Our Big County Fair

The Big Fair of the Washtenaw County Agricultural Society is billed to take place Tnesday, Wednesday, Thnrsday and Friday, Sept. 38, 29, 30 and Oot. 1, and every indication points to a most successful one. Last year we had no ïair and expressions of pleasure that the fair is again to be held are heard on all sides. General Superintendent F. E. Mille is one of the busiest of bnsy inen these days and is working hard for the success of the fair. The oomraittee that had oharge of the guaranfee fund has done its duty and the business men ably assisted it by the prornptness and liberality of tbeir subscriptions. A novel feature of this year's fair will be the wedding that is to take place on the grounds Thursday, Sept. yt) at an hour to be determined upon by the committee so as to acoommodate the contiacting parties and the public generally. The business men of Ann Arbor have been very generous in their cotributions to give the Incky yonng people who shfcll be the firat to make applicatiou, a good start in life, and it behooves those who wish to win the articles to get a hnstle on them and send in their application to F. E. Mills, secretary of the fair. Millard, the printer, will furnish 200 wedding invitatious so tbat the conple eau invite all their friends to be present, and they will be accointiioclateri witb eeats on the platform. Maok & Co. will give tbe conple a handsorne bedroom set. Connty Clerk Schub will give tberu tbe marriage liceuse aud a brand uew Ideal sewing machine. ChristiaD Scbleuker will give them au Eclipse oook stove. Scbairer & Millen will give the lady a flue far cape to keep her warm this v nter. The Aun Arbor Music Co. will give a rneloharp to fnrnish mnsic for the home ere it is filled vith the musical voices of little ones. Bress & Einsey will see that the everyday life of the oouple is properly flavored after the houeymoon aud will give the cboice of 15 bottles of their celebrated flavoring extracts. These articles amount in the aggregate to over 1100 aud are every one of them useful. In offeriug this chance to parties abont to get married the society stipulates that one at least of the coutracting parties must never have been married before aud must be youug people. Weduesday, Sept. 29, is to be School Day.when all the scbools in the county will have a vacation aud au opportnuity to attend the Fair. The premiums offered to schools are very generons this year, and school boards and teachers should encourage their pupils aud get them interested iu these prizes. School CommissioLer Lister will act as nhairman of the day and ex-Coinmissioners Cavanaugh and Wedemeyer will address their old and uew friends at 11 o'clock Wednesday morning The premium list has been carefully and thoroughly reviewed, revised, corrected and amended, and is now finished, completed aud exhaustivo. The wants of exhibitors have beeu carefully studied and concessions made wherever the exhibitor conld be prospectively strengthened, and as enlarged.liberality is displayed iu the prizes offered, with a view to tbe expansión of the nnmber and quaüty of the exhibits. We are assured of a mammoth, matchless exhibition of all tbe variety and multiplicity of our country's choice agiiooUural, mecbanical, iudustrial, material and aitistic products. Every department of Husbandry, Industry, Art, Commerce and Eduoatiou is embraced, and it is expected that the exhibits will sbow an unnsually high order of rnerit, and that the earuest, spiritad strife, contention and rivalry among ardent contestants for prizes will be more animated than at any previous fair. Por the premiums offered by tbe fair sooiety, a pprson who holds a membership ticket can inake as many eutries as he chooses. A rnembership ticket oosts one dollar and with it are given four single admissioü tickets. These are obtained from the treasurer or at the ticket window at the entrance to the grounds. A membership ticket allows tbe owner to make an exhibit and compete for premiums at tbe fair and gives him one vote at the meetings of the members of the fair sooiety. For the special premiums, positively no entrance fee is charged. All persons can compete for these. In the school department, of the regular premiums offered by the society the entrance is free both for individual pupils and teachers and for whole schools as bodies. Iufor(Contiuued on Fourth Page. OUR BIGjOUNTY PI Continued irom First Page. ruation and official entry blaaks oan be obtained free of charge at the secrefcary's office. There is no fair in this state whioh does so muck for its patrons in the way of special attractions as onr fair does. These performances are always given on the track in front of the grand stand and are absolntely free to all who have paid their adrnission fee at the gates. Of course these attractions are very expensive