The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1889-09-27
THE COUNTY FAIR.

The county fair, or, as il has become
more Familiarity known, the Garden City
fair, closed Friday, and it may be
truly said closed as one of the most sue
cessful in the history of the association.
The attendance was good-above the av-
erage, in fact, and the weather could
not have been more suspicious. The
number of entries ran over 500, or July
one hundred greater than in any pre-
Vlous year. Floral hall exhibited It's
usual quantity of fancy work, fruits, pre-
serves, etc, while the grain, vegetable
and poultry display was exceptionally
good. Speaking of grain reminds the
writer that the best samples of cereals
ever shown in the state were on exhibit
ton, and the universal verdict of COM
petent judges who examined them will
corroborate the assertion. The prem
iums on wheat and oats were awarded
| to Gen. }. Ii. Baker, of Oak Cuitf farm.
| His wheat will go 62! pounds to the
"struck" bushel, while his oats weigh 400
pounds 10 the ''struck" hushel. Both
wheat and oats are free from foreign sub
stances, and are No. l. II any one can
beat this, let him eXclaim.
| The show OF stock was excellent, and
added evidence to well-known facts, that
Blue Earth county has no peel
i'll Minnesota, for fine bred cattle
and horses. To enumcrate the variety
of animals of various breeds, ages and
| kinds would occupy more space than we
crn at this time devote, but all who wit
messed the exhibits feel a personal pride
in the quantity and quality of our thor
oughbred stock. Messrs. NJ. I. Fail, G.
Ii. Piper and Il. l.. Houk w ere the largest
exhibitors i'll imported horses and cattle
while lockwood x Co.'S magniticen
herd of Holsteins created no little
comment and admiration. These gen
tlemen ali took a fair share of blue rib
bons, while the lnvincible Peter Merters
dorf comes in for his proportion of frs
premiums on good Norman colts. Mr.
. Elliot Epson, of Lake Crystal, had n
fine an exhibit of imported shropshire
Downs as ever showed up before COun
5 " fair in this country. Deacon Smith
besides his other exhibits. took mos
pride in showing up his full blood Pc
, land China hog. Judges of "pOrkers'
pronounced the specimen rs fine as wa
ever shown in these parts. Mr.. \. I
d Wilbur feels justly proud over his year
a ling and two-year old, both of whom
: took away blue ribbons. Dick louk
, though, is little the pToudest ma
among the many proud exhibitors, 70
e his Wilkes twO-year old colt was awarde
: the blue ribbon after Il very close con
: test with \. Z. Lees colt. Dicks colt
truly a picture OF equine pcriectness,an
the same may be said of Mr.. Lees.
e truth, there was little difference t
n choose between. 1t would seem tina
q both were entitled 10 the first place
We might 20 on indefinitely, hut wi
have TO desist from further partlCulAril
alton.
We take pleasure in noting that tn
7 association will be enabled to pay all OF
i hgations in full, and have a neat liul
balance remaining with which to max
- some needed improvements. The ca
n tie and horse stalls will be remove
e nearer the bank ana increased in nun
- Der; the floral hall will be doubled
capacity, and the race track widenG
Z and worked down into shape. Othe
= changes and additions will be made AN
l. there seems 10 he every reason TO bt
q lieve that the Garden City fair has com
-, 10 stay.
NOTES.
Is Gen. Baker has our thanks for gel
IS erous donation of Early Walker pot;
l. toes.
=, Dairy Commissioner Howard was col
spicuouS on the grounds, but milk ties
t ing apparatus was nan est.
Over two hundred vehicles were o
IS the grounds yesterday.
e Honest John, Mr.. Bromley's old whit
l. nag, got away with the free-for-all We
-, terdav. Time not given.
:, If our country friends think Mankat
y fair managers were wrong in letting gan
e bling fakirs on the grounds, they shoul
Z have taken in the Garden CitY fair.