Morning journal and courier., 1886-09-15
THE STATE FAIR.
The Opening Day at the State Fair in NIeriden-A Most Successful Affair Tha Trnffinn i'm fha AffarnOOn.


 By dusk Monday night all the farm products, fowls, fancy work and farming implements had been placed in the rooms assigned for l them, and early yesterday morning the cattle were driven in and safely placed in their stalls and pens which lined the sides of the grounds. It was 9 o'clock before the people l started for the park, which is about one and one-haf miles from the center of the city. | Some went in 'busses and carriages and some ! on foot. By noon nearly three thousand people and three hundred carriages were in l side the park, which presented scene of hustle and confusion. Farmers ! were hurrying here and there, swinging l their long OK whips and shouting "whoa," :" | ''gee," to the many head of cattle on the | grounds, while the fakirs were disposing of | their wares amid much talk and the Meriden I band was playing-which, taken all in all, made the place lively enough and perfect bedlam to the average country boy who had ! put on his best clothes, gaily decorated the 1 pet COW with colored ribbons and driven her l to the fair. Many of the people visited the pens and viewed the cattle, while others | stood around the fakirs' stands and tried to throw rings over 8 cane, at the cost of @ penny ring. One of the principal attrac | tions which goes far towards making the fair & success are the town teams and the deco | rated carts, which on this occasion were ex- | tremely novel. The Meriden wagon, which was drawn by forty yoke of oxen ! l ors, was excellent piece of work. | The wagon was @ handsome cottage, de- signed in the Swiss style of architecture and l constructed entirely of rye, wheat and oat straw upon a substantial framework, which ! was designed and built by Amos Ives of the Southeast district. The front gable bore the legend "Meriden Grange" and upon the rear one, traced in evergreen, were the in- itials of the Grange association, "P. O. H." The handsome porches of the cottage were tastefully trimmed with garlands and wreaths of flowers, surmouuted by American flags. Along the sides ears of corn and flow CTS were arranged in pretty designs between the windows, which were draped with cur tains of netting that revealed the bevy of handsomely dressed ladieF within.
 To the Wallingford wagon were attached seventy four yoke of oxen well handled by about dozen drivers. The general design was somewhat similar to that of Meriden, but there was just enough difference in hun dred little details to render it very difficult to say which was the handsomer when they stood side by side. The every day appear ance of the large farm wagon was concealed by the holiday dress, the whole being sur mounted by cottage, the walls and roof of which were built of straw. On each side bay window jutted out over the wheels lending additional beauty to the design of the structure. On one side, worked in flowers, were the words, "The soil shall give it's
 
 yield their fruit" On the gable ends were the name Of the grange and the initials of the association. The windows were draped with curtains of red, white and blue, from the shelter of which merry group of young ladies smiled upon the crowd without. On the corners and depending from the caves were hung festoons of flowers and fruit.
 The Cheshire cart was drawn by twenty seven yoke of oxen and bore a huge platform which was completely hidden by fruit and flowers; huge OK horn, made of 8 wooden frame work wound with canvas rested in the center of the platform, representing horn of plenty. On the end of the horn was a large gilt button. neatly turned from wood. The interior was filled with every imaginable variety of farm products, from the humble onion up to the purple grape. On each corner was placed a. pumpkin shell large enough to accommodate the ill-fated wife of Jack, the pumpkin eater. They contained instead handsome bouquets of flowers, while others were filled with grapes, pears, peaches, apples, etc. Between each of these the va- cant space was covered with fruits and flow CTS of all kinds and variety.
 An old fashioned farm house, built also of straw. and drawn by 30 yoke of oxen, repre- scented the handiwork of Berlin grange and it did them credit too. While not as elabor- ate as those of Wallingford and Meriden, it presented a very handsome appearance. The ends were decorated with ears of Corn, fas-
 
 spersed with garlands of flowers and fes- toons of fruit. Along the ridge pole on top was worked in flowers the words "Berlin Grange"
 The exhibition of blooded stock was an excellent one, the exhibits including large herds of Ayrshire. Holsteins, Durhams, Guernseys, Herefords and working cattle. The exhibition of sheep and swine is large one James A. Bill, of Lyme, being the chief exhibitor. Among his sheep are Cashmeres, Hampshire Downs, Shropshire Downs, Southdowns and Merinos.
 Early in the day the judges got to work and during the day the following premiums were awarded:
 Decorated carts-Cheshire Farmers club 1sts Wallingford grange, 2d; Meriden grange, Sd;
 Walter E. Case, Suffield. and s. H. Peck, Water
 Oxen six years old and overweight l, 400 and over-C; P. Gaylord, Terryvile, 1st; c. F. Hamlin, Six years eld and eveE.weight under s:4oO-H: '. Five years old weight s,sOo and oyer, C. E. Ham H n @ ! osPes EOrh { say0rd d
 Five years old, weight under :, 200, c. F. Hanlin, Evansville, 1st premium; F. S. Fosdick, North
 Twenty five pairs of oxen from one town-wal- l%ingforsd % 64 pairs' 1st premium; Meriden, ss Best 1oyoke from one town-Meridsn, 1st; Der lin, 2d.
  called on to the track for the first heat of the 800 class for purse of $250. The track was in fair condition, but the wind which blew down the track hurled clouds of dust over the people who secured seats in the grand stand, besides rendering very fast time for the horses impossible. There were seven entries in this race, but only four start ed, they being Allen G., Happy Heart, Fly and Hattie w. After several attempts to score the judges let the horses go, although the horses were pretty we'll strung out. At the turn Hattie W. took the lead with Hap py Heart second, and the other horses trying hard for third place. The horses continued in this order until on the homestretch when Happy Heart spurted and passed under the wire about neck ahead of Hattie w. in 2:39.
 Second Heath this heat Happy Heart took the lead at the start with Hattie W. second, but on the quarter she went up in the air, and before she got on her feet again all the horses had passed her with Hattie w. in the lead. At the half began running race all the horses breaking and then run ming to see who should take first. Hattie w., however, held the lead until near the dis l tance flag when she broke and Allen G. forged | ahead and passed under the wire first in 239, with Hattie w. sulky length behind.
 Third Heath this heat Hattie W. took the lead and held it until on the third quar- ter when Fly, who had been trotting in third position the last two heats, drew out and passed to the lead, which she held the remainder of the heat, winning it in 2:41, with Hattie W. second.
 Fourth Heat.-In this heat Fly took the lead and held it until the half when Happy Heart, who had been away behind the others in the last two heats, came to the front and won the heat in 2:3811S, with Fly second.
 The fifth and last heat was but repetition of the fourth, Happy Heart winning it in 2:39, with Fly second.
 SUMMARY 800 CLASS. D. E. Bingham, b m Happy Heart, of
 Southlngton :.....:.... 1w1 Allen Risk, br Allen G., of Meriden.. 8 A N. D. Baldwin, br m Fly, of Birming-
 ham: ............................ 8 s1 9 ! G. H. Frink, m Hattie w., of Hart Time, e:a9, a:s9. a:41 a:ask, a:ss.
 Gents driving horses-The starters in this l race were Dare, Star Duroc, Fleetwood, Lady l Daggett and Highland Win. The horses in l this race were attached to light road wagons l and it was very interesting and exciting l