St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1901-12-18
A MAGNIFICENT sUCCE S.
Secretary HCGOwn's Food Fair the
Nest Successful Enterprise ever Held
in At. JOhH bury.

Secretary UCGOwn's Food Fair tn
Nest Successful Enterprise ever Hel6
in at. John bury.
The Business Mems Carnival and FooC
Fair is now thing OF the past, but il
will be long remembered as one of tht
most enlerpri,ing and enjoyable weeks
in the history of ST. Johnsbury. c. m
ing as it did so soon before Christmas
there was some doubt beforehand about
people giving up the many other leas-
ures and du les that crowd the holiday
season, because of the Food Fair but
apparently that is just what a great
many did, for the attendance every after.
noon and evening was away above ex-
pectations There was but one day,
Monday, that less than 1000 people were
in tn. hall during he afternoon and eve
ming, and most OF the week the number
was upwards OF 1900. 1t was a success
in every way, socially, financially and
also from a business point OF view, Tor
St, Joh7sbury will get more irst-class
advert sing because of this fair than
from anything OF this nature that ever
occurred here. One man alone is re
sponsibIe Tor the origin and success of
the fair, and that man is Secretary c. S
McGDwn of the Y NJ. c. A. He con
ceived the idea, formulated the plans and
laid it before the board Of directors OF
the assocla ion, 1t received their APP
prova and from that time to the close
OF the tar MIR. McGowu has not only
given his personal attention to every
thing, but has done most of the work, |
even to the minor details, himself The |
outcome Of the enterprise is a sufficient |
testimony to the ability and faithiulness
Of Secretary Meow and to him the
entire credit belongs
No one feature of the fair was more
enjoyed than the lectures and demonstra-
tons of Mss Nellie Dot Rancho and
every afternoon she was greeted by large
numbers of interested ladies and the ever
ample evidence that she pleased the pa
irons OIL the far. During all her demon.
StraliOns Miss Rancho was ably assisted
by Mrs S. J Somerville.
The various booths continued to be
centers OF attraction during the week
and if the people visited the fair for pleas
ure, the exhibitors and demonstrators
were there tor business and they lost no
opportunity to tell their patrons con
corning the excellence Of their wares.
The exhibitors were naturally much
pleased with the success OF the enterprise
and IN several instances The exhibits re-
suited In opening up new territory TOR
the sale OF their goods. As an illustra-
ton OF what was given away during the
week it may be stated that Chase and
Sanborn served on an average 16 gal
Ions coffee a day.
The ente iinments each evening were
exceile It and The size of the audiences J
was measured only by the capacity OF ,
the hall Tuesday and Friday evenings
Frank o French and his Lilputian
MlustreIs held the boards and gave the i
biggest lttle show" ever seen In town.
The company was composed Of both
boy and girls, and the statement in the
prospect US that sweet songs, Jolly Jokes, +
dainty daucts and cute cakewaIks" was T
the order OF the evinlng, describes the
show exactly. Those taking part were ,
Lloyd Gibbs, Maurice Love- ~, Arthur
Allison Johnny Straub Joe Cheney, Joe a
Moore, Alec Porter, Clarence Cogiev, Ii
Frank NJ pore, Tom Moore, Fred Moore, c
Harold Abbott, Mary Gibbs, Marion t
Smythe, Elsie Sargent, Kitty Straub, a
Myrtle Fleming Ida Christie, Mae Nc /
Cu'CheOn, Bertha German, Katie Impev c
and Lillian S~llser, Those having solo il
parts we're Mary Gibbs, Elsie Sa gent, Q
Fred Moore, Joe Cheney and Harold
Abbott. s
Mr.. French has arranged many enter
talnmeutS of this kind in the past and
his name in connection with home tai a
ent show is always a sufficient guaran. a
Tee that something good is coming, but A
he has done nothing better than the =
training OF these sweet voiced young
peop'e or this entertainment and it i, II
hoped that the Lillputian Ministries will
be heard from again, Moving PICTURES Y
also formed part OF the evenings enter
tanment. S
Wednesday evening the attraction vas P
Miss Marion Wilson OF New York and {
nothing during the week was more +,
pleasing than her readings and imp,r- .
sonatlons. She appeared Thursday and +
Friday venings ais and on all her work. +
whether 1t was grave or gay, there was |
the stamp OF tie true artist Her char
acter sketches such as the "Soulhern =.
Mountain Woman" and the Maine
Farmer, with some observations on the
caterpillar, were without doubt the best
ever seer here, and her reading Of "Iu,t
as the Sun Went Down" and selection
from In the Heart OF the Wood was.
with the exception of the work of Mrs
Jessie Eldrldge Southwick, the best that
a st. Jphnsbury audience has been ia.
yofei vi h in recent years.
Saturday night the attraction was
May Parker and her Little Plckaninies
and the large audience was delighted
with this novel entertainment. The
songs and antics Of the little negro bows
were highly amusing, Robert Evans,
baritone solpist Miss Bertha Webb, vIo-
ln1St, and Mss Parker, flute and pi,colo
so DIST, were Ill excellent and should
this combination ever visit St. Iohns.
bury az tin hey may be sure OF a warm