The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1885-10-02
Orwell Farmers Club.
ITS EIGHTEENTH ANNUAL FAIR

ITS EIGHTEENTH ANNUAL FAIR.
The 18th annual fair of the Orwell
Farmers club was, as usual, a success
this year, despite the pOstponement and
the unfavorable weather. 1t was to have
been held on Wednesday and Thursday
of last week, but Wednesday it rained
and it was decided to make Thursday the
first day But Thursday was rather
gloomy. Friday morning, however. the
skies had cleared, and nearly three thou
sand people were present. The fair was
held on the village green and the stock
exhibited on the main street. Everybody
turned out to assist, and brought with
them the best products of their farms
and factories to add to the display Or
well people are remarkable for their
hearty cooperation in any enterprise
upon which they enter, and this is the
reason their fairs are always so good.
Thursday little was done, but Friday
was filled with events. The literary ex-
ercses came OIL at 3 o'clock in the after
ternoon. when President +. NJ. Bottum
introduced Rev. 5. f. Calhoun, pastor of
the Congregational church. who address
ed the assemblage at some length and in
happy manner. He was followed by
Col. Aldace +. Walker of Rutland, who
made excellent remarks. Next Rev. w.
y. Bacon. now of Coventry, formerly for
many years pastor of the Shoreham Con-
gr gatiOnal church, spoke for some min
uteS and was heartily cheered. After the
address came the poem, written by Miss
Helen NJ. Todd. which follows:
The Poem.
1.-THE ORWELL FAIR"
Again have come September's breezy days,
~ Lea "a nd raj
Again we gather to around us gaze
And note the wonders at the Orwell fair.
Each year alternate to our fading green
The Farmer brings the products of tho soil,
With fancy stOCk-no better can be seen
The glad result OF thought, and skill, and toll
| Kind Heaven has sent us sun and copious ram;
Earth has her treasures for our good unrolld;
With joy we gather on the green again
To mark the stock, the steed, the swine, the
fold.
Where Ayrshires feed the dairy never fails;
We have the Jersey with her luscious cream
| Our Holsteins stand DER Overlooking pals
Ten noble head from Cream Hills noted farm
| McCauly drives with kind, patcrnal care
And should they from us draw the prize-nc
They drew it at the last Vermont State fair.
Ben Frankln's nimbe feet are on the ground;
The Lambert neighs, impatient for the race;
| To see ArsIos jockeys gather round,
While Miss Maud a moves on with easy pace.
Blow, buges, blow! Strike up lively strain
| The PercherOn's feet are ready for the dance
| Those are the Grays tnat said across the main
| They learned that step in far-otl, sunny France
Our Chester swine have come from far away
l know not If they're Turk, Dutch, Dane o.
They are imported I've heard some one say
They may haye squeal'd around Hottentot.
lie who has thought his sheep will bring hin
| gain
With pleasure; trace still farther back. to Spain
| Ifpeascd, trace on until, with age, he dies.
About the Hen let fewest words be said;
| We wish she'd migrate from our early corn;
| Wheneer she stands on our tomato bed
We wish that hen, or we, had meier been born
Our Grain is grain-we heap the measure high
Our fruit is OF the luscious kind;
| We deal with others as we'd be dealt by
| Our buyer always comes again we find.
Look there and see that carriage and that cart
Look yonder-zounds! what handsome, shin
| ing TIN!
Now to the hall; youl play an active part,
Maybe, before you can yourself squeeze in;
But when once there, Lehold the brilliant flow
| erS,
The paintings fine, the SATIN 'broidered DER,
| And feast the eyes in these fleet, flying hours
| On works OF art you never saw before.
Next-step below and take an easy chair
| And SIT you down to dainties always free
| To him who buys "A ticket-teast you there
BE sure to taste each dish your eyes may see.
Three decades, and little more, ago
Our farmers joined TO work with head AM
han
| To build, import, pillow, harrov, plant and sow
And thus improve stock, dwelling, seed an
| land.
| He blessed; plcnteous harvest did they reap
Som. OF that band are lying "du,t to dust"
some others recently have tall'n asleep.
o, ye who still are numbered in that band
If in your heart one dark thought rankles there
Give. ere you part the warm, traterna hand,
| And God VIII bless the Orwell Farmers FAIR.
Secretary III. ID. Branch then read tn
awards of premiums.
In the foot race for boys Master Chas
Cook won the first money; Linus Cults
second, and Tommy Laduke, third.
1t is of course impossible in the spac
at our disposal to mention all the merito
/ rious animals and articles shown. bu
some of them deserve special notice. Tn
Iolsteins from III. b. Hammond's Creal
Hill stock farm, ShOreham, attracted nc
little attention-especially the bull "Ir
dian Chief " and the COW ''Grace." OH
er fine animals among the Out-Of-tOw
exhibits were the imported Perchero
stations owned by f. a. Woodbridge O
Vergennes; f. Burge q Sons herd @
Jerseys from ShoIeham; the pair q
matched horses and the Merinos show
: by j. Il. Stickney of the same place; tn
matched pair of horses exhibited by
r q. Caswell of ShOreham. and the singl
, driver by o. w. Phelps of Ticonderogs
n. Y. o. {. Martin Of Shoreham shove
a handsome One-year-Old stallion sired b
: Mr.. Cuts Ben Franklin, and Charlie
T Smith of Sudbury had another fine on
; twO-years-old. from the same noted sir,
Stephen Root of Benson had eXceler
young horses sired by "Gen. Arthur.
There was a notably good exhibit of sir
gle drivers-COl. w. b. Wright shown
a three; c. f Bush, one; Julius STAG
I of Benson, one; James Meachan
one, and also ladies' driver which Mr.
n Meacham handled in good style. Time
r.. thy Larrabee had an exceptionally exec
Il lent pair of "Aristos" mares. Two note
n stations, followed by numerous repr
sentatives of their stock, were shown G