The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1889-07-24
NUMBER 80.

w dleTInHn were maze members. SUBJ
sequenty Colonel j. II. Lucia and w. w.
Noyes were added and Edward Baker was
made its secretary. These gentleman, after
consultation, requested General Stephen
Thomas to actas their treasurer and to give
them the support of his valuable influence
which he willingly consented to do. The
Ladies' Relief Corps was next asked to aid
in the work, and that organization, true
and faithful to its principles, readily and
faithfully responded to the call OF the Post
and appointed cooperative committee,
whose special duty it should be to arrange
all local details. OF this committee Mrs. A.
| I. Newcomb was the chairman, and Mrs.
Jennie Bagley, president; Ellen NJ Seaver,
vice-president; Stella Burpee, treasurer
Mrs. NJ. E. Hatch, Mrs. Clara Holden, Mrs.
Jennie Howe, Mrs. Dora Felt and Mrs.
| Victoria Ordway were also members. Thus
| organized, the committee entered upon a
| work to which historical interest, it may be
hoped, will hereafter be attached. Their
| first specific
ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE FAIR
stated that it would take place on the 18th,
18th and 20th of June. Season tickets were
rated at one dollar with deduction 10 those
| who purchased six or more. Agents were
appointed in various parts of New England
and the affair was well advertised, AS
| inducements to purchasers the committee
agreed to distribute, by lot cash presents 10
| $3.50 in amount and property presents val
ued at 81 800 These presents they after
wards increased by adding ten one-hundred-
dollar cash gifts, raising the list of gifts into
a listed value of S6,615. The actual consid-
Grafton for which the purchaser bought a
| ticket was its face promise of an admission
throughout the fair. In this way, it was
said, the scheme was rescued from ile-
gality, although it tainted of lottery. But,
| as has been the case with down-state fairs
| of like character, this arrangement proved
| attractive and tickets were rapidly sold. A
week prior to the day set for the fair the
committee announced a postponement until
July 10th, 18th and 18th, 1889. Two reasons
were given for this change: many patrons
were anxious to attend the unveiling of the
Stannard monument at Burlington, on the
10th of June, and several agents in the
| larger towns and cities requested more time
in which to dispose of tickets.
THE FAIR.
The fair actually opened, as per the sec
| ond announcement, on the afternoon of
Tuesday, July 16 The tented pavilion was
situated on the southwest corner of the
state-house grounds. The ladies', aided by
a detail from the Post committee, were re-
sponsibe for the interior decorations and
local management. Along the sides and at
either end were booths, tastily ornamented
with draperies of flags and festoons of stars
and stripes. Long stretches of Chinese Ian
terms passed from the sides to the top of
the tent. There were also gypsy camps,
fern-clad wells, artistcally built refresh
meHt-SldllS, SHOOJlDR-Hdllery anu
dining-room. Beneath the green lawn
offset the gray above, and between the red,
white and blue of many flags commingled
their pleasing colors. In the center board
platform stood and in front the available
space was occupied by chairs for the visitors.
III by night, as proved to be the case, the
great tent could not conveniently receive
all who came, by day, at least, it was a
pleasure to visit the fair and to watch the
children, in their holiday attire, hold high
rratx val v,,I IL. IL.
fancy, apron and bon-bon tables were
Mrs. Stella Burpee Mrs. L. c.. Curran and
Mrs. Genie Taplin. Mrs. Alice Hunt pre-
sided in the fruit BOOTH Miss Helen Bur-
pee, in charming costume enacted Rebecca
at the well. A quaint conceit, too, was the
cold lady who lived in shoe" Here was
the shoe, with its hundred babies of all ages
and dispositions, whom the old lady Miss
Eva BancrofD, strange to say, willingly
parted with for a small consideration Mrs.
Ella Foster impersonated Spanish gypsy
and Mrs. Cook was constantly occupied with
telling fortunes. Mrs. Bagley had charge
of the ice-cream department and Mrs. Bun
nell superintended the fair hotel. And there
were other prizes for the fortunate-a silver
ice-pitcher, silver tea-set china dinner
set, gold watch, a bronze lamp and silver
cake basket. Mrs. H. r. Bixby, aided by a
competent force, disposed of chances upon
the articles, which were much admired.
Admirable music was furnished by
rill, Jr., leader. The tent was lighted by
two arc lamps Tuesday evening, al
though it stormed long and hard, found
the tent filled with a great crowd that
patiently listened to the speakers at
the campfire. Wednesday evening was
given up to an entertaining concert
by the Montpelier military band and on
Thursday evening the most interesting
event took place. To accommodate the ex-
pected crowds the sides of the tent were
! throw and lntranpa tn la fair
had at the gates leading to the grounds.
The people filled the tent and occupied the
space about its outer circumference. There
was but little motion, and could be but little,
because of the JAM This fact undoubtedly
deprecated what would have been much
larger sale of goods upon the grounds The
drawing was opened shortly after nine.
The committee was composed of F. p.
Colby of Manchester, n. H.. Thomas Gould
| OF Bellows Falls, Il. III, Wells of Water
bury, A. j. Stone of Worcester, A. X. Carr
of Middlebury and Colonel j. Ii. Lucia of
Montpelier. Two tin wheels received the
$50 coupons and the $50 enveloped presents,
after each lot had been thoroughly shaken
in blanket. The wheels were then turned
and coupon and present envelope drawn
out by each of two children. These they
handed to the gentlemen in charge of the
! drawing, one of whom first read the num-
Der of the coupon and the name upon it and
the other the present drawn. The rest of
the committee made careful entries of the
drawing, which by everybody present was
believed to be honestly and carefully con-
Quoted. The people were highly interested
in the drawing and manifested their pleas
ure whenever some well-known party made
a strike.
1t is thought that some 1900 tickets were
sold to people of Montpelier, and the balance
was disposed of TO people in this state
and in Massachusetts, New Hampshire,
Maine and New York. OF the first $50 pres
ents forty-seven came 10 Montpelier and
these represented listed value of 81 sos.
The capital presents of $1,000 each were
drawn by Conductor George NJ Smith of
Berlin and by Mr.. Conners Boston
drummer. II. Il. Slayton, f. n. Seaver, l..
NJ. Clogston, ID. j, Bean, o. b. Cross and
Francis Daniels were among the nine Mont
pelier people, who drew 500 cash presents.
The $500 went to No, 9,130 of Springfield,
the 500 to No. 1889 of Morrsvile. The
gold watch, listed at $50, was drawn by
Lucius Goodwin, the lady's gold watch
$50, by George l.. Wade, both of Montpelier.
The parlor set, 500 in value, was drawn, it
is reported, by young man employed by
Norman Peck, and the ide-board S75, by
] IimOnaQ ha nf par oil