The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1898-09-10

For the eighteenth annual time the gates
of the Elkton Fair Grounds were thrown
open this week on Tuesday, Wednesday,
THURSDAY and Friday, and the people Of
count the threads in embroidered squares,
place their confidence in horses on the
track, ride on the merry 20 round, tickle
the pigs under the chin, tear feathers out
of ducks and chickens, get dusty and rel
ish '.circus' lemonade, walk here and
there criticising everything within eye
scope in-all Take day off and go home
tired but gloriously satisfied.
A county fair cannot be taken seriously.
There is nothing serious a1olt it, it is so
as you please, unrestrained, jolly crowd
and any restriction is intolerable.
Visitors to Elkton this week, unless
theT were too critical, found enough to
amuse them fairly well on the Fair Grounds
but, of course, there were many who made
a disparaging comparison between the
eNGUb lUlS NGth Nlph Niiht IL was III NthlS
gone by. The farmers OF the county, who
in the time of the late Arthur Mitchell
were wont to get up with the break of day
on Tuesday of fair week and load down
their strongest teams with things to take
to Elk" are now content to let some other
people take the things, and themselves
read about the Fair in the CECIL WIG or
some other county paper. But, unfortu-
nately, others are not taking their places,
the testimony of the Fair of 1897, in point
ing out that interest in the local exhibit
ton is on the wane among the agricultu-
rists.
While it is true that there were many
creditaple exhibits, yet with the exception
of two or three departments, in point OF
numbers the displays this year were hardly
a corporal's guard compared with former
years, and the fact is not to be hidden or
covered over with glaring exaggerations On
the part Of the press.
And this lack Of interest as to the dis
plays naturally exerted depressing in.
fluence on all other features, and the far
mer with his family who this week staid
at home left many one without the gates
who could have contributed much to the
prosperity of the affair aud added to the
enthusiasm.
This year trotting races were held on
the three last days-the first day being in
tended solely for the delight Of the farmers
But the attractions on Tuesday brought
out an attendance of less than 300, the
greater number being children who were
admitted free. The attendance on We'd
nesday was less than 500. The number
reached $500 on Thursday and about 2000
on Friday. Outside of the racing balloon
ascensions were special attraction.
The chief attraction in the Farm Produce
department was the large exhibit by the
Progressive Farmers Club, OF New Jersey,
which occupied about one-quarter Of the
entire Mitchell Hall. and which exhibit
contained over 1900 different articles 1t
consisted Of forty-six different varites Of
squashes forty-four varieties Of pumpkins,
the largest of which weighed seventy-fve
pounds; twenty varieties of watermelons,
and one Of which weighed sixty-five pounds
thirteen varieties Of citrons; two varieties
OF onions, eleven varieties of sweet potatoes
fifty varieties of tomatoes, twenty-f five
varieties OF grapes, fifteen varieties OF
peaches, five OF nuts, two Of ounces, one
of pawpaws, one Of persimmons, sixty
three Of pears, eighty Of canned goods, one
hundred Of seeds in jars, 105 OF potatoes,
four of cucumbers, eighty-fve Of grasses,
three Of wheat in sheaf, two of oats in
sheaf, thirteen Of CORD, one Of rhubarb and
1,500 varieties of dahlias.
AS usual, Mitchell Hall was the objec-
tive point for all visitors on the gounds, as
in this handsome and spacious building
were located the Fancy, Household, Art,
Floral Fruit and Farm Produce depart
ments. In the Farm Produce and Fruit
department. the display centered in the ex-
hibit Of the Progressive Farmers Club, OF
New Jersey, and which as stated above
was unusually attractive. The most