The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1914-11-18
ALAoHuA COUNTY FAIR

OF a member of the Star staff Tues
day 70 see the Alachua County Fair.
He saw a great deal in it TO praise
and very little to criticise
In company with party of friends
ne went to Gainesville on the after
noon train. Reaching the University
City at $3.50, the OcaIa party, on
leaving the train, were Immediately
taken in charge by Mr.. and Mrs. w.
i. Denham, well known in Ocala,
who had been delegated by the fair
management to look out for them.
II happened that twenty-three
years ago Will Denham and the
writer worked together in the COM
posing room OF a big city daily. 1t
was in the days before the speedy
linotype came into use, and many
nights they tofled together side by
side, steadily building into long col
Jlmns of type the news of the world.
Will was good side partner in those
days-bright to solve every tangled
Typographical problem, and ready to
share his last dollar with a friend.
Except in years, he has. not changed
0nuch, so the fair management could
not have picked out in Alachua for
this scribe more congenial guide.
In MIR. Denham's big auto, the
party was rapidly whirled to the fair
.grounds. Here in what was pine
grove not many months ago, tAlachua
has builded an exhibition of which
..she may be proud, and which will set
zthe pace for all her Florida sisters
who have not, and some who have,
fairs of their own.
The center of the fair is big
building, whose only fault seems to
sae that it isn't big enough. 1T looked
large enough outside, but inside
there were so many things and so
many people that one was obliged to
confess it was too small.
Ladies' first always, so the visitors
were first shown upstairs into the
woman's department. This made
lovely show. Being upstairs. in
big, well-lighted room, it had an ad-
vantage over the same department of
the Marion-lSumter Fair. 1t had no
better exhibits than our home insti-
tuition, but they could be better dis
played.
1T was a splendid display. The
school department led with fine spe-
cimens of the skill of the scholars
The canning clubs of Alachua were
In solid evidence. There was love
7y display of fruits and vegetables in
glass. There was an art department
that no observer could do justice te
in less than half day. The lady
visitors we're going into ecstaciei
over the embroidery and other deli
cate fabrics woven by the fair
fingered ones of AIachua. The w. G
IT. II. had all one end OF. the depart.
ment for their rest room, and re
freshment stand from which they dis
pensed dainties. One department
was filled by the experiment station
of the University of Florida wit
rare and beautiful plants.
Leaving the ladies of the party i
charge Of Mrs Denham, who foun
new friends for them every minut'
Mr.. Denham and the writer we.r
from the dainties to the solids an
essentials, in the agricultural IL
partment downstairs.
The first thing to strike the a
tention was the Micanopy displa
AIicanopy is there with the good
One could tell it was a neighbor Z
Mcintosh by the magnificent spree
of oranges and grapefruit. III
.'Micanopy Brand" showing SO We
in it's dainty wrapping would attra
attention anywhere OF other thin
there was a store Micanopy had
that corner of the fair show
back up her pretty and unique marc
Any man to look at it would knit
Micanopy was garden spot.
And Alachua is an agricultul
empire. Corn and cane and cote
fruit and vegetables, meat and syrl
hay and grain, stacked as close
gether as it would go. Every XII
of garden vegetables, crispest lettu'
okra. turnips, squash, beans, ton
toes, potatoes, sweet and Irish.
right fresh out of the field and g;
den. as fine as you ever saw al
where.
Avocado pears, pineapples a
bananas What do you think
Aaachua for the tropics? And rig
by them, big. shellback hickorynu
the biggest the writer has seen t
side the Georgia mountains. Peca
our premier Florida nut. in prof