Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1892-05-06
THE FARMERS ENClMPMENT
Tn MAY.

- =
In MAY.
THE NEW ASSEMBLY PARK IN THE
VALLEY.
| Correspondence of the Staunton VINDICAToR.l
| HARRIsoNBURG, May 2.-This morning
in the warm May wind and sunshine, l
gazed from a height abont a mile North of
this town, on one of the most beautiful
views in the Valley. | stood on sort of
camping ground enclosed by surrounding
mountains-the Massanutten, the Blue
Ridge. and the Aneghanies. Stretching
for miles could be seen the fields of green
wheat checkered with yellow fields alive with
men planting corn. A mile away nestled the
pretty little iowa OF Harrinsonburg and at
the foot OF the hill were long trains putting
their way over the railroad. On every side,
through fields sprinkled with violets and
buttercups, stretched the white lines of
turnpike roads losing themselves in Or
chards smothered in white cherry blossoms.
At my feet, in beautiful grove, could be
seen large buildings up ard going up, and
it is with this grove more than the beauti-
full scenery by which it is surrounded, that
have to do in this letter. For in it in
three weeks from now there will be busy
scenes. Long lines Of machinery will be
at work driven by twenty engines. Thou
sands Of farmers will be gathered there, and
the voices of such men as Senator PETER of
Kansas, Congressman Jerry Simpson Of
Kansas, and Congressman Watson of Geo.
gia. will he heard addressing the Alliance
people. Electric lights will be glittering
through the foliage of the grove. There
will be Children S day as well as Farmers
day and there will be games and swings and
base ball, and all those things which delight
little as well as children of larger growth.
| The Assembly Park has, so tosi eak, stolen
a march Oh me, as [ expect it has on most
of your readers. did not know there was
| such a place. 1t is to rival the great
resorts known as Williams Grove in Penn
| sylvania, OF Mt. Gretna in the same State
The Association which includes many
prominent gentlemen of Harrisonburg and
the Valley, was chartered by the last legis-
lature and the spot was chosen for its
natural beauty and its accessibility. The
first time 1t attracted attention was last
year when Rev. J. D. Donovan took his
Sunday school children there and when there
were more than Thousand persons on the
ground. The water supply is abundant and
two tanks to contain $4,000 gallons each to
be filled by pumps are being erected. It con-
tains twenty-five acres and the ground has
just enough slope for drainage. There Is
stretch of meadow land in front of the
beautiful oak grove. The buildings which
are going up rapidly are Machinery Hal
so by so feet, a chapel 25x40 feet and an
auditorium, capable of seating from 5000
to 1900 people. All will be finished by the
goth of this month and then The busy scene
will come.
From May 23d to May 2sth, there is to
be a Farmers Encampment and Machinery
Exhibit. / saw list Of twenty railroads
all over the country which have agreed to
make a half rate for all machinery Oh stock
which is brought here for exhibition, and
from the notifications received the quanti-
ty of both will be great. To show how ex-
hibitors are taking time by the forelock,
saw in the park an enclosure in which an
Ohio exhibitor Of trees has some forty
young ones planted and growing. At
another point 1 saw immense logs lying
on the ground ON which competitive saw
mills-and there will be many-are to show
their powers. Exhibits will be brought to
the Park on the railroad which runs at the
side of it and a siding is to be run right
into Machinery Hall. For exhibits of
stock, buildings are gong up On the edge OF
the grounds pretty much like the Staunton
Fair grounds. AS 1 have said the exhibi-
ton OF machinery begins on Monday the
23d Of May. 1t will he the largest ever
seen in the Valley. 1t is not surprising
that exhibitors all over the country are
anxious to make an impressive show of
Agricultural machinery in the heart of
such an agricultural country as this. Look
at a few figures that have compiled from
the census, of what the country surround
ing this Assembly Park produces and its
population:
Money