The Somerset reporter., 1907-12-26
Grange Fair Closes.
Something About the Different Depart
ments, The Usual Success Scored

OF the throngs of people who at
tended the Grange Fair, last week,
nearly everyone, whether called out
by interest in the play, "Valley
FARM, on Wednesday evening, or by
the dance on Thursday night, visited
the hall on the lower floor, where the
sale and exhibition of various articles
was conducted, and some no doubt
came solely from interest in this de-
partment. This room, usually spoken
of as the banquet hall from the fact,
that its principal use throughout the
year is for the serving of Grange
suppers, has been newly finished dur
ing the past few weeks and many who
attended the fair saw it for the first
time in its new dress. Every inch of
walls and ceiling have been done
over, and the result is very pleasing.
The colors selected for the various
parts of the work are in excellent
taste and the decorative work COM
pliments the judgment of the COM
mittee who had the matter in charge
and speaks for the ability of Harley
Annis by whom it was performed.
1t was all finished at a most oppor-
tune time, ready for the fair and for
the annual meeting of Somerset
Pomona which will occur here early
in January.
Seven separate booths were ar
ranged about the hall for the exhibit
tion and sale of merchandise for the
benefit of the fair. The first on the
right of the entrance was devoted to
fruit and displayed some fine looking
apples, potatoes. cabbages and other
farm products. The ten cent table
came next and this was handsomely
decorated with crepe paper and over
spread with canopy in the form of a
large umbrella, constructed of ma
terial in varigated colors. A much
larger booth, itself work of art in
bright colored drapery with orna-
mentation of gilt tinsel, near the table
just mentioned, and here were dis
played dainty articles of fancy work
in much too large variety to permit
of enumeration. These creations, the
work of the sisters of Skowhegan
Grange, show their proficiency i'll
fine needle work and moreover much
originality and skill in designing arti-
Giles that are both beautiful and use
full. An apron table near by dis
played variety of aprons for all
purposes from the kind that dainty
hands might be folded upon during
conversation with an afternoon caller,
to The style suited to defend the
wearer during an attack upon the
Monday morning washing. A table,
trimmed with evergreen and com
pletely canopied by the same material,
displayed tempting array of canned
fruit, and next to this was hand
somely trimmed booth for the sale
of home made candies. A booth for
the sale of pastry completes the list
and here, on table of spotless white,
with an overhead covering carrying
crepe paper napkins in ornamental
arrangement, were displayed the
most tempting collection of cakes,
pies and similar wares that have ever
been assembled by the famous cooks
of Skowhegan Grange.
All the departments were well pa
tronized and practically everything
offered for sale was closed out. The
hall was filled on Thursday evening
to witness "Valley Farm" the ad
missions yielding about one hundred
and ten dollars. Four hundred peo-
pie were OH hand to enjoy the chick
en- pie supper, Friday and from four
thirty to seven or eight O'Clock the
dining hall was a very busy place.
Later the same evening about ninety
couple participated in the dance in
the upper hall. Music for the en-
tertainment of Thursday evening,
during the serving of the chicken pie
supper and for the dancing, was
furnished by Kendall's orchestra.
The case of sweet corn offered to the
one who could come the nearest to
naming the number of beans in the
bottle, went to Mrs. Clara B. Leavitt.
The barrel of Luxury flour, offered in
a similar manner, was won by
Mrs. l.. A. Dascombe and Mrs.
E. P. Page, and by order of these
worthy member of Skowhegan
grange and for many years the jani-
tor Of the grange building. The net
pTOCe6ub VI VIC ldif Will 10 DcUWOOu
two hundred and fifty and two hun
dred and seventy Ave dollars.
The fair was great success from
every point of view. The funds real
lied will be a substantial aid to the
treasury, and the interest aroused
will strengthen the order in a ma
terial degree. The committees, given
in full in our columns at the time of
their appointment, labored very
faithfully and the Grange is under
great obligation to every one who
has served, often at considerable
sacrifice. Special praise is due to
Mr.. and Mrs. @. d. Miller for their
untiring efforts in behalf of the fair.
Mr.. Miller has accepted the chair
manship of the fair committee year
after year, with reluctance, well
knowing the care and responsibility
involved, and devoted an amount Of
labor to the order which is hardly
realizable except by those intimately
associated with him in the work,
Mrs. Miller's special care has been
for the dramatic entertainments and
their success is due in a large meas
ure to her management. The five
hundred members of Skowhegan
Grange should not forget the work
done by their committees and es-
pecially the credit due to Mr.. and
Mrs. Miller.
Blanche NJ. Willem, aged %, was
shot in the head by Martin McOloud,
aged 20, a clerk at the Grand Trunk,
Sunday forenoon at the home of the