Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1900-08-31
56TH ANNUAL FAIR.
COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY
SCORES ANOTHER SUCCESS.

Rival Merchants Make Beautiful Dis
plays in Floral Hall - Races Hurt by
Rain on Wednesday.
The fifty-siXth annual fair of the AddI-
son County Agricultural society closed
last evening. With the exception of a
heavy shower Wednesday afternoon,
which, though lasting but short time,
suiliced to make the race course heavy
and the walking extremely bad on the
grounds, the weather was of an ideal kind
for such an occasion. AS the fair was
the first to be held in the state it attract
ed many professional visitors who later
in the season will divide themselves
among other fairs of the state. The at
tendance from the county was very good
quite up to the average of former
meetings of the association. The entries
for races were slow in coming in, but
good lists were secured for each. The
shower of Wednesday, however, COM
PEELED the abandonment of the , :27 class
trot or pace, for which there had been
nine entries.
a pleasing feature to note about this
fair was the undlminished interest shown
in the exhibits. They were fully up to
any heretofore shown and in a majority
of features considerably ahead of those
Of last year. In the live stock and pOul-
try divisions the Accommodations provided
by the society were taxed to hold all the
entries. This was especially true of the
cattle and sheep exhibits. In the form
er, fine displays as far as number is con-
cerned were made by w. F. Hammond.
W. |. Rider of Bristol in thoroughbred
Ayershires, L. +. Moore's Popular Row
Stock Farm of Shoreham in Short Horns
Parker q Sons Maple Lawn Herd of
Ayershires, Ferrisburgh. Some smaller
exhibits in the same line were choice,
Judging from the red and blue winners
badges they displayed.
Floral Hall was well filled. As was
the case last year, the exhibits of our two
enterprising furniture houses dominated
the whole show by their elabOrateuess.
In the main building 4. j. Blackmer
occupied fully fourth of the entire first
floor space with four elegantly arranged
rooms exhibiting his furniture. The dis
play WAS made in pavilion formed of
arches trimmed In yellow and white
crepe form. Two rooms were connected
by an arch-the parlOr and music room.
Every detail was covered Wall paper
appropriate to each room covered the
walls; pictures, rugs, curtains and orna-
ments were not overlooked. In the din
ing room, the table was covered with
china and cut giqss from W. II. Shell
dOn's store, the sideboard and china
-.losct being also filed from the same
stock. In the parlor was a piano, and a
three piece orchestra from TicOnderOga
furnished music ut intervals.
The effort OF Piper & Goyett was un-
precedented at the fair This firm had
erected at their own expense an entire
building connecting with Floral Hall at
the rear door. People passing through
the Hall INTO the fair grounds went
through the central hall of the Piper X
Goyett building. The hall itself was
canopied and lined on each side with
shields. busts and statuettes. Through
+ draped porteres on each side OF the hall
four rooms were displayed-a parlOI
with fireplace. library, dining room and
= bed room. In the various rooms large
parlor lamps from the stock Of G.. +
Marshall a Co. were kept aglow by
means Of electric lights within the globes
Neatly papered walls were hung witt
pictures. and costly sta.uettes further
t emhellished the interiors.
Few if any exhibitors ever before wen
} tn the expense Voluntarily assumed by
Messrs. Biackmer, and Piper n Goyett
aud the crowds about their exhibit;
testified TO the pleasure the visitors were
given
+, G.. f. Marshall a Co. showed that ever
: a grocery store might he well advertised
by an exhibit vt a fair. This firm Sc
loCted their Commonwealth coffee as
basis and in neatly arranged hooti
served this brand of berry free from two
bright nickel coffee heaters. Although
meant for sampling place, this booti
doubtless refreshed many tired fail
( visitor.
! c. G. Severance had a handsome dis
play of rustic work chairs, garden seats
flower vases. etc.
. Hunt Brothers green houses had
a booth bv themselves, exhibiting thei
= fine cut flowers and potted plants.
g The small individual exhibits In tn
y fancy work department were handsom
and numerous-too numerous for Us Z
o give names of exhibitors here. Th
q prize winners will all appear in tn
: REGISTERS list In future issue.
s Two classes of exhibits were not q
g well represented as heretofore and I'll
fact cannot be explained on any adequat
= ground We refer to the fruit and Vege
'f table department and the bread and cak
- department. Surely baking is not be
"a coming lost art in Addison county
~ Else how account for the famous dinner
this year has been good one for gaI
u den vegetables and fruits. Next year
N is to be hoped these departments wi
: have more attention.
u number of proprietary articles wer
exhibited on the grounds and in otht
st buildings, notably the DeLaval an
le United States separators, and map
1t sugar boiler.
se Last year there were a large numbt
of "fakirs" in attendance on the faI
id but this year they were here in owe
re whelmlug numbers. The diversity {
Of games they offered should have statistic
~ the most blase appetite; and IL they lie
any money in the pockets of those VIII
W find delight in trying to beat man {
his own game, the fact has not bee
ak made prominent A few of the game
were not as innocent as they should hay
80 been. While in the matter of result
,o ~, they all tended to separate the come-O