Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-09-29
Average New Highlander Visits
Them Every Year.
Everybody Goes to the County Fail
ard GIories in the Fact.
hJof,n Quill Has Been There And Tells
MI What He Saw.

the time being and takes in the annual
pumpkin show. September is usually
the month Of all months, for custom
has set its seal on this autumn month
as being the proper one out of the
whole IL for county fairs, and custom
is pretty generally observed. The
thoughtless person who neglects going
TO see these annual jack-lantern ag-
gregations will have something to re-
gret all the days of his life. Here
one sees the Old Homestead and
Way Down East" with a combination
of Josh Whitcomb and Cy Perkins
amalgamated.
Usually. Old Prob's handiwork is seen
NJ some period of the show, and when
the bin poster starts out to adorn the
barns and boards with announcements
of the coming show Old Prob COM
mcnces to gather moisture to sprinkle
the parched earth. And the white
dresses and millinery dreams stand
chance of 16 to l of getting baptized
with good old liquid dew right from
the heavens. But then, little water
now and then is a blessing, and If some
Of those fellows in the wild and woody
West who live on an alkali desert would
only send on and get couple Of county
fair bills and post them up in a con-
spicuous place, they would soon have
an inland sea on their ranch and be
obliged to build a breakWater around
their farm to keep it from being washed
away. ] watched the good-natured
crowd, the other day, as it wendell its
way toward the fair grounds. At last
the temptation was too strong for me
10 resist. so | joined the procession and
started for the big show.
All along the country road one could
see evidences of the fair. The old home
with its milk pals and profusion Of
sunfowers was deserted. The occu-
pants had all piled into the family
chariot and with a green box of lunch
under the seat and with MaZeppa in
the shafts they had turned their smil-
ing faces toward the rising sun and the
cattle snow. Everything that had
wheels was out. from the sleek looking
box buggy, rubber tired. to the ancient
old farm wagon, with its dead axle
Travelled tired. Long before we reached
the enclosure Il few choice notes strayed
our way, giving us fair warning of
what to expect inside the high board
fence. We drove up to the entrance
with IA grand flourish and glistened the
doorkeepeTs outstretched palm with a
silver quarter and found ourselves in
the arena Of Roman sports.
First we turned our attention to the
midway, with its varied attractions.
The circular amusement machine-the
merry go-round-wa doing Il land
Office business and grinding out music
in liberal quantities. The merry party
occupying the barges on perched upon
the horses backs were holding on like
1iHriI 70 inf =
straw. while the motion reminds one of
Il cross between sea-sickness and a
swing churn. But then, there is some
thing fascinating about a merry-go-
rounl that the ordinary individual can
not resist. and all day long this revou-
tonary plaything was crowded with old
and young, all learning to be rough
riders.
The next thing | bucked VI. against
was a spirit photograph gallery, where
for the small and insignificant sum of
10 cents one would receive spirit pho
tograph of their future husband or
wife. | crossed the sweet gazelle's palm
with a fractional part of a dollar and
awaited developments. She went
through several hocus-pocus move
ments that We're all Greek to me and
finally handed me what she said was
. photograph of the sweet thing who
Was destined to sew the buttons on my
shirts in the future. The machine was
little out Of focus. | judged, for the
photo 7 received was of a full-faced son
of the Emerald Isle with a luxurious
crop of spinage whskers that extend
ed from his Adams apple to his ears
and reminded one of a stub broom.
/ explained to the fair manipulation
the spirit world that possibly the spirit
had got mixed. or the machine had
slipped a cog and | had drawn the
wrong companion in the matrimonial
lottery. That l had no wish or desire
10 run n freak show in cotton tent
with bearded lady. but if this decision
was final I would accept it and him or
her and settle down in some quiet nook
and grow up with the town. The pic
ture girl. wishing to soothe my ruffled
feelings, said I could draw again but
one voyage on the sea of matrmony
was enough for me and not wishing to
tempt fate again, I firmly but politely
declined with thanks and moved on to
the next attraction, which proved to
be Reinhert's troup of British blends.
The hot air artist, who was doing the
word painting in front of the tent, in
formed me that the troupe had per-
formed before all the crowned or
cracked heads of Europe. One look at
the troupe convinced me that there We're
some rare works of art in kalsomne
and warm colors yet to be found outside
of J. p. Morgan's collection of paint
ings. | noticed that the enamel had
peeled on some of the artists, but on
the whole they were in fair. state of
preservation. ktA
ss,ssshe hot frankfurt man was another
y rsdRtnent feature Of the show. While
he peddled the frankfurters his faithful
dog watched the kennel with a dreamy,
wistful expression on his face. feeling
no doubt the loss of his brother and
realizing that next year he, too, would
come incased between two layers of
bread. The peanut man with his large.
douoie-Jointed California peanuts was
making the wellln ring with his out
cry ana spreading indigestion far and
Vice With a lavish hand. The only two
ieiofinerS L met in my travels We're the
men with the canes and the striking
machine They gave a cigar to the man
WHO could put a ring on the cane or