Semi-weekly Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1897-1901, 1901-09-28

| never WIS lnere ldlT III tile
United States equal to this in point
of attrsctiveness, instructiveneSs and
good conduct "
Never saw anything like it-never
so handsome an exhibition of people
and all else all ths way round. "
These are the expressions of Ii K e
Watson of New York, former proprie-
tor of the Forest Park farm at
Brandon, and of Gen J G McCul-
Tough ofBennington, the neat govern
or of Vermont They are only samples
of the expressions heard on every side
from men of good judgment and wide
observation. For instance Chas Will
Hanson of Middlebury who has seen
many of them, says he never saw a
cattle department like that of the
Valley Fair any.here in New Eng
land, and II o Aldrich of Boston,
native of Guilford. who is certainly a
good judge of such things if anybody
is, says the Agricultural hall show
may we'll be called a marvel.
These are the regular expressions
about the Valley Fair growing more
emphatic every year because the facts
, compel it.
The underlying principle of the fair
and its management is and has always
been Improvement of everything that
grows or is raised on the farm With
amusement as ar incident and favor.
And we of Brattleboro have right
to be proud of the way the ideal has
been wrought out and gratitied at the
influence it has had on our agricul-
ture, which any comparison OF the
thiogs and ways of today with those
of 16 years sgo will easily show. And
the readiness of the people to support
good thing has been amply demon
strated.
The 10th annual exhibition of the
Valley Fair association Wedue sday
and Thursday was another big sue
cess. The total attendance was in
the neighborhood of $4,000 represent
iug some 10000 full tickets sgainst
l5, 900 last year after counting out
the employees participants in the pa
rade and children ut half price. The
sales on the first day were about |
5000. little less than last year and
on the second l5,000,a little more, SO
that the total is probably bit
ahead of last year. The grand stand
Thursday wgs sold out in 30 minutes
and Wednesday it was little better
than last year. AS near as can be
calculated now there will be net
profit of some 1920, the receipts, in
cluding entrance money going above
sll, ,0OO-against $4,000 last year in
and expenses totallipg some $4,000.
Excursion trains Thursday brought
in $3.50 people-l2O6 by the extra
from Windsor, 520 from Greenfield,
500 from Keene, 685 from Palmer,
1io0 from Springfield, 700 more from
the north and 2S6 and 50 by two
trains from the narrow gauge.
In quality of course the show must
vary in parts in different years. But
never before was it one of so even
merit throughout. There were many
berts of cattle and the total number
on the grounds wes orly 453 agair st
a little over 500 last year, There were
not so many here's and the represen-
tation of Jerseys IVES light except
from the Guilford Sprirgs fsrr. and
thers were few Ayrshir' hut the
Durhams. Devons, Holsteins, Here
fords, Guernssys and Normardys--of
which u were importstious within
the psst year were superbly repre- sent
ed by some PanA - erican prize ami
mails while the display of big oxen
was up to the historic standard of
the Valley Fair. There we're scarcely
any grade cattle, nearly all being
breds.
The sheep pens contained 2l6 animals
against 1s5 last year and of swine
thers we're % sgdiust 81 last year.
The pig show was the best in many
years aud that of sheep was good.
The show of horses while not SO
large locally ss is TO be wished, was
most interesting and we'll worth
10 its illustration of Mr.
webb's idea of crossing hackneys with
native mares for the production of
large and handsome aud hardy an