Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1947-09-25
Charles County Fair Awaits
Clearing Skies for Crowds
By George Kennedy
Sfov Stoff corrss1onaant

LA PLATA, Md. Sept. 25.-The
Charles County Fair awaited clear
ing skies today to fly colored bunt-
ing above the khaki canvas and be-
gin the annual harvest festival.
The fair opened yesterday, but a
small county fair cannot cope with
a cold drizzling rain. Except for
the escape of a small red Berkshire
boar, which resulted in an impromptu
pig-catching race, and the overin-
diligence Of Charles County sports
man, which resulted in a wrestling
match, the day would have been
without incident.
Carnival Features Closed.
The rain fell and the miniature
railroad did not run. The ponies
were kept under cover. There were
no children. The carnival people
did not even complete the cree
ton of the Ferris wheel. Only
one man opened his tent, hoping
that some one would come along and
pay Is cents to throw darts for his
prizes. No one did. The rest of the
carnival people gathered in the
shelter of a giant oak tree and
passed around the latest copy OF
Billboard, which had just arrived
When load of swine arrived in
the afternoon, one skittish male got
loose. He was stalked by his owner
and other farmers. But it was a
carnival man with the jolly Shows
that caught him after he had
roamed all over the grounds. The
capture caused plenty of squealing
Challenge Hurled.
1t was "Sportsmans' Day" at the
fair, marked by a contest of South
ern Maryland smooth-bore shots at
the skeet traps. One tall, broad
shouldered man, bald and so
was knocking down the birds all
right. He had been protecting him.
self against the rain. A commit
tee of onlookers decided he had been
drinking too much to continue, sc
he was tapped on the shoulder.
His indignation was understand
able. He ripped off his coat and
challenged all. He appealed to his
father, a diminutive man of 10 plus
"Pappy," he said. have I done
anything wrong?"
His fathers answer gave him nc
satisfaction. He burst into tears.
TITS a terrible thing" he said
when your own father turns on
YOU"
Then he had the misfortune to
use bad word and Sheriff Elmer
Quade took over. The sheriff
twisted the sportsman's arm behind
his back and tried to run him of
the grounds. But that didn't work
The man swung his arm around in
front of him with the sheriff on it
Sheriff's Tactics Win.
Then the sheriff tripped his oppo-
nent in a back fall, held him down
with both hands about his neck and
inquired solicitiously if he was all
right now. The man finally said he
was all right and the sheriff let
him up.
He got up, his shirt sleeves torn
feeling for all the world like Pau
Bunyan.
Bring on the next man." he
roared.
P. D. Brown, the county agent
took this reporter through the white
washed buildings that house the
exhibits.
Tobacco County.
eve have more beef cattle than
ever before" he said. you see, we
have added canvas lean-tos to the
cattle shed to house them. No, we
have no dairy cattle. This is a to.
bacco county. It's a years work
for one man to grow four acres Of
tobacco. With new machinery he
may do five acres. But he has nc
time for milking. He's after that
big cash crop.
THE All boys and girls have sent
us more cattle than ever. The farm
equipment dealers are showing more
equipment than ever before. But
It's just for display, not for imme-
diate sale. It's as hard to get q
new tractor as a new car"