The Somerset reporter., 1906-09-27
The Great Fair.
The Annual Show of the sonerset Central
Agricultural Society in Full swing
Easily the Finest Exhibition Of Recent
Years and Undoubtedly the Mort sue
cessful Fair ever held Ia som rset


Years and Undoubtedly the Most sue
cessful Fair ever held In som rect
County.
1t was only the proper thing that the
clerk of the weather should provide an
absolutely perfect september day for
the opening of Somerset Centrafs An.
nual Fair. Lewiston, Bangor and "a
teryille have been favored with weather
entirely to their liking and it would
have been the rudest sort of discrimina-
same kind of usage. However, as every
thing is dependent upon the weather at
an agricultural show, and as this can
never be guaranteed before hand. it is
safe to say that the clear skies and gen.
tie northwest wind of tuesday morning
lifted a great load from the shoulders of
President c. Davis Miller and Secretary
Ansel Holway, a load of doubt that
they have been carrying all through
their months of preparation, for a good
fall rain storm on their opening day
would have practically brought all their
efforts to naught.
Something of the Improvements which
have been going on at the sooiety's
grounds has been told in these columns
during the last few weeks All the
changes have been made to splendid
advantage and the grounds and build
ings are now in the test shape they have
been for many day. Much as has been
done to make the grounds up to date it
is plain that much more must be accom-
plished il the annual exhibitions are to
be carried out on the scale of the pre-
sent year. By three o'clock on the
opening day every cattle shed was full
and every available foot of floor space
in the exhibition hall engaged. The
deficiency of hall space is particularly to
be regretted. Everett T. Goodrich, su-
peIintendent of hall exhibit and ground
privileges, had received letters from
many firms and individuals who wished
to come here with their exhibits but for
which no room could be provided The
Walter A. Wood, Agricultural Imple-
meut Company wished to show a COM
plete line of their farm machinery, but
az both floors of the exhibition building
would hardly have been sufficient for
their accommodation it was necessary to
write them not to come Many other
foreign exhibitors were turned down in
the same way and even when the floor
space WAS reserved for Somerset county
people, there was not room enough.
We shall give in our next issue the
awards made on products and articles
shown in the hall, and this will indicate
as accurately as possible those which ex-
celled Previous to the award of the
committee 1t is very difficult to make
comments that will do justice to the
many fine exhibits. The display of
fruit WAS very attractive. Prominent
among these were apples from the Or
chards of Chas. B.>W hite of okowhegan,
and 5. II. Beal of Cornville, both In the
Hilton Hill neighborhood, and E E.
Hurd of Madison, owner of the Pomer
low farm on the Hayden Lake road.
The Glenwood stoves and ranges formed
the largest single exhibit and made
very striking and interesting display.
S. II. Bradbury was superintendent of
the cattle department and to secure abb
solute fairness as to awards he had
arranged with the officers of the society
to secure the services of Z. Il. Robinson
of Mount Vernon, Me-, a well known
judge of neat stock. Mr. Robinson has
so little acquaintance with Somerset
county farmers that he could not be
prejudiced in favor of any one and 1t
was believed that his awards would be
tad mil loo 4 hnV u hau
we're made by a committee of three
made up of residents of the county. A
tour of the stalls was very interesting
and good judges were free to give their
opinion that the animals shown indicated
plainly that Somersets stock had i'm
proved rapidly in recent years. There
were eighty stalls of neat cattle and II
stalls of horses and colts. The total
number of head in this department must
have been over two hundred
DRAFT HORSES AND OXEN
The contests for the societys purses
for draft animals occupied the entire
afternoon and was as usual, the princi
pal attraction of the first day, While
the first pair of horses were being hitch
ed up there were plenty of comments
among the on-lookers to the effect that
they would not be able to start the drag
with its load of 5000 pounds of granite.
When these handsome grays, owned and
driven by {. Il. Gardner, covered 678
feet with their load in five minutes it was
freely predicted they would not be beat
en- but results showed this was not the
limit for the many fine teams owned in
Skowhegan and vicinity The following
Ia a Lat of the teams with their Ownprs
and the distance covered in each case:
Horses weighing not more than 2,8O0
pounds to the pair, load of 8, 900 pounds,
time limit of FIVE minutes
Weight Distance
Name of Owner. Of Horses Covered
c. II. Gardner, Skowhegan 270J lbs. 676 Il
S. L. Nay. Skowhegan. 2,6s5 754
Albert Hilton, Skowhegan, 40 776la
Lester Adams, Madison 277s SIS
Jos Chucotte, Skowhegsn, 400 81 Is
Horses weighing $500 pounds or
more, load of GAO pounds. time limit
of five Minutes: This class was ruled
to be open to horses of any weight and
some of the light pairs were entered
which had already competed in the first
drawing
Weight Distance
Name of Owner. Of horses Covered
Joseph LaCasce, SkoW hogan, $3.50 lha. IS 1t.
Lester Adams, Madison, AIS 81 slain
1t was nearly ak O'Clock when the
contests closed for draft horses and the
draft oxen had to wait until Wednesday
forenoon at eleven o'clock, The result
was as follows:
Heavy class, grit feet, inches and
over, Roscoe Bigelow, Skowhegan, lst;