The daily morning journal and courier., 1897-09-16
MADISON HOLDS BIG FAIR
OPENING OF THE NEW MEMORIAL
 RArL TO ROUSE EXHIBITS.

Fakirs Not Tolerated in the Select Little Town-Day Successful In Every Way New Haven Gentleman Farmer Prize
 Winner Seven Fold-Many Notable
 Curios Shown.
 Yesterday was & gala day for the pretty little town of Madison. It's citi- zens did themselves proud with suc- cessful and we'll attended fair. All trains from early morning throughout the day coming from both directions, were well filled with fair-goers from the neighboring towns and villages. As one gentleman, who had come all the way from New Haven, expressed him. self, Tt was a good chance to say, How dye do?'" He said he liked so good an opportunity to meet old neigh bors and the acquaintances of boyhood Evidently many hundreds were of the same mind, for it was a great social occasion. When they were not going the rounds of the exhibits they were talking of their friends who had gone to Klondike or of those who for other reasons were absent.
 The day was lovely one--clear, ge- nial and bright, with just enough clouds to make very pretty sky effect out over the sound. And Madison on a clear fall day leaves nothing to be de- erred. In the morning at 10 o'clock there was a grand cavalcade up the main street of the town to the green, where the larger exhibits were placed. The procession was In two divisions, headed by J. Samuel Scranton and An son Norton, respectively. On arriva! at the green the people found number of fakirs with all the usual iimcracks and catch-penny devices on the ground. After a couple of hours of business complaints began to come in, and the town authorities ordered the fakirs to cease their operations, as the town or Madison would have none of that sort of thing. They did so with what grace they could, and packed up and left the grounds
 The best and worthiest exhibit. and veritable monument to the patriotism and public spirit of Madison's citizens, was the new Memorial hall, which has just been completed. The building is of stone and buff-colored brick, and has a tiled roof. The entrance is at the southwest corner, built out in the form of a portico surmounted by a balcony. The main story has a large and com- modious hall, finished in natural woods and oiled. The ground floor Is to be used for such purposes as that of yes terday, for G. A. R. meetings and other gatherings of public nature. All the exhibits of vegetable products, grains fruits, cookery, needlework and curios were housed in Memorial hall, and all day long until 10 o'clock last night the crowds surged in and out, inspecting the various things. Near the entrance were two showcases, one filled with a valuable delft-ware collection owned by Miss Jane Finch Bushnell, and the other containing large and priceless and numismatic and ore collections owned by Miss F. F. Nash. MT. H. J. Griswold's 107-year-old grandfather's clock tempted connoisseurs in that line, and so did the artistic golden-shell net worked by Mrs. W. E. Francis. The shells were gathered on the beach, and when strung on the net in fancy de- signs made one of the prettiest parlor decorations conceivable.
 Little Maud A. Scranton, daughter of President s. A. Scranton, had some clever fancy work to show For a nine-year-old girl it evidenced good taste and much originality. She had a large pitcher and an umbrella tile, both covered over with "crazy- work of bits of colored china, cut glass and tinted porcelain, with the puttied interstices ~s4I 5rl <J@ rs la., T some curio. Her shell and stone collec- tion was noteworthy one also. Of needlework there was an abundance, so much of it and so artistic that it would take an experienced needlewo- man and whole column of space to do it justice. Mrs. M. A. Wilcox's delft fingers fashioned two woven rugs that won first premiums. Miss Elenka N. Radoulova won two f1rsts on similar work. Miss E. F. Nash won for her self ten first premiums and great praise from the women. Miss E. B. Lee and Miss Carrie Leete were also winners The women were naturally greatly in- terested in the ladies' industrial exhib- it, where they spent hours discussing ways and means of securing such re- suits as the things on show.
 The cookery department was a sore temptation to everybody who saw it. and many hurried away from 1t to din- ner for fear their hungry eyes would cause them to purloin the tempting bis- cuits, cream cakes, custards and other delicacies. In this class Mrs. c. H. Redfield, Mrs Anson Norton, Miss Car rie Hull and Miss Carrie E. Leete were prominent winners.
 Judged by their display of cultivated flowers the ladies of Madison are cer- tainly successful and apprecistive fort culturists. Miss Alice M. Nash took two firsts with her begonias and nas- turtiums. Mrs. Ellze Scranton's floral designs pleased everybody; and all shared S. Arthur Scrantons admiration for his large rubber plant. Mrs. Radonlora also won first with her col lection of dah1ias and an exquisite hanging basket.
 While the ladies fingered about dis cussing their favorite topics on one side of the hall the men went about in groups inspecting the product of the field and the fruits of the orchard There were the usual large and extra