New-York tribune., 1891-09-17
THE JELLY-CAKE wax.

Fxperience is popularity supposed TO Oe goou
teacher, even if it is dear one. But such ID hoO
the fact; experience is the poorest kinu VI
teacher. Men 90 on committing the same lones
that they did at the beginning OF time Nv"
wears aro a board of county fair managers iAu
an experience which should have served al lesson
FOR fair managers for the next thousand years al
least: but it didn't AT that time the managers VI
the Adams County tOhio) Fair foollshly onereu
premium for the best loaf OF salt-nslng Dreau
Two hundred women each entered loaI lor tie
prize Then the men who were judges annouhceu
tbair decision. One of them was nearly lynched
The other two escaped by hard runmng-one oi
.bem hid in a ditch and the other went up
tree. The Tribune at that time contained an ac-
count Of the unfortunate occurrence and drew
the obvious conclusion that fair managers must let
such things alone, confning their attention to
the short,horn two-yea r-old the tub of creamery
bptter and the three-minute trotting race" But
our words of warning fell on sterile soi-here are
the Sangamon County Ill) Fair managers Win
tr~uble on their hands over premium offered 1or
ielly-cake.
If the women Of Adams County, Ohio, pr1de
themselves Oh their salt-rsing bread, then are the
women of SangamOn County, Ill, almost idola-
trous of their jelly-cake There were precisely
600 cakes entered for the jelly-cake prize, Whlch
was a fine piano, by 500 different Sangamon
County women. Three men acted as Judges-three
firm, determined men, willing TO sacrifice them
selves for Sangamon County II necessary lhey
began and got safely through with 509 oil the
cakes tasting Of each one BY this time they
were exceedingly weak, but they were still alive
They then came to the last cake, large and IN
yiting looking affair made By Mrs. Sam Willett,
of Springfield The judges tasted of it and were
delighted IL was light and moist, and the crab
apple Jelly between the layers was of most de-
icions flavor. They saw nothing wrong about
IT, and unanimously awarded it the prize Of the
piano Then arose a great storm, and the com
mittee fed over into the next county. The other
800 exhibitors arose as one woman ana Loudly III
formef the ignorant committee that the alleged
ielly-cake TO which they had given the prize was
no ielly-cale at all, but deceptive combination OF
LAYERS of angels food and jelly Then Mrs. Sam
Willett rose up and replied that angels food was
cake and Jelly was Jelly, and that when combined
tbev produced ielly-cake The combat deepened
The Awarding Committee went from the next
county on up into Wisconsin, leaving the whole
question to the Board of Managers of the Fair.
This board has appointed special committee to
IA e evidence and review the action of the Award
ing Committee This work is now being done.
Demonico, of this city, has been appealed to by
telegraph lie replies, also by wire, that a cake
like Mrs Sam Wilett's may, in his opinion, be
properly classed as elly-calIe, though Jelly cakes
are not usually made that way. The returning board
is keeping the wires leading out of Sangamon in a
highly heated condition in gathering other expert
testimony II is also holding two sessions daily to
hear local testimony. What the decision will be
no one as yet can foretel. But one thing is cer-
tain-in any case there is going TO be more trouble.
Mrs Sam Willett is not woman to be trihed
with The opposing forces are strong and ag
gressive Our advice to the original committee
is 10 move on into the British Possessions. AS
for the returning board, it would do well to an
nounce it's decision from. let us say, i'io Janeiro,
or perhaps Cape Town, South Africa
There seems to be nothing more TO soy except
once more wearily to warn fair managers 10 stick
to Southdown sheep, early rose potatoes and the
ffty-yard foCt-race. But they won't do it, Next
year there will be premiums offered for twisted
doughnuts and seed cookies and the natural trouble
will follow.