The Forrest City times., 1892-11-25
Arkansas Falrs.

| In9 holding or country Ia1rS. lt SeeIH5 { is becoming of doubtful utility, and uD- less important changes in the conduc- ti0n of these meetings take place. their object will soon be lost sight of. Fairs,
 when properly planned aud managed. are important object lessons to show
 the adaptabilty of the country to the raising of farm products; they arc arenas for noble competition and praise worthy emulation among farmers, hor- ticulturists, truck gardeners, stock raisers, poultry and bee Keepers; they are gatherings for mutual exchanges of experiences in every branch of farm- CTS life-in the functions of the kitchen, the barn-yard, the garden, and the | field. But these characteristics of the | fair are now generally only of s0cOn- dary consideration with fair manage ments. We find that the best minds among agriculturists are agreed that fairs now are not what they should be, and though they desire to restore them to their original and former usefulness there seems as vet to be no decided effort to do away with the perniciouB objectionable features which degen- crate their purposes.
 As one of the chief objections we here mentioned, that fair associations are in tho habit of offering too many high premiums upon fleet horses and | too small prizes fur the best bushels of corn, wheat, oats, or for fat hogs, Sad- dle or buggy horses, milk cows. etc., etc. Hence it is that the Sp0rtsmen l from a distance are present, while the farmer, the dairymhn, and mechanic of l the town and community are absent. Or late even the open gambling at cards and with dice, etc.. etc., has be- come common want to say that the farmers are largely to blame for the poor displays exhibited at the fair grounds and at the homes of our farmer brothers. If they would be respected and have their calling re- spected, they must show themselves, 1 their business aud manner of living to be worthy of respect, by giving the farm, the orchard, the yard, garden and house such an appearance as will com mand the admiration and respecuoof others, and the fair grounds is tho place to show tine superior quality and quantity of articles raised in the sev- eral departments of farm, orchard, etc.. and if any farmer or planter | thinks this is not good way to adyer- I Using his place 1 want to call lis at l tention to a single farm. and especially I to model housewife: On this farm, l lives Capt. J. T. McMahan and his very highly accomplished wife. At tlo recent fair ut Camden, Ark, we were
 considering what we had been able to | find for fair exhibit, and upon close
 examination it was found to be
 mainly the production of this very Ami- able and enterprising couple, who look
 to be three score years lat least the Captain does) of age. They had the haot of o,ru nafu r,auvi n a. nfIIot -00A crab-grass hay; excellent specimens Of milo maize, sorghum and ribbon cane, potatoes and vegetables too numerOus
 to name. and eighty-seyen varieties of grasses.
 These and many other things were
 found in the agricultural hall, but Mrs. McMahan escorted the commissioners to floral hall and the department where the ladies' needle work, etc, WAS on
 exhibition, and where rare and very rich feast was in store for the lndie6v
 God bless them always. Their display
 was good and very hands0me.
 I But as to Mrs. McM hans part Of 10
 could not undertake to give the num-
 Der of varieties of jams, jellies. pre-.
 serves, canned goods, etc.. but noted
 some of the flowers, tO-vit: 13 varieties
 of native ferns, 80 of geraniums. A 0t CtlflSdiltlcLuutIiS. M Ol IOtIuB0 p1onsDt 30 of begonias, 6 of water lillies. soma
 quadruple hollyhocks, 45of roses. III
 colors of tulips and hvacinths. and Of
 verbenas. Mrs. McMahan also showed
 us some exquisitely nice golden butter.
 and with many other things pair Of
 splended blankets, spun, woven and
 hemmed with her own hands during
 the war This most remarkable and
 very highly accomplished lady was left
 an orphan as we learned, with 150 ne-
 groes to manage, and was equal to the emergency, and besides obtained m
 excellent education and superior ac-
 com plishments She can don the beau-
 tiful parlor costume and perform on
 the piano, and after entertaining her
 many guests of the elite and first cir- cles of society, exchange the same for her milk gown and milk "Pidy" with : as much pride as she shows in the par
 Tor. One more thing miist say of this
 model farmers wife, she told me shq into nds going to the Worlds Fair as
 she dld to Louisville, and see that Arr
 kansas is not behind in any important
 respect, which assurance to my mind is an inspiration that we are sate, and
 now for the deduction from the fore : going
 Mrs McMahan has done and is doing what hundreds of our Arkansas ladies
 could do, for our women are invincible
 and inimitable. and our farmers can
 initiate Capt. McMahan by the hum
 dreds.--Arkansas Monthly Review. | a r4 =