The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1889-08-30
..Diogenes., ON the Fair


Well, the Woodstown Fair has come and
gone, and come and gone with it the bust
ling. busy throng that less than twenty
four hours since jostled and crowded one
another in the eager pursuit of pleasure.
What an object lesson is taught in the as
semblage of such numbers as was present
at our county fair, each intent on some
particular object, this one for pleasure,
that one for rest, the other for gain, and
so on, each too not unlike the gieesome
youth, with hat in hand, chasing the wary
butterfly, which in the end is almost sure
to evade his pursuit. And thinking of th is
am reminded of the old couplet:
Lord, what shades are we,
And what shadows we pursue
There is an inspiration in looking upon
a multitude, however. One thinks of the
ambition. hope, fear, love, malice, aspir-
alton, joy, sorrow, regrets, disappoint-
ments, affection, hate, remorse, and other
emotions that fill the human breast, as a
part and parcel of those before us. No
wonder that Here's wept when his eyes
rested upon the great hosts about him, IN
| the contemplation of their many possbili-
ties and brief existence upon the stage of
action. The county Fair, successfully
continued year after year, marks an epoch
II
ulation. 1t was here that some one first
met friend, from which casual meeting.
perhaps, there originated an acquaintance
and ripened friendship that only death
shall end. Here the last public gathering
at which father was present years ago, and
here mother came on one bright Septem-
Der day to look on the ripened fruit and
| natured flowers, typical of her own de-
cay,) and from here went to her home
never again to renew her visit at county
Fair Here some little fellow rambled and
played with other children, bought his tiny
balloon, laughed as loud as the loudest,
and had such good time as only children
have, whom you now regard as an
angel walking the golden streets of the
New Jerusalem and plucking ripe fruits
from the tree of life. There are so many
persons, in fact. when one comes to think
them up, whom we have seen at the Fair
who will be seen there no more forever,
that the thought brings with it a saddened
reflection.
Then there are many other things at
county Fair to attract ones attention.
The big corn, mammoth pumpkins, tall
cereals, pretty bedquilts, pretty paintings,
agricultural implements, ducks, chickens,
geese, fine breeds of horses, swine, kline,
the big tent and the loud-moutbed fakir
at the door. These latter just take the
bakery at a Fair, | remember being pres
ent some years ago at a Woodstown Fair
when it rained. (some how it always rain
ed in the early days of the Woodstown
Fair). The accommodation for large
crowds was not so good then as now, and
as the leaden deep came heavily upon the
main canvas tent the crowd inside be-
came quite dense. Just then charlatan,
who had his stand near the entrance of the
tent, lifted up his voice and for half
hour, perhaps, in steady flow, steady rs
the rainfall, wagged his tongue and gave
forth rot. recall one of his outrageous
lies Just now. He said when young man
he was student under certain professor
--quscks are always students under some
professor, you know-and that one day in
company with the professor he went forth
to visit patient. When they reached the
home OF the sick man the doctor put on a
very wise look, felt the pulse OF the
patient, had him run his tongue as far out
of his head as possible, and then with a
few mysterious shakes of the head, grave
ly said: You've been eating oysters.
mo, no. doctor" came the feeble re-
Spouse, 81 have eaten no oysters. ''But
say you have, Numbered back old saw
bones, and after little the sick man owned
up that he had eaten lust few" After
we had left the bed chamber," continued
the Fair rainy-day orator, Il asked the
professor how he knew his patient had
been eating oysters. Know, why didn't
see the shells under the bed, was the re-
ply, and then saw through it all. Years
after this, " the quaek went on, 81 visited
a patient down with gastric fever, and
after a brief consultation, said: Young
fvah a hnr Eat
horser the ladies present said in a
chorus, throwing mp their hands, what
can the doctor means' i mean what |
say; this man has been eating horse,
and when pressed for an answer | pointed
them to a saddle under the bed"
don't know NOE how the fellow closed
up the story. but guess he was equal to ii
and got out all right. Verify he was a
liar Of whom any township might well feel
proud. DIoGENEs.