Year: 1873

-HtS>E"- E-tftCf'H - llO!tSI lIOt 1t


resident of the place I desire to


enter an earnest protest against


the reflections so habitually in
dulgcl in by travellers and newspa-
per people in regard to Weldon. Ger


tainly if all experiences were like my


own d1lring the last week the verdict


would be unanimously III favor of that


much maligned place.


But 1t may be said that last week


was no test OF the average Weldon


and it may be so, for it was the week
of the Fair CT the Roanoke and Tar


River Agricultural Association, held at
the Ta;r Grounds Just outside of
! Weldon The Fair was a decided sue
cess il many respects; ii tie number
and quality OF the articles exhibited !;
in the number and Qualify Of the
people present and last but not least,


in the money receipts. Tie President


Of the Association told Inc that the re-
ceipts last week would enable the


Association to pay off its debts and
! leave them in unencumbered po= =ses-
sion OF their grounds and buildings
This certainly speaks well for the


management of the affairs of the Asso-


ciation.


The grounds are sufficiently large
and we'll situated the buildings are
admirably arranged and the track is a
good one. The best of order was pre-
served and scarcely single individual


was to be seen in any stage of intoxica-
ton.


General Ransom delivered the an


nual address. 1t was the first time 1
, ever had the pleasure of hearing him
speak, and therefore cannot compare
him with himself 1t was a sensible
speech, and a really eloquent one.
Indeed, the occasion was one that
could not fail to bring out the best
there WAS i'll him :; for he was upon
his native soil, in sight, almost of the
graves of his ancestors, talking to
friends and neighbors who, for life
time, had known his every act, and


who felt personal share i'll every one
Of the many honors that had been
hcapcd upon him. Everybody in and
around Weldon feels a personal interest
in the fortunes of General Ransom
that any man might we'll be proud of.


In spite of the panic and hard times
generally, the crowd of visitors was Il
very large one, fully five thousand,
on Thursday.


The ladies We're out in full force
and i'll all their beauty, and, Judging
from what l saw and heard from and
about certain young gentlemen from
your place, [ think they will concur
with me i'll saying that nowhere can
more handsome girls be found than at
the Weldon Fair. The damage done
was serious. Indeed, I happened to
overhear one of your young friends
apostrophe to some fair one late Sat-
urday evening. AS near as I could
catch the words, he said thusly:


Alone she stood at weldon's shed,


Whence all but she had fed,


ne flames that lit the battles wreck,


Shone round her DER the dead.


Judging from his manner, 1 thought
that young mans case hopeless and
accordingly did not disturb him.


Of course there were chops" at the
emory House" and very pleasant too
they were said to be.


By the way, I must not forget to
mention the mishap that befel one of
our gentlemen who, thinking the train
just about to start, ventured to say to
one ofNorfolk's restdaughter's some
thing about the ''dying swan" and
the last note being the sweetest,
&c. 1t was especially well done,
or would have been, had not the
train not remained there for half an
hour longer whereupon he was much
rallied by the fair swan. Not more
so, however, than distinguished law
yer of the county who having the assu-
rance to ask lady why she carried
scarf or some other bright weapon of
female warfare upon her arm, and being
told that it was for Ornament" said
with all the gallantry for which he is
SO noted, that ''beauty unadorned was
most adorned. "Then, sir, you had
better go to the Fee Jee Islands" was
what he got for it and served him
right too.


In conclusion, everybody went
away satisfied, with many promises to
renew pleasant associations at your
fair next month. <.