The Union County journal. [volume] (Marysville, Ohio) 1875-1951, 1949-09-05

in the Common Pleas Court here,
is quite willing to admit that
William j. RauSch and his four
sons have a remarkable family
record for attendance at Union
County Faris, but believes very
few can equal his own individual
record.
Mr.. Perkins, who was "a the
first of August, has attended 72
Fairs. The only one he missed
since he was born was in 1896
Outside of changes brought by
the automobile and machinery"
the Fair isn't so much different
today than it was years ago." Mr.
Perkins believes.
You don't see so much heavy
stock-draft horses and cattle ex-
hibits-as there used to be, but
other departments are much the
same as / can recall them as a
boy" he adds.
The Fair does not even have
draft horse department anymore,
it having been eliminated about
10 years ago, and this year the
cattle will be shown in tent, the
cattle barn being converted for
merchants displays.
Machinery displays, of course,
are more elaborate than they used
to be, because there is so much
more manufactured for farm use,
and the machines are so much
bigger and more complicated"
Mr.. Perkins thinks.
He also believes that more peo-
pie attend the fairs today than a
half-century or more ago, and
they come from much further
away, thanks to the automobile.
1T used to be that several fam
lilies, children and all, would come
to the fair in one wagon" he re-
calls "They used to come early in
the morning, bring their lunch,
and stay all day The Fair
grounds would be covered with
horses and wagons of the Fair
goers."
Fairs of earlier days used to
feature special, free attractions
such as balloon ascensions, tight
rope walkers, etc.
One balloon ascension which
MIR. Perkins especially recalls was
made by a lady aerialist more
than so years ago. She took off
from a point near the old octagon-
al-shaped horticultural and fine
arts hall which burned about II
or Is years ago.
"On the way up, her balloon be-
came entangled in the limb of a
large oak tree near the building"
Mr.. Perkins related "The limb
was torn off, and my, how she
did scream.
"But she managed to hold on
to the limb as she rose into the
air, and held it until her balloon
was over the race-traSk infield,
where she dropped it so that it
would not hurt anyone"
One tight-rope walker Mr.. Per-
kins recalls had his rope stretched |
from point near the east MAR
ion rd) gate to large tree near
the east end of the race track,
across the little valley which was
there.
"He gave several performances
a day and attracted large crowds"
Mr.. Perkins said.
Naturally, Mr. Perkins plans to
be among those present" for the
1949 Union County Fair, Sept. l3-
l6.
While on the subject of Fairs.
congratulations are in order
for Union countY's All Club
and F. F. a. boys and girls for
the fine record they compiled
in state e-wide competition at
last weeks Ohio State Fair.
Congratulations. likewise. to
County Agent Frank Green
eisen. Mrs. Mary Alice DiehL
county home demonstration
agent; Edgar Greenbaum. as
sistant agent in charge of All
clubs: and especially the scores
of volunteer local leaders who
have given so much of their
time in training the youngsters
and thus enabling them to COM
pile their fine records.
Annually. Union CountY's
boys and girls rack up one of
the best records of any county
in the state. Over the years. il
is doubtful that any county ex-
ceeds Union in the number of
top awards won by her All
and F. F. A. boys and girls.
This record speaks eloquentlY
for the high calibre of our boys
and girls. and the type of leader
ship they have had.