Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1921-09-02
DYER REVIEWS
MIDDLEBURY FAIR HISTORY
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were the giants in the Merino sheep in
dustry and the fabulous prices they
are said to have received read like fairy
tales, My own connection with the So
ciety dates from 1882, which was back
in the good old days" An attend
ance of 1000 was then considered re-
markable, and the entertainment fea-
lures were in keeping with the pace of
those times. There was no vaudeville
stage; no erry-go-rounds or ferris
wheels; the Middlebury Cornet Band
with its brilliant uniforms and white
plumes, furnished the color, the man
with the fortune wheel the excitement,
and the great rector all purse Sl50,
the thrill Some person OF prominence
gave an address, usually congressman
or college president, Once Senator
Edmunds was a guest OF the fair and
was introduced by General George W.
Grandey of Vergenues in his inimitable
manner but the senator refused to
give an address in the open air al
though he did speak briefly. He was
at that time the acting Vice-Presdent
of the United States and a candidate
for the Republican nomination for the
presidency. Following the address the
secretary read the list Of premium
awards and then came the races for
which the crowd had waited with at
times some signs of impatience The
free-for-all was usually won by ELLA
Doe" or some other flyer from Ticon-
deroga or Port Henry, with Billy Ellis
and his latest "world beaten getting
second or third place. Tim Wisells
Timber Boy" was frequent winner
in the stallion race, and occasionally
old Highland Gray came up, followed
by throng of admiring friends, most
of whose ancestors at least hailed from
the Emerald Isle. The judges were
usually local sports, not always I'M
prejudiced, but the starter and presid-
ing genius in the stand was John M
Dyer whose comm anding figure was
so well known to every fair goer of that
period His word was law and he al
three minutes 1t is needless to add
ways announced the time as about
that the society was not a member OF
the National TrOtting Association at
that time. Racing occupied so large
part that the fair was sometimes re-
ferred to as an Agricultural horsetrot,'
but the fact remains that the greatest
interest was then, is now, and probably
will continue to be in the speed classes.
Other departments have their inter
esting features and educational value,
but for a real thrill there is nothing to
compare with a close finish of a hotly
heat in a real horserace. A
unique feature of this 18th anniversary
is the presence of man who has at
tended every Addison County Fair
but one and that year he was in the
west. Melzar Walker of Whiting bears
lightly the burden OF his 80 years. He
says that he lived in the days of real
sport, and he talks entertainingly of
those old days of the great parade of
the Black Hawk family headed by the
old Black Hawk himself; |
Of the time when the owner of ely |
ing Morgan challenged the whole
Black Hawk world and did defeat
heir favorite in straight heats; of 9th
er famous matches among them one !
between old columbus and Lady .
suffolk for a purse OF $50 which was
,asily won by the former and the year, .
hat fatal year, when water was sold on
he grounds for one cent a glass For
t is said that for many years following
DrOVidpuCp saw 10 t- m At their was