Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-02-21
JACKSONVILLE JoTTINGs.
Closing Days of the state Fair
Rifle Shooting and Races-Athletic
Sports Fruit Growers in Council
Various TOpics-A Post Office Mys-
tarv

VACAoONNALLk, req. IS.-tor u week this
city has been crowded with people from all
! parts Of the State and the Union. Many
were drawn hither by the State Fair and
business, while hundreds have been domiciIed
at the hotels and boarding houses for month
or more. Bay street, the business street of
the city, was crowded for hours with pedes-
| trians and vehicles surging and pressing
ahead IN their course. The expression, "New
fork is in jacksonville was frequently heard
from the lips of Northern people. Some seven
thousand people, it is estimated, came to the
faIr, ana the hotels were taxed to their ut
most capacity. Whel the hotels were filed a
general rush was made for boarding houses.
ana some OF the visitors, not as patient and
as persevering as circumstances demanded.
| became disgusted and left the citv swearing
that they would come no more.
The warm weather and crowded condition
OF the city made ii rather unpleasant
for a number who fled to the country. But
now all is calm and serene and the thousands
OF sight -seers are disappearing as RAPIDLY as
steam can take them from the metropolis of
the State.
Having previously reported the three first
days OF the fair for the readers of the NEWS,
Will now give the two concluding days
me rlne shooting was not as eagerly con-
tested for Friday as on former OccasiOnsa at the
fair. When the hour for target practice ar
rived five members of the Jacksonville Light
Infantry were all that put in an appearance,
much to the astonishment of the attendants
on the ground The shooting was done with
Springfield rifles, Off-hand, at one hundred
yard Creedmor target, at a two hundred yard
range. The best score was made by Mr.. II. W.
Lund, Jr.-lS out of possible 25-and to him
was awarded the prize-a gold medal: CITY
Marshal Tyler made the next best score I5
and he was tied by Mr.. w. j. LEngle. The
latter sent the only ball through the bull's-eve
The races were almost a failure. and was a
disappointment to the lovers of this sport and
was severely criticized by few. The horses
entered had not a world wide remit alton for.
speed or blood. The haIf-miIe dash. best two
IN three, for prize of 800, was won by Thos
McMurray's bay stallion Breeze. The second
prize T9O, was won by L; j. Parramore's bay
mare Lille. The second was a trotting race,
best three in FIVE, for a purse of 800 and $50
Ihos. McMurray's bay horse Blind Tom car
rled on the first prize of 500. A bay horse
named Stockings captured the $50 prize. Who
entered this animal none seemed to know
This was not the kind of racing to which
many were accustomed to witness at State
fairs.
The sewing machine contest Friday was ex-
citing and witnessed by large number of
spectators-seams well sewed together from
the thinnest fabric to stiff rubber betting
The incest piece of mechanism at the fair
was yclept, 1.-THE little world" and an addi-
tlOnal entrance fee of Is cents was required
to see 1t. 1t Is trpely wonderful to see the
well arranged autOmatOn figures represent
ing so many characters, operated by the same
machinery, and all moving at different times
Some OF these figures are dancing, running a
locomotive and train of cars emitting and
splitting wood, playing the fiddle, running
mills, erecting buildings, etc. Everything is
life like and is truly ''little world" within
ITSELF
Mrs. Parker, superintendent of the bread
department, furnishes the following: Fifty
three entries, premiums, handsome crockerv
by n. .. Fausler; Mrs. j. Morgan, of Green
Cove Spring, received the first premium for
bread made by an old lady OF the seven pre-
mlums offered for bread made by young ladies'
Miss II. Wilkinson, of Rockledge, Brevard
county, received the first; she is ONLY ten
years of age, and recently from Virginia;
Miss E. j. McMilliOn, of Fort Meade second
prize; Miss Tucker, of Monticello, third.
Ihe premiums Tor good horses were award
ed as follows: NJ; L. Hartridge's black pony,
prize for best saddle horse: best team of road
sters, }. II. McGinnis; best single roadster,
Thomas McMurraY.
Premiums for cotton were awarded as fol-
lows: First to L. Il. Lewis, of Bronson, for
sea island; r. p. Greene, of Leon county.
short cotton, first premium; j. Bradford, of
same county, second for short cotton. and
third to j. f. Tucker, of Monticello.
The Middle Florida counties, so prolific IN
products, sent but few exhibits, and, save few
articles from Gadsden and a small collection
from Mr.. John Bradford's Leon county farm,
there was scarcely anything.
Saturday was the last day of the fair. and
was given up to outdoor sports large
crowd attended the wrestling match between
the famous champions, Duncan c. Ross and
L. Bauer. These two men have wide world
reputation, and proved themselves worthy of
such distinction by their splendid
exhibition here on the fair
grounds The They raWerss Wers ap srPPed s6ne Of all
nl,eIl large sheet of canvas and in the hot
sun began to hug and toss each other about
as If they possessed the strength of Samson.
The first ''bOut" lasted % minutes; the second
was short, and Onthe third. call Bauer failed
to respond, and Ross was declared fhe yiot0
rOus champion at the Florida State Fair
a few minor sports, such as swinging ham
ct n fnaa ls.t.,
races, etc, closed the exposition.
The best of all, Mr.. ID. Greenleaf, President
of the Park Association, says, financially the
fair was a success, and all debts and premiums
will be promptly paid Besides this Mr..
Fausler has agreedt pay the premiums
offered by him, which he at one time declined
to do, owing to some little Misunderstanding.
Many items which might be of interest 10
some have been omitted on account of space
and time, but nothing of general interest.
The Florida Fruit Growers Associations
meetings on Friday were eXceeGinslF Inter
estng, perhaps more so than on any former
occasion. By invitation, Judge Knapp, of
HillsbOrough county, addressed the associa-
tion upon the resources of the State the most
profitable crops, etc. The cassava culture
was discussed at length. Il was agreed by
the more experienced that, with proper cultf-
walton, the plants would yield from ten to
forty pounds each, and that 3,s0Q could be
grown on an acre of land. Resolutions
were adopted requesting the State
Agricultural Bureau TO aid in
and secure delegations to these annual state
Association meetings. Also, one that oOm-
mittee prepare an address to the fruit growers
of the several counties setting forth the neees-
sity for thorough organization as the only
means of perpetuating and sustaining the
State Association. The Secretary was
directed to request all former members to re-
new their membership. The President was
requested to select subjects, and ask members
to write essays thereon, to be read at the
next annual meeting Of this association.
Afterwards the President named the follow
ing essays, and requested they be written and
read at the next annual meeting: On agIicul-
tural chemistry, DR., G.! j. kenworthy, of
Jacksonville; on peach culture, Rev. j. p.
DePass, of Archer; on pomology of Levy
county, b. A. COachman, of Bronson; on ba-
nanas, w. S. Allen, of Brevard county; on
eocOanuts, Mr.. Evans, of Myers; on grasses,
n. C. Petit, of Waldo, The present officers
of the association, by request, will hold over
until the next annual meeting.
FINAL PARAGRAPHS.
One of the great benefits of this large gath
ering the past week is the heavy sales of goods
made by our merchants, some of whom de-
clare sit beat Christmas times" consider
ably.
The boats and trains had regular bonanza
of it, and this was not confined to Florida
roads, as many came here from Georgia, South
Carolina and Tennessee.
Mr.. W. H. Pillow, the largest strawberry
dealer in this section, reports the shipment of
l,5O0 quarts this season.
The passage through Bay street Saturday
of one of the traction engines under full head
of steam created quite sensation, 1t was on
its way from the fair grounds to the Waycross
depot homeward bound to WaynesborO, Pa.
The Thespians of Jacksonville gave exhibit
tions the past week at Metropolitan Hall, and
were greeted by full houses, and all who at
tended expressed satisfaction at the perform
ances. All, except two, are amateurs.
Next week the new passenger depot Of the
Waycross Railroad here will be finished and
occupied. This road is now selling excursion
tickets to Cedar Key via the SuWannee river
route. Passengers go by rail to New Bran
ford and thence to Cedar Key by steamer.
1t is rumOred that several horses in this city
have the pink eye, This disease killed many
horses here about a year ago, But with the
number of maglcians in this city that claim to
cure all diseases this one should be nipped in
the bud instantly,
The gold medal sent out by the New York
Police Gazette for the champion wrestler was
show windows, also Ross belt with several
medals attached,
Sunday morning, when the clerks entered
the city post office, they discovered that some
twenty locked boxes lIad been broken open
during the previous night. The little doors
had been twisted until the locks yielded. OF
course no one knows what was taken from
! these boxes. The contents of some appeared
undisturbed. Never before has there been so
much complaint of bad management and in
efficiency in this public institution as
| at presentf 1t seems as if everybody
! has had some trouble about letters or papers.
! General Ledwith, having recently taken
| charge as Postmaster, was without expert
| ence, and many Of the former attaches left
| shortly after Mr.. jays removal. No one
| doubts that the new Postmaster and clerks do
| the best they can, but it really seems that mis-
| takes will occur with the present ineXperi-
| enced force. Willis Williams, a young col
| Ored man, and one of the old attaches, is said
/ to be the most ethelent man now in the office.