The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1903-11-10
THE FIRST STATE FAIR
EVER HELD AT RALEIGH
no Midway, No Fakirs. No PiCkpockets. But All Kinds
OF Fun. The ID. 0. Is. Stories of Judge
Badger and Jno. 3. Bobbitt.

terrible strussie 10 pass through. aa-
he odds w-re al again. .l u4t. T.; -
20 back TO ante bslllsn iay.. pesos- :
,reck & var clold a. .ho~a ica y
the p@ois,c@. >ky.
one o. the bet teach.r~ ever vcu: &c
uas John 3 Boeolt;. @ho came 10 TO-
city from I-oaisburg IN tie :orties. arc
opened J school or Harg~tt stree. ~
-ond the city cemetery near the old Fair
Grounds. Tie had laugh; many year ln
L~cul~burg. before coming 20 Ralesgh. arr
his fame a = teacher ., the lan(4asc-
was state vide. but - a manager Q. >
school he was = failure. lie did ~;
ttoW any OF has boys. and rarrEly eve
knew what was gong OF in the school
room. Many times ! have seen every
boy leave the building except tie boy ST
boys r%cclting Tor H. Ma % intent oH
hi> WORK he seemed 70 r. obhvlous 10 All
surroundings. Besides. he had > Way ~
leaning back against the Nail. with hI~
feet upon the rounds Of MS chair and
closing his eyes. while IGt class or the
boy (tor h generally took one boy = j
timeD. MAS on recitation and - i wao
an easy matter for all Who Wcre not
rccltIng to get out and stay out - long
a. that recitation lastc.i He was au
inveteratc cheWer &c tobacco and expes
tGratef freely. Sometime, when gerry
much Interested. he would take OF his
CID bell crown hat, and set Il down OF
Tho hearth beside ais chair and then 1
vas fun TO US boys TO see him chew his
tobacco and spit in his nat, iorgetu.E
that il was down by his sac. Bat Tor all
that, he knew all the books by heart
and would make Z follow who had not
prepared himself for recitation zee -
- 60 -, -. - ~ - hs., IL A.4ar 49,,
me BY name. When my father went 10
pay my tuition ne rald he didn't know
any such boy, but he supposed Harriet
Chs wife) did. and so ms father sett'ed
the matter with her. She kept the ac-
count all right. A instructor he had
no superior, but az he used TO say. re
didn't fool away his time on boys no
dii not try 70 learn"
While | was at school here in Raleigh
Major William F. Collins, then State
Comptroller, killed a man by pushing
him backward from the steps at the
south door OF the Capitol. l do not re-
member just how it happened, but my
recollection IS that the man who Vas
Killed was worrying Major Collins ~
following him about and so to rid him
self OF the annoyance, he pushed HIN
back, as they wore entering the south
Goor Of the Capitol, ard his head striking
a rock he was killed. Tn doctors sawed
open the head of the man and gave it a.
their opinion that death resulted from
the fall. Major Collins wa. tired TO-
murder, but the jury returned a verdIct
OF acquittal, as it was very evident he
had no idea OF doing the man any dam
age.
Speaking of murder, brings 10 my nina
the killing of John p. Smith, away back
= L A1c.Ll
a brother of the late Or. Fabius j. Hay
wood. Smith was a constable, and went
to serve a warrant on Haywood, Who
became enraged end stabbed him. He
c;ed IN a short time, but Haywood was
never arrested. 1t was said that atcr
remaining sccreted IN this city for :
while he went to Alabama and | hay,
heard that he died q few years ago.
Smith, the man ne murdered, VIZ, g QG.ei.
sort OF q man, ordinarily, but aS an Of
fcer he was overbearlng and sometime
even offensive in the discharge or ms
duties, when there was no necessity tCr
it; so much so, that It was predicted thas
somebody would sooner or later whip
him or do HIM bodily harm, winch PR
diction came true.
attended the first State Fair held at
Raleigh and IS | remember 1T now, II
" Co LIZ 49, = 04A L1'C ~
True, it was on & very small scale, but
a. far as 1t went, it was complete, for
the pumpkins, potatoes, %turnIps, Dects-
squash and cabbages grew as large then
as now, and the corn, wheat. rye ard
oats looked Just as they do now, and the
bed quilts and other feminine exhibits
were as pretty as they arc now, and /
am sure the girls OF that day have not
yet been, nor can ever be, surpassed AZ
any State Fair. So, as ! remember It.
the first Fair Raleigh ever had, was the
best one, small as 1t waS, IN comparison
with those of modern times. Midways
had not then introduced the faklrs, the
thimble riggers. the Oriental" and the
"hoochee coochees," but we had amuse-
ments thar pleased and entertained, and
nobody was alarmed about pick pockets.
for before the war that race of Light
fingered gentry, which seems to have
grown so numerous, had not located IN
this country.
In this connection It may be interest
ing to the boys to tell them about tie
ID. @. Is an organization Raleigh had
away back in the ffties. But, if the boys
have not read that inimitable book called
Don Quixote,' written BY Cervantes, I
I'm afraid they will not understand ard
appreciate this incident. But supposing
tfat tney nave READ Ion QuiAOLc, am
are familiar with its characters, / as
sumo they will know what / mean By a
Don Quixote Assocfation"-that IT was
for the purpose of giving the public .
practical demonstration of Don Ouixote'~
vagaries and Authorizations, when, as
knight Grant, he went forth TO right the
wrongs and alleviate the distress and soT-
rows Of the world. The ID. @. Is
that is. the Don Quixote Invinclbles -
made thcir first appearance on the ~streets
OF Raleigh during one Of the fairs q
the ffties. They were all dressed as
knights, wearing masks, helmets and
shields. and carrying spears or swords,
and were mounted on the poorest horses,
mules and no-horned oxen that could be
found. OF course Don Quixote was a.
the head OF the column, riding his cele-
brated steed "~Rosinante.' and, close De-
bind him came the ever faithful "Sarcto
Panza," riding that same old mule: while
at least a hundred true and loyal knight
mounted as l have above stated, made a
~ accession that would becrar dcScrlDriOu.