for the fair sooiety. bat on the ofher haud we get many people to the fair who would uot couie were it tiot for these special performances. This year the attractions are more numerous and varied than ever before. Ou a large platform iu front of the grand stand Waltz and Sohumann will give exhibitions each day of the fair. Prince Schumanu has been called the world's champion slack wire performer, the invincible king of the steel wire. He will introduce marvelons and original feats on high and low slaok wire while maintaiuing a true equipoise, depicting relianoe and self-possession to the rnost finished degree. His performance is pronounced by press aad public the greatest novelty of the age. Albert Waltz cornes to us highly recommended by the press fur the performances which he gave last surnmer at eastern parks and resorts He holds the chanipionship belt and ruedal as a skatorial artist. He introduces a raarvelous, original and Bensational act, on both wheels and ice skates, aoiobatio, fanoy, trick and contortion feats on pedecycles, ordiuaries and high stilts. He performs won ders that astonish men aud make boy shont, defyiDg all laws of gravitation with perfect irupunity. Onegreat attraotiou will be the Ken nedy Combination, a gond reliable trav eling troupe, jViho will ceVtainly give u exhibitions which are alone well worth the quarter yoa pay for adrnission t the grounds. There will be good wild west exhibitions of the tribulations o riding buoking horses, struggling with Indians, and cowboy races, just a these gentlemen)?) amuse themselve Sunday afternoon out on the plains There will be a two ruile running race in whioh the riders change mounts a the end of each niile. Some of us wil see for the first time what a royal hip podrome is like, see the real oíd Roman races suoh as Caesar saw, the gloriou chariot races and standing races with two horses. A tandem steeple-chase raceby lady jockeys" will be an exciting and interesting event if the horses can' inake such good time as the horses raised in old Washtenaw. A native Mexican will give an exhi bition of an impaling act, throwing Mexicau knives at an image with won derful dexterity and striking with re njarkable accnracy. A triok bicycle rider has also been engaged who will give highly exciting and entertaining exhibitions eaoh day of the fair, on the track in front of the giand stand. Ancther item of interest announoed by the management is that Governoi Pingree wiJl be with us on Thurs day, Sept. 30. He is not raaking a general tour of the fairs in the state this year, but he has some friends in onr midRt whose requests are positively irresistible. He will be on the grounds all day, holding a general reception for all his loyal and willing supporters. ' Mr. Pingree is not fond of making speeches, and has not promiEed to rnake one for us unless he feels just exactly like it. However, if yon ask him, he will hesitate not a moment to teil you bow to get the most out of your potato erop. His principal object in coming is to visit witb his old frieuds and get acquainted with the new. No commitee has been appointed to receive and entertain him, sinoe all tbe oouuty is more than ansióos to do that. Let every one turn out and give him a hearty handshake. Another iñteresting feature of the big fair will be the display of war rales. It is 36 years now siuce the war. ?ne boys of the war 'are now the old men of peace. Everything counected vith that great eveut bas now becume history and tbere is danger that the hildren cf this decade regard the war 11 too lightiy. There is nothing that will rouse a feeliug of patriotism in a )oy so mncli as to show him the flag his father followed at Antietam or Gettysburg. On the other hand there is nothing that au old soldier loves quite so much as to see tb tattered flags and old shells and teil the boys how tbrilling a soene it was. A special booth in the ruain hall will be devoted entirely to the display of these pfecious flags,guus, uniforms, shells, etc., a collection such as bas never betore been shown m this city. Soine of these artioles are very valuable not ouly as heir lootns but as state property, so a good oíd soldier has been engaged to care for the booth and teil war stories. This oollection will be under the immediate care of Weloh Post.of Ann Arbor.who will oolleot and arrange the artioles. They ask everyone who has any suoh article to kindly loan it to tbem and help to make the display a credit to those who have it in oharge. A special night watch will ba provided and the artioles carefully handied and hung, will not be injured by nails or anything of that sort. They will be carefully retnrued on the day after the fair closes. Everyone who really appreoiates snoh relios will nnderstand that they cannot be put to better nse thau in rnaking histojy live again as they certainly do in suoh a revival of past scènes. The membors of Welch Post and of the fair tsooieíy will regard it as a great kindness if all who have snoh relies will send them to Col. Dean or to Mr. Wm. K. Childs, of Ann Arbor. , Welch Post wonld like to ha?e its booth all in order on the first day of the fair, Sept. 28. Tho livestock departtoent is always one of the leadiug features at a fair, bnt at our own fair it has received more than usnal attention. This county has long beeu famous for its fiue horses and the very best always coine ont for the fair. Everyone takes an interest in the fatnily driviug horse contest. Biing out the best draft horse yon have and show your neighbors what it is that turns yonr deep furrows. All nf the leading breeds of cattle are represented iu onr farm yards. Bring your favorite to the Fair aud prove conclusivelv to all interester! that Shortborns are more profltable than Jerseys, or the opposite. Examine cías 12, department A, of the premium list The contest between the butter rnakiug breeds has created interest for rnany years and the question is not yet answered. Iu the sheep departineut we would like to compare sorae uf those faucy sheep brought from the west with those raised in the couuty, How do you think the native sheep wil] stand the test? When it eornes to swine, why everyone knows what that means, the bigger the better. The domestio displays will be presided over by competent, careful ard obliging snperintendents who will b3 on hand with proper assistants to receive, classify and arrauge the exbibits in the most showy manner. Unu6ual pains will be taken to trim and decórate the interior of the hall, to embellish and beantify it, iu o. der that the exhibits may appear to advantre, and that there may be a fasoinr'ng, elegant finish and splendor to tlie exhibition as a whole that will imp.oss its superiority upon the mind of the visifcor, and oompel an adinirat;on of this prominent department of the fair. During the fonr days of the fair the üniversity will be open to give the people living at a distanoe from tbe University city an opportunity to visit the institution. The Library, Art Gallery and Museum are well worth visiting and are free for the inspection of the public. The new heating and lighting plants are both interesting and instruo-' tiva and owing to the large number of workmen and students employed about them now, one oan find out a great deal about the niachinery and so forth. Kemernber all of the buildings will ba open free to all during the Big Fair Sept. 28, 29, 30 and Oct. 1, 1897. Positively no fakirs will be allowed on the fair grounds. The sooiety is anxious to niake ruoney for itself, and not to help these dishonest fellows in their onprincipled business. All of the booths and stands will be let to business men whosé dealings we know are honorable. Side shows and gambling gamos are strictly prohibited so that onr patrons shall not be fleeced. During the week of the fair tickets at one faie for the round trip can be obtaiued from Toledo, Owosso and all intermediate points to Ann Arbor, and from Detroit, Jackson and all intermedíate points to Ana Arbor. These tiokets will be good for return as late as Saturday, Oct. 2. The oity stïeet car line will run an extra number of cars during the week of the fair. A special gate to the grounds will be opened to admit directly those coiniug frum Ypsilanti on the motor. Those who desire catalogues giving premiums and other particulars ooncerning the exhibition, should address the secretary, who will send one promptly, free of charge. The management invites you to actend, andextends to you this special invitation, as they desire yon to co-operate witb them in making this thamost successful fair ever held in tbis región. A big orowd will be there to help receive and entertain you. The prospeots are very promising. New features will predominate, 1 thing to think about, something to remem ber. We have resolved to make this the biggest and best fair ever held on the grounds. It is yon to contribute to the result by an exhibit of the finest and best produots from your homes, shops and lands. Let every man, woman and child attend. It will be au exhibition of tbe produots of labor, skil] and' inventiou, agricultura], horticultural, rneohanical and household products, the tastest borses, the closest races, the best specimens of uil bieeds of stock. Something on every hand to amuse, exoite and instruct. Join the galaxy of smiling faces that are partaking of the cheerful influences that will abound, see the scientifio aid toward the amelioration of the condition of mankind, rest from your labors and cares, strengthen and espand your knowledge, partake of the hospitality of the society, enconrage tbeir arduous and illy paid efforts, congratúlate them and elévate agricultura.