The Fair

The 32d annual fair of the Washtenaw county agricultural and horticultural society, held upon the grounds in this city can not be said to have been a success, financially or in point of attendanco. The display, in evory department save that of fine arts, is said to have been superior to former exhibitions, however. In the line of vegetables and fruits som remarkable specimens were sliown. In a hasty view of the fornyr we notioed some baskets of potatoes of the Browncll's Beauty, Burbanks' Seedling, Late Rose and Peachblow varietiesexhibitedby Wm. Bush, of Superior ; and Snowflakes and Early Vermonts grown by C. Eberbach, of this city, which were remarkable for their excollency. H. C. Clark, of Ann Arbor town also displayed 23 entries of different varicties. There was a display of huge squashes, pumpkins, cabbages, beets, turnips, onions, and garden vegetables of all varieties, much too numerous to be noted with our short lead pencil. In cereals there were several varieties of wheat, corn, oats, etc, shown, some of which made the eyes of even the tamest 'armer dance with delight upon viewing thein. In this same hall were shown products of the dairy, and a few of the crocks of butter looked quite tempting to a poor 'üllow who is obliged to depend upon store crops to supply his table with this much needed oommodity. In fruit some 300 platos of apples gave the looker.s-on a faint idea of what Washtenaw county could do in this line, while eaches, plums, pcars, quinces, ote, etc., were shown in great variety. Several ranches of quince and peach trees, upon which a wonderful amount of fruit was ïanging were suspendod in different parts of tho building Mr. N. T. White had several stalks of corn 15 feet tall ; a blackberry stalk 13 feet high, and a tomato vine seven feet long also excited the admiration of agriculturists and non-agriculturists. In horaes, cattle, sheep and swine the display was uiagnificent, proving that the county could raise live stock as suoccssfully as big pumpkins, squashes, tull corn, huge vegetables, delicious fruit, and handsome babies. The poultry display was also far above its usual average, and the inanner in whieh a little pet bantam rooster would attempt to rival his next door neighbor, a huge partridge oochin, and the blue game oock would send his ringing challenge to all the otuers could only be rivalled by the pandemónium of the back and bus drivers at the depot when a train comes in, and a poor lone passenger seeks for a mode of conveyance up town. At different points soineof ourmerchants had an eye to profit, and established stands to supply the wants of the small boys who havo peoniesand five-cent piecestoexpend upon such occasions, and of older people who indulge in lusuries or necessities. The first your reporter notod was that of' Hangsterfer Bro.'s who had a neat tent erected and kept sweetmeats of all kinds, and a right neat, handsome tempting place it was, too. Further on W. W. Bliss had a cigar stand