The Newtown bee., 1890-07-11
FRIDAY, JULY il, 1890.
SOUTHPORT.
rnE onrAr ENcAMrMENr.

hio NVA1 VI ah1 LII New York or New England, no greater In size than Southport, could have achieved so noteworthy, satisfactory and In every way pleasing success as that which was scored by the Pequot council and the Sasquanaug encampment at their mammoth fair at Southport, during the week ending Saturday, July 5. But then no other village has such friend at court, such power behind the throne, as has Southport in the person of George B. Bunnell, second only to Barnum us a prince of showmen; for, though unfor- tunately not resident of Southport, he Is SO near that he takes deep interest in all that concerns the village and it's well fare. Nor can rival villages show such energetic, enterprising and thoroughly successful pushers as Lawyers Howard
 N. Wakeman and F.. Livingstone Wells, chairman and principal member of the committee on advertising. But, while
 giving these the praise they merit, the
 hundreds of others on every committee
 should receive highest honorable mention
 for without concerted action on the part
 of all the results accomplished would
 have been impossible. And the ladies' they worked as earnestly and as success fully as the gentlemen. The officers,
 committees and attendants at the booths
 have long since been published in the BEE and the program as previously an-
 nounced was carried out in detail
 throughout the week. The absence of the Indian village was cause of much
 regret, but the Indians couldn't be had. However, there was such an abundance of good things to see and hear that the absence was scarcely noticed by some. The entire grounds of the school had been enclosed by a high board fence, through whose gates one could pass only upon payment of q dime or it's equiva- lent. Once inside, the visitor paused to admire the display of having and gener- al agricultural tools from c. O. Jelliffe x Co. and the fire engine which Nellis II. Sherwood of Mill hill has built on q plan entirely different from that in use at the great steam fire engine factories, though each Is equally adapted to it's work. Often the hall was the next ob- Iective point. After climbing the steps, the lnquisitive visitor found himself in the school rooms, occupied now by the phrenologist (who merely smiled and moved away with deprecating bow If the visitor responded to an invitation to have his head chronological by the sim- w4In xv1a
 CT and''-by the Punch and Judy show,
 the wax flower maker and the phono- graph. Ascending to the upper floor, the visitor was again confronted by a sturdy sentinel whose stern frown he quickly appeased with the all powerful
 dime. Here was, to many, the most in- teresting part of the whole, the Japan csc village. Satsuma and other Japan csc ware was exposed for sale on the left of the entrance, while, step further, was the potter with his clay and wheel, modelling vases and jars with few rapid turns of the wheel and dextrous touches of his hands. These articles hardened in a few minutes and found ready sale. His neighbor was supplied with q stock of bamboos aud amused the onlookers by the skill and speed with which he carved quaint Japanese faces on the handles of canes, or ornamented bewildering com bination of cane, fishing rod and various other articles. The Japanese metal worker excited perhaps the most inter- est. With few blows of an odd looking hammer, he would beat n dime or some less current coin of the realm into a ring or almost any shape, favorite being an owl perched with judicial wisdom on the lower horn of a crescent moon. Near the center of the hall stood the booth guarded by the only lady of the Japan csc village, who sold articles of Japanese bric-a-brac. Between her and the en- trance was the artist, who, with q broad brush such as American artists would be apt to laugh to scorn, painted portraits and other scenes, with all the astonish- ing rapidlty and fidelity to detail that distinguishes the Japs. All these wore their native costumes, but when, after the hall was deserted for the night, they assumed European dress, their manner showed them perfectly at ease. They occupied about half of Washington hall the rest was filled with seats for the per. formances of the Sanford girls orchestra. At every appearance, the hall was so crowded that standing room was at a premium. The members of the orches- tra acquitted themselves we'll and receiv- cd hearty applause and eneores. Besides vocal music, they gave selections on the plano, cello, violin, cornet, harp, picco- lo, banjo, mandolin and other instru- ments. Reaching open air again, the vis- itor would very likely peer into the res taurant in the basement of the building, then would be sure to go in and partake heartily of the delicious viands provided. Emerging, he would pass by the tempta- tIons of temperance drinks and ice cream and cake, to enter the confectionery and flower booth, to listen in delighted sur prise to the excellent music of the South port cornet band, or join the throng of dancers on the pavilion, where the entic- ing strains of the Southport orchestra and the tlreless voice of prompter Bon ney drew him into the mazy whirl ere he was fairly aware of 1t. After a few sets
 ice cream would be in order and the vis- itor would wander about the grounds munchlng peanuts. He did not fail tc be ready for the Japanese day fireworks
 or for the,evening's display of more fa
 miliar but hardly less pleasing pyrotech nics. He watched the feats of strength