Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-09-23
READFIELD FAIR.
The 71st Annual for the Old
Kennebec Society.
Perfect Weather and Fine Exhibits for
The Opening Day.
Mt. Vernons Oxen-The Pulling
Races, Today-Notes.

Ecadfeld, Ne, Sept. 22.-(SpeciaD.-
The opening day of the list annual
fair Of the Kennebec County Agricul-
tural Society left nothing to be de-
sired in the way of attendance or eS-
hibts or anything that makes a sue
cess. This good old fair which has
passed the three score and ten mark,
is the oldest in the State, and it is not
known that any in the country has had
Il longer continuous existence. 1t
doesn't pretend to be Il "World'S fair"
but it is always II clean show and the
people of half a dozen towns gather
here in Il body, each fall, for grand
good reunion, bringing their best stock
and the products of their farms. No
fair grounds has a finer location.
with the pretty village of Readfield
Corner close at hand, forest back
ground on one hand and a view down
over Lake Maranacook on the ether
its location adds much to its attrac
tivcrless. 1t may be that sometime the
fair will be moved to Winthrop or to
Waterville, for the sake of the larger
crowds which trolley connections
would give but this week it is doing
business where it has done it So sue
cessfuliy for 10 years, and the thous
ands in attendance feel that every
thing is about right as it is.
The Kennebec fair is one that clings
to the 'cattle show" idea and the open
ing day is devoted almost wholly tt
cattle. This doesn't draw the crowd as
theFraccs doion the two following days
but it is nevertheless a most commend
able and attractive feature. The
weather, today, has been ideal, and the
crowd has been large for the opening
day--not a record breaking crowd.
but good substantial one, very salts
factory to the management. And how
the big oxen did come down over tbs
dusty roads from the hills of Mt. Yer
on, 1t was the best exhibit of cattle
particularly of oxen and steers, seer
here for many years, and Mt. Vernon
contributed about as many of them as
did Eeadficld, Fayette, Belgrade, oak
land. Winthrop, Monmouth and tn,
other towns combined. 1t was Il fine
sight for the man who has been worry
ing about the decreasing number OF
oxen in Maine Superintendent Swift
of the cattle department told the Jour
MI man that there We're between 40j
and 500 cattle on the grounds The
dairy exhibit WAS Also particularly
strong, since there are good dairy
towns of this section, and few State
fairs have had better exhibits of oxen
and steers. There We're but few sheer
and swine and not a large poultry ex-
hibit though in this the quality was eX-
ccllent.
one of the first men on the grounds
and one of those who made day of it
young as the next man, was Judgs
Emery q. Bean of Readfeld. who WAS
president of the assoc ation over half
Il century ago. and who was an Officer
as long ago as 1870. Other eX-presi-
dents of the fair noticed in the CROWD
were Nj. F. Norcross of Winthrop
Moses Jones of Fayette. John +. Brain
ard of Winthrop. l.. f.. Hunton o.
Ncndfo,d. T.. ]. Gilman of Mt. Vernon.
and j Henry Moore of Winthrop, the
y,
his WIFE and daughter in the sccrc-
taryS office. We're about the busiest
people on the grounds. Il. F. Maxim OF
Wayne. drove over with the veteran
trotter paystroak. now 26 years old
and the horse which did the remark
able tick of winning three races al
one fair here. about is years ago. With
| Mr.. Maxim came Charles Crosby age
! IS. who was probably the oldest man
present for the day. And SO they came
| from all directions. and tomorrow there
| will b. more of them and more ladies
| in the crowd.
The cattle pens were the main at
| traction of the forenoon. and as the
| formal representative wandered among
| them he took Il few notes. One of The
first and finest strings of oxen wa:
| that of T.. A. Robinson of Mt. Vernon
some animals all of them, and wei
| worthy the admiration they Won. II,
| had left three pairs at home, too. on'
! of them. Il pair which won prizes Il
| both Bangor and Lewiston, being toe
| lame to travel the long distance. II
stalls near by these were the hand
some Durhalns of +. a. Dolloff of Mt
| Vernon. and the Giles herd of Here
! fords from Fayette, both of these herd
coming in for the blue ribbons. TIL
| Gordon herd of Jerseys and Herefords
10 strong, from Mt Vernon, was ais