Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1908-09-29
The Androscosgin Valley Fair.
TWENTIETH EXHIBITION AT CANTON !
SUCCESSFUL OCCASION.

B TWENTIETH EXHIBITION AT CANTON
SUCCESSFUL OCCASION.
For three days every year all road
lead to Canton fair.
From three directions the railroad un
| loads swarms of people at the gate, ant
, on two of the three days carries then
back by special trains in three direction!
at night. And teams and automobiles
and people on foot, come in many more
: than three directions.
The grounds are we'll situated, and
with the single exception of being &c
, arranged as to cause a congestion OF
people and traffic right at the gate, are
particularly we'll adapted to their pur'
pose, and the track is really one of the
best in the state.
| Like the other fairs OF the season, this
one was favored by fair, warm weather
on its dates, which were Tuesday, Wed.
uesday and Thursday of last week. I'm
lseasonably warm, indeed, and dry and
dusty beyond all desire, but the kind of
days that add to the enjoyment of the
fair goers, and swell the Golfers of the
society.
For twenty years the Androscoggin
Valley Agricultural Society has main
tanned its annual fair at Canton, making
some improvement each year in its out
it. Since last year it has put up a
building just at the right of the en-
trance gate, for the use of the officers,
which is great convenience. Two
additional ticket windows in this build
ing also give better facilities for handl
ing the crowd at times when the trains
dump off several hundred people at one
time.
Good attention to the interests of the
society is given by the officers, and a
| faithful and efficient board of officers
having been secured, they have been
continued in authority for consider
able time. The president is DR.. A. l..
Stanwood of Rumford Falls; vice. presi-
dent, w. W. Rose of Canton; secretary,
Otis M. Richardson of Canton; treasurer,
L. b. w. Stetson of Hartford; trustees,
T. B. w. Stetson, Z. Z. Caldwell of Can
ton, e. A. Bonney of Sumner, Stanley
Bisbee of Rumford Falls, and w. S.
Marble of Dixfield. Albert Stanwood,
the presidents son, of somewhat tender
years, acted as marshal, and though he
got one tumble which left its mark on
his face, within a minute he was again
on his pony's back and attending to his
duties.
The grounds were well policed, some
of the Rumford Falls officers being en-
gagged with others, and the large crowds
of Wednesday and Thursday were order
ly and well behaved.
No fair is complete without its mid
way. The merry-go-round of course
was there. NIGGA, the African wild
man, was bait for that peculiar variety
of human fish known as suckers, and
that genuine freak, the "two-leged
lamb, which was alive-was looked
upon with wonder and admiration.
Other shows there were, and restaurants,
refreshment stands and wagons too
numerous to relate.
AMONG THE STOCK.
Special features of the cattle exhibit
were several good herds, largely of
thoroughbred stock, from the vicinity,
and a good showing of the oxen and
steers for which this section, especially
the town of Hartford, is noted.
IL would be easier to tell the full tale
of the cattle if they were plainly marked
as the rules and regulations require.
Some of the stalls were marked by a
name chalked overhead. Some are
marked by entry cards, which according
to the archaic method followed by this
society, conceal the exhibitors identity
under number. Some are marked not
at all, and all that the spectator may
learn is that there are some cattle stand
ing in a stall-what or whose he can
only guess The owners of the finest
herds are not open to criticism in this
respect, for they take some pains to
show the public to whom their stock
belongs and what its virtues are.
c. T. Bonney showed thoroughbred
Guernsey bull and some grade Guernsey
calves.
Z. Z. Caldwell, Holstein bull and a
yoke of white-face yearing steers.
The Hartford oxen and steers are
much in evidence here as at the other
fairs-indeed, this is really their home
fair. Moses Young, that noted knight
of the goad, had six yoke of heavy ones
on the grounds, Carroll Russell three
yoke of oxen and steers, and B. F.
Glover three yoke.
o. E. Turner, besides several yoke of
oxen and steers, showed quite hand
some lot of other Hereford stock.
C. A. Bonney of East Sumner showed
10 head of his Engle Nook herd-thor-
oughbred Holsteins-with long string
of blue and red ribbons won by them at
this fair, the county fair, and the state
fair.
S. +. Stetson of Elmhurst Farm, East
Sumner, showed about a dozen head
of Ayrsbires, headed by thoroughbred
bull two years old. Part of the cattle
were thoroughbreds and part grades.
W. w. Rose of Canton showed four
teen head of Cattle Club Jerseys, all but |
four of them thoroughbred and register
ed. They come of producing blood,
records, and two of his cows have milk |
tests of Z per cent or better.
G. Z. Richardson of Canton showed |
ten head of Jerseys, all but one of them
thoroughbred and registered-and adorn-
ed with good number of ribbons.
SHEEP.
Chester p. Hamlin of East Wilton
made the most extensive exhibit of
sheep, thoroughbred Shropshire, Merino
and Lincoln breeds, and fluttering line
of ribbons as long as the sheds in which |
the sheep were confined testified to the
favor they had won at several fairs this
fall.
G. H. Virgin showed a Shropshire
buck and flock of sheep.
SWINE.
Sow and pigs were shown by P. G.
Barker, j. l.. Suckles, and G. FL. Virgin.
POULTRY.
Over forty coops OF fowls, of variety
of strains, were shown, and they includ-
ed lot of good birds. Among the
exhibitors of poultry were G. FL. Virgin,
Ralph Campbell, c. Z. Richardson, Mrs.
C. E. Richardson, Leon Barker, Ruth
Richardson, Don Bonney, Mrs. G. T.
Bonney, Bert Dodge, Ada Bonney, Mrs.
l.. b. Card, Mary l. Richardson, Mildred
A. Richardson, George E. Grover, H. T.
Richardson. Seventeen coops of the
exhibit were from Dunbar Farm, c. z.
Richardson, proprietor.
THE HALL EXHIBIT.
In the lower hall there was an ex-
cellent exhibit of vegetables, field crops
and fruit, notable particularly for the