of Vienna, and the Hungarian
the slight built Partisan,
The hotels are crowded and the cafes.
restaurants and beer halls swarm with
men of all races, all countries and all
One Street is devoted almost entirely
TO furs, Leipsic being one of the great
fur markets of the world, the annual
sales amounting to f1,000. 900 sterling a
year. The sellers occupy every avail
sble inch of space on Breille Street
Turing the fair. even the doorways being
'ented for their displays. Everything in
he way of furs worn is exhibited, and
here are miles of unmanufactured skins
If every ur-bearing animal in the world.
md the familiar smell of the skunk was
lot entirely wanting.
The contest between the buyers and |
ellers wax warm. and on every side You
lear the loudest kind of talk A skirmish |
'etween Polish jew and a Greek. both
( whom are said, in Germany, to be in
apable of speaking truth, is worth going
0 LeipSic to witness,
Once upon time a minister who had
married. a second wife decided to preach |
sermon againstintemperance, to which
is new wife objected, because there
Vere two distillers in his congregation.
eeing the point he proposed sermon
gainst avarice.
with Deacon Smith and Deacon Jones
4 front of your' replied the wife. "Whv,
will know it was leveled at
hem." .-.-.. .r. -.. -.. .-
"What shall I preach against then?"
sked the domino.
"Whack away at the jews" answered
is practical help-meet, "there isn't one
4 the church" f."
"As there are no Greeks in the United
tates, it is entirely safe to make the re-
lark about their untruthfulness.
The wants of these transient buyers
nd sellers in the matter of eating and
are well considered. There
re long rows of booths with some sort
t cooking stoves, presided over by
generally aged, who. for very
mall consideration, furnish the omni.
resent sausage and sauer-kraut, the
moked herring and eel, and the other
ishes of the kind which satisfies not
My the hunger of the continental Eu-
opean, but pleases his palate. There
re booths which make a specially each
f dishes for the Italians, Turks and Bull
,arians, and one Russian eating estab-
shment of this kind did fiourishing
usiness with the cold cucumber soup of
nat country. Whether business was
ull or brisk with the merchants. the
ating booths did rushing trade from
arly in the morning till late at night.
At night, when these streets of can
stores are all lighted up the
,ene is as picturesque as could be
nagined. The many-colored cloths re-
ected as many colors of light; the
of people passing and repass-
lg, now in light and now in shadow,
le long lines of light crossing and re-
'ossing each other; the amusement
ooths all brilliantly lighted. taken all
all was a gorgeous and very pleasing
ght.