Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1897-10-02
THE VALLEY FAIR.

Sixteen Thousand People on the Grounds
Thursday-A Splendid Coaching Parade
Track Record Brolen-2l IA Being the
Best Time.
1t seems to be the unanimous opinion
that the Valley Fair at Brattleboro was
never better than it was this year; the
immense crowd on Thursday was a record
breaker, some 10000 or 1900 people
visiting the grounds. The displays in all
| depa, tments were unusually full and fine.
The trotting was good, the racing event
being the breaking Of the track record
Thursday afternoon by feter Turney
owned in Worcester, Mass. The time
made was 2 - IA. Among the exhibitors
of fine horse flesh appear the names of f
| G. Rand of Saxtons River and L. T. Low
ell & Son and John H. Williams of Bel
lows Falls
For the following account OF the coach
ing parade on Thursday morning we are
indebted to the Springfield Republican d
The coaching parade was perhaps the
| finest that has ever graced Valley fair
Before the head of the procession reached
the track the driving classes brought out
| some fine road horses. There were 16
entries in the single class, and it took the
judges, with DIR. N. P. Wood ef North
field at their head, some time to pick the
winner, which proved to be o. j. Pratt oil
Brattleboro. j. G. Baker was first in the
ioube driving class with pair of thor
,ughbreds. Mrs. F. G. Rand won in the
woman's driving class. She and Miss Mil
!er of Brattleboro drove pretty neck and
neck race down the stretch.
The parade formed about the common
1t the north end of the town The line
moved promptly at 10 30, pa. sing through
Vain and Canal streets to the fair grounds
The streets were gay with bunting and
flags and were lined with an enthusiastic
crowd, who applauded the special features
The line was headed by eight ''Browne'
policemen mounted on wheels. Following
the LIST regiment band came the boys bri-
gade under command of Lieut.. Haigh OF
the Estey guard. Gen. Julius j. Estey,
the chief marshal, rode next, with several
horsemen and women. The members OF
the committee rode next. l.. F. Adams
drove handsome gray horse, C. H
Thompson buckskin w. S. Pratt, who
was accompanied by L. ID Taylor, drove
a p,ir of spotted horses. H. F. Brooks.
the chairman of the committee, rode with
his wife. Following the committee was a
carriage in which rode Frederick Holbrook.
Vermonts honored war governor. He
was accompanied by Col Francis Goodhue
fh4re were nearly so floats, tally no car
RAG s. and carts in the line, which encir-
cled the hslf-mile track.
One of the special features of the
parade was the following
| State Senator L. Nelson Hastings o.
Walpole, n II , had two elegant turnouts
in the parade. Mr.. Hastings held TIL,
reins over his tour-in-hand of handsome
blacks attached to his tal.y-h upon which
were party OF Mr.. Hastings friends. The
brake was richly decorated with garlands
IF violet ribbons caught up with bows o.
the same material and knotted with large
clusters OF violets. The horses gold.
plated harness was adorned with cluster.
# violets. Mrs. Mary H. Hastings wa.
the artist who directed the decoration o
the tally-ho as she did of the .solt car ,
IN which she role with Mrs. w. S. Edgerl
OF Concord, N. II. The cart was trimmed
|