The Newtown bee., 1894-08-17
The Fall Fairs.
THE FAMOUS WATERFOWL FAIR.

THE FAMOUS WATERFOWL FAIR.
 When you see town whose inhabit- ants take deep and abiding interest in everything of a local or general nature that has tendency to help the town, and who always put the best foot fore-' most in the effort to further these inter- ests, you may safely conclude that that is a progressive town and one which is bound to grow both in size and influence and which will be spoken of iU phrases couched in respectful language by all the adjacent towns. Watertown Is not drifting with the current of time. No, on the contrary it is alert and progress
 i've and ranks among the most wide awake towns in the Nutmeg state. There are probably score of different interests, any one of which would be pcrtance. Then there are manufactur- ing industries which serve to advertise it throughout the civilized world. Though the medium of all or any of these things it is bound to be known. Like an irre- pressible small boy it is uneasy unless it is stirring things up and being heard from. But when it comes to the one, single interest that appeals to the great mass of people, not only locally, but throughout a large portion of the state, and the one for which the greater part of the people reserve a very warm place | in their hearts, your correspondent thinks it is only mildly expressing it to l say that this one thing is the Watertown fair. The annual fair is always looked forward to with delight and looked back ward at with regret by everybody. It is ! like big family reunion and might al- most be called such, for here oftentimes old friends and aequaintances meet each other and enjoy each others society for a brief, happy period for the only time during the year. It would be difficult thing to go to the fair and not see someone whom you had not seen since the fair was held last year. Here the farmers meet and greet each other with the greatest informality, exchange good natured 'chaff' and light hearted banter and uneonseiously realize that going to the fair is vertically their red letter day of the whole year. But there is SC. rious and practical side to the fair, too Here the different exhibitions vie with each other in the endeavors to get first prize on their various products.
 | And that in this one line the fair is 8 mighty agent for good is an unchal
 lenged fact, for in endeavoring to out. dc each other in the various lines, because of the prizes offered, the farmers are continually experimenting to get tht best results, and thus, whether or no
 the fair gets the credit for it, it is never
 theless fact that it is potent factor 1T
 making the farmer of to-day personi
 fled affirmative to the old question
 ''Does farming pay" This year the of
 ficers of the fair are exerting themselves
 to make it a greater success than it hal
 ever yet been aud we believe they vii
 succeed. The hustling president of tn,
 association, William G. French, is hos
 in himself and the fact of his deep inter
 est in the institution augurs well for it
 future growth and popularity.
 , An important department is the cattl'
 department, which will be under thu
 superintendency of Joseph w. Atwood
 and Birdsey D. Howe, and premiums az
 gregating considerable sum are offered
 on Devons, Durhams. Jerseys, Holsteins
 Herefords, Swiss, Red Rolled, Grad
 Devons, Grade Jerseys, Grade Ayrshires
 Prizes are also offered on fat cattle ans
 stocks of cattle. Working oxen are alst
 generously recognized. s. H. Peck vii
 be superintendent of draught oxen.
 Tn the horse department, which b,
 the way is one of the big departments, in
 dications are that there will be a fin
 exhibition of stallions, trotting bret
 brood mares and colts for all work, fam
 fly horses and Percheron Norman horses
 It is expected that there will be som
 good trotting this year. A purse of $10
 in each of six classes is offered making total of $6O0 for these six classes. O. ;. Wednesday at 3 p. m. the .Watertowl fair fun producer will get in it's fin work. In other words the s'peg'' race for horses owned in Watertown and ad joining towns, will occur at that hou , and it will be worth the price of any : body's admission ticket to see it. Purs ), $S; $5 to first and $3 to second, unde ] the following conditions Horses to b hitched to two wheeled vehicle and whel E called upon the track to back up in lin : against the fence next to the judges { stand. At the tap of the bell every maj | is to unhitch his horse, lead him acros the track to peg assigned him and un harness him, taking every strap of. bri ile and all. He is then to harness q quickly as possible, hitch 10 his vehicl. and drive one-han mile, either on tro or run. the first driver at the wire ts