The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1884-11-21
For the Ggis and IRteNgencer.
OUR COUNTY FAIR.
Its Uses and ITS Abuses.

The subject If our county Fair may be con-
sdered under two heads namely, its uses and its
abuses
Its uses are many and widely diversified, and
just here may say that we have great cause to
be proud of our Fair, as it has been pronounced,
by competent judges, one OF the best, IL not the
best in the State.
The Fair is of great benefit to the farmer. 1t
gives him opportunity To see what other farmers
raise, to note the improvement from year to year
In stock and other farm products to talk about
the best methods of farming, and by learning
what Improvement others have made to i'm
prove his own farm.
The ladies' ali enjoy the Fair, as it is for them
good chance to get new ideas about fancy work
and other household articles tn compare the diff
ferent sewing machine and organs and to look
at the fashions while they meet and talk with
The young gentleman find the Fair benefit,
or at least pleasure, because they meet 80 many
nice girls, but the girls do not think 1t any plea
sure to meet the young gentlemen. oh, no; of
The children all think the Fair an institution
second to Christmas, for where else can they have
the endless amusement Of the fiying-horses not
to mention Punch and Judy?
The sewing machine, organ and piano agents
find the Fair benefit, because they make agroat
many sales, and then 1t gives them such an excel
lent opportunity TO abuse one another-an occu-
patton which delights the soul of an agent.
The fair also promotes sociability We meet so
many friends and make new and pleasant ac-
quaintances Indeed II might be called an annual
a distance whom We are not apt to meet any
where else. For some weary, overburdened
farmers wives the Fair is the only holiday of the
year.
Wehave noted some of the uses OF the fair. Now
let US look at The abuses for they are almost as
numerous sthe benefits. The greatest abuse
and one which is a disgrace to any society, and
which seems to be growing yearly worse and
worse is the facility which is afforded for learn
ing the practice of gambling for the wheel of
fortune and other such games are nothing bet
ter than so many gambling tables. which, while
they bring little money into the treasury of
the Agricultural Society, take many dollar ut
of the pocket of the poor aborng man. and often
the last penny many poor boy has TO spend.
But that is nothing To the injury 1t does the boy
by teaching him to gamble
These gambling games and sellers of small arti-
Giles are becoming perfect nuisance. AT our
out running into some Of the former or having
patent medicines. lamp wicks, cough candy,
whistles that squeaked like pig, or balloons
that cried mamma, thrust in ones face.
Another abuse is the want of order in the
grand stand. People are allowed to crowd in
until there is not standing room. Those in front
are allowed tn stand up and those back of them
cannot get sight of the track There should be
only as many tickets sold in day as there are
made to sit down.
One garing abuse, and one which raises the
anger OF every lady In the county, is that pre-.
MUM cards are not put on articles In the ladies'
department. The ladies feel it be an insult to
every one who exhibits. Suppose. for instance.
a stranger comes from Baltimore /; he looks at the
cattle With blue and red ribbons on their horns at
the horses with the ribbons on their brides at
the chickens and other things with premium cards
attached. He goes into the exhibition hail. and
not seeing any premium cards, he asks the rea-
son, and is told-what? That cards cannot be
put on here: because the ladies will quarrel
Think of it The dear, sweet angelic little crea
lures will quarrel What an opinion the stranger
must form of the ladies of Hartford The men
can be trusted to behave themselves, but the
ladies' cannot. What a reflection, upon the
ladies'. 1t is probably the first time in the
world history where man was expected to be.
have better than woman. Instead of denying
the right to exhibit to those who have made all
the trouble, and forcing them to- keep the rules
of order, the directors allow themselves to be
ruled In this way and throw the blame on all the
lady exhibitors. This is unkind and unjust, and
we hope will be remeded In the future.
| might speek of some Improvements that
could be made about the grounds, but have
said enough, perhaps too much on the subject,
and will only add that wish all success to the
Fair. We all look forward to 1t with pleasure.
and should miss it sorely if we had to do without
the enjoyment it affords US. May the society
avoid in the future the mistakes they have made
in the past, and may it live long and prosper.