The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-09-19
OUT AND ABOUT,

Miss AnnietJ. Wards oftSpencer sends
the following sketch of Agricultural
fairs'':-
The New England fair dates back to
the days of the Pilgrims. In the Ply
mouth ColonysRecords is the following:
1T is enacted by the court that there
shall be a maGkett kept at Plymouth
evry Thursday in September and a
faire yearly the last Wensday in May,
and to continue two days, and faire
at Duxberrow the first Wensday in Oc-
tober yeafely, andS5o continue two days
for all cattell and cornodytfes; it is or
dered: That there pe two fairies anu
ally kept at Bristol, one on the third
Wensday and Thursday in November.
"Marke of cattle: That evry mans
marke of his. cattle be brought to the
towne book where he lives and that no
man give the same but shall alter any
other bought by him and put his owne
upon them.
THAT evry house holder within the
government Shall sowe one rodd of
ground square at least with hemp and
fox yearley, and some one in evry
towne be appointed to see the same
down. and present it to the court
yearely." T. sd
To Brigadier- General Timothy Rug
giles of Hardwick we are much indebt-
ed for instituting the fairs in this vi
cinty. In 1882 he was speaker of the
house of representatives, and that year
Hardwick was distinguished above her
sister towns in the province by a fair
after the English style. This fair. un-
der the guidance Of Gen. Ruggles, be-
came very popular; so much so that ten
persons obtained special license as inn
holders during the continuance of the
oil yrn cd IAxra uaYtir0
tendent, clerk and from two to four
constables, elected at the annual town
meeting. James Aiken was superin-
tendent until 171. He was succeeded
by Thomas Robinson, who held that Of
fee during the continuance of the fair,
which ended in ITS.
When the stormy political times came
the town voted to discontinue the fair.
Notice Of these fairs was given in the
almanacs of that day. 1 find in Ma
thaniel Anes' almanac Of 1894 the first
notice against May 18th, "Hardwick
fair" also Oct. 18th, "Hardwick fair"
To Brigadier Ruggles the early agricul-
turists owed much of their success, for
the many improvements he introduced
for cultivatlng the soil, increasing their
crops Fad grating fruit trees.
He c IN from Sandwich to Hardwick
in 1852, and resided there until August
1774, where he built a beautiful and
spacious mansion, which is now de-
stroyed. Beautiful ornamental trees
and towering shrubs grew about his ex-
tensive grounds. He maintained a
deer park. where the deer roamed at
will; in his stables were thirty fine
horses and a pack of hounds Although
more than century has passed away.
one can still see traces of his skill and
wisdom about the old homestead
grounds.
Many Of Boston's society people were
entertained at the generals in regal
style; great festivties-banquets and
dances-prevailed after the hunt. Ira
dition tells Of the beautiful Bathsheba
dashing through the forest on her high
bred horse, the admiration of all the
county.
During the political conflict which
ragged so fearfully, he left his beautiful
nome and fled to Boston, with the Brit
lsn troops. The next spring he retired
TO Nova Scotia. Settled in Wilmot on
a tract of land which he commenced at
oEce TO clear and get in order, he start
ed an orchard, the first in that section
or the country. 1t was in a deep gulch
near his residence, sheltered on all sides
but the south; here he set out MANY
peach and ounce trees, graperies, rare
plants and black walnut trees. With
in year / noticed in the paper an ae-
black walnut tree in the vicinity OF his
Nova Scotia home, and there was much
wonderment on the part Of the present
generation how it came there. The
mountain near by bears his name 10
this day his only monument. Three Of
MS sons followed him into exile Some
OF their descendants are still living al
Annapolis Rev. Timothy RugEles. the
generals father. was more active In the
settlement Of Lambstown, afterward
Hardwick than any other Of the pro-
prietors; he took up 1000 acres and
did his duty as required on these lots.
The town Of Hardwick owes much TO
father and son.
The Royal Gazette of August, 1895.
says that the district in which he lived,
will long feel the benefits resulting
from his liberal exertions to advance
the agricultural interests of the prov
ince. The old loyalist lies buried in
Wilmot. near the church to which he
had contributed so much No rnonu-
ment records his name or services,
though perhaps few men have better
deserved one. L. c. Page says: "He
had eaten the kings bread, and he
would not lift up his -l1eel against him;