Western sentinel. [volume] (Winston [i.e. Winston-Salem], N.C.) 1856-1886, 1885-10-22
AT CATTLE SHOW"
A MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE
AL EXHIBITION.

An Interesting Pen Picture by a
Former Native of the Old North
| State.
Special Correspondence of ths Sentinel.
GREENFIELD, Mass, Oct. 10
"Cattle show" as the people call it,
instead of the more formal county fair,
cattle-show is here. It is a fine Oc-
tober day, clear and cool, but bright
and bracing
Early in the merning we join the
| crowd iii the streets and are soon at
Washington Hall on Main street,
| handsome three-story stone building,
which would be much more imposing
if it stood by itself instead of being
the centre only, OF aa otherwise un-
interesting brick block. We did not
visit the fair grounds. In the first
place they are over mile from the
hall i'll the second we must own we
did not specially care for the PIGS,
poultry, COWS, calves, sheep and
swine which constitute the attractions
on the grounds the first day, SO our
stcrner readers must ski ip this article
or take eur word for itzsaid to be
very good-and content themselves
with the milder glories of the hall ex-
hibit, the churns, the cheese, water
melons and worsted work OF Wash
| ington Hall. On the first floor some
tall stalks of corn probably 18 feet
attracted our attention, which was di-
rected in turn to mammoth potatoes,
smooth tomatoes, immense beets, car
rots and turnips and a hundred pound
squash. At this point we were bsset
by an aniable sewing machine man
| and an enterprising organ agent, both
of whom smiled sweetly, expatiated
on the slories of their individual in
strumcnts and gave lis some lovely adj
vertising cards. We accepted thank
fully and retreated up stairs. We
did, indeed leave the whirr of the
the sewing machines behind US, but
| another variety of organ was wailing
80 pitifully at the top of the stairs, we
stopped to look and listen. The hall
way space was occupied with spring
! beds, crowd Of people and splend-
| id display of honey, together with a
set of machinery for extracting honey
from the comb and rolling the comb
into sheets of wax all ready for the
bees to use. This was exhibited by
tall, young fellow to whom we had the
good fortune to be introduced; good
fortune, indeed bonus meltor optintus!
for he treated us to honey with his
own jack-knife, and We ate and re-
joiced for the honey was delicious.
In the main hall we find the usual
array of pickles, pears, patchwork, /,
bread, butter and bureau-covers. The
hall is crowded. Tables of fruit,
flowers and the various exhibits are
arranged entirely round it and
through the body of the room, only
comfortable aisles for promenading
being left free.
| Opposite the door were rows of pot
ted plants, "pillows" of pansies, and
asters, co!lec:i ions of wild flowers and
stiff ugly boquets of beautiful flowers.
One exception to the bouquets must
be made, violin of roses, smilax,
odorous carnations heliotrope and the
delicate strings of candy-tutt. The eff
feet was ex1uisitive. Tables of fruit
filled half the body of the hall. These
were loaded with plates of pears,
/ peaches, plums, grapes, and apples,
and prize-baskets of miscellaneous
fruit, beautifully decorated.
There was good display of oil
paintings none of which pleased us
particularly, but then we are fastidious
ON that point there was lovely paint
ing on straw mating, winter scene,
in the back ground snow-coyered
landscape, little house and orchard
night creeping on, in the foreground
bare brown tree, reft of most Of its
| limbs and OH one ice-covered branch,
two downy owls nestle close together
with an expression of supreme bird
happiness, and on the branch below
and at no great distance another owl
sullen, alone, brooding over his fate,
reckless and embittered by the hap
| pin ess he scorns to see, yet knows
without seeing, is so near.
Among number ofcrayon sketches
! were two exceeding ly fine ones; one
girls head, the subject taken from
a sketch in the Century, the other,
three horses heads, nostrils dilated,
reins starting, you see them prance,
you hear them pant.
Here and there were scattered mis-
cellancous collections Of bugs, and
beetles, tables of china aud chemists
displays. cases of jewelry, boots and
shoes, oils and paints, rugs, carpets,
dry goods and false hair.
A florist gave us some roses and We
smiled-woaleln't you? and young
merchant stole some grapes for us.
| (from gentleman friend and exhibit
4 tori and we smiled and did eat and he