Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1915-11-03
The Earliest County Fair.


The following is by C. R. Cummings,
editor of The Vermonter, in the cur
rent issue of that excellent magazine.
l have been to Barton fair. For
years | have heard of Roaring Brook
Park, of F. r. Lang, of F S. Witch
err, of F. P Thrasher and of Horace
Beebe. Goodness me are they the
fair? No indeed, but their names,
inevitably associated with fairs in
Vermont, lent zest to the quest for the
same.
Barton is a clean, quiet village,
not wholly revealed from the train.
1t has two good hotels, with liveries
AID cars, two eara~hS fine high
school, live lie WspaoaT, large
underwear factory, granite shed, tub
factory, fine streets ana gOOd homes
and an abundance Of good stores. 1t
impresses one as a good place to live
in. one of the best in northern Vermont.
The highways leading out Of the town
are all tangled up in scenery and there
are more lakes and ponds within
thirty miles tran liz ali the root Of
Vermont. Crystal lake, alone, right
on Barton's doorstep, is an impressive
sheet of water.
The fair ground is a half mile or so
west of town and is superior proper
ty. 1t has the best half mile track
in this part of Vermont, if not in the
entire state. 1t has a very large
grandstand with aisles and raised seat
| ing for plain folks ard opera chairs for
those who pay quarter extra. 1t has
splenddIy-k level arena for
sports and the largest and most at
tractive of stables. good cattle sheds
and plenty of room around them. 1t
has dining room, managed by one Of
the hotel proprietors, which IS IN every
respect the equal of Middiebury S
famous Inside Inn. where IN neatcst
surroundings and with systematized
service 300 people at sitting can get
a positively lavish meal for half a
dollar. They borrow L M. Hubbard
for other fairs, and | don't wonder.
There is large hall with displays
from the local stores, for music, for
ta<idermy, the states forestry exhibit.
comparative crop >ults by the Or
leans County Ag uitural association,
vegetables, grains, etc, by the Or
leans high school, some cooking, some
preserving, large advan tageOusly
placed display of fancy work, fine
crayons and sketches. good, old
fashioned braided rugs, cut flowers
and a baby show in the corner. And
Of course there are hens and ducks ano
dogs and poraGOrs-great sugar
country here-and the general riff-raff
O. fakir's row from novelties to games
of chance, the merryg go round, the
aerial wheel and the motordrome. The
air is laden with the smell of tcodGer
grass and the strains of merry melody
They put on parade Of live stool
81 nrin ~
drivers, of best workers, of proud Sire
and fai r progeny. 1t is a pleasan
sight as they pass and repass i,
review-these products of Vermont
A good many championship winner
at White River have first been show,
here. The colts Of WilIoughby Morgan
and Billy Root and Young Genera
Clifford are pastured all over tn
country side Addison for sheep
1 Orleans for MCrgans.
Chester Pike held sway over tn
racing ably assisted by In
aforesai F, p, Thrasher an
Mr.. Page of Coaticook. There ar
gooi fields of horses eleven starters
; in one race-and this part of the pre-
gram affords general satisfaction
There is variance of opinion in Ban
: ton as to which day brings the crowc
: Thursday being frequently. it seems
e the big day. Tuesday is opening da
+ -alI is free-Wednesday brought 4 Is
) Wis tors. Thursday 4,601, this year, an
q Friday, race day, less than half tina
:, number.
g The fair ground was brought t
: its present high state of prepared
: ness hy,the late Francis T. Holder.
,. New Yorker summering here, who ez
+ pended about SlO), 900 in improving a
e Old track and erecting the presen
. buildings Great crowds promptly re
. warded this innovation. Afterward
J. TIE property was purchased by F. E
: Lang, we'll known as trainer AZ
b driver, thence to become county fa
S in fact, in which people in every tow
S are shareholders.
S Beautiful booster Barton May vo
, aai the fair go on to fine t, gether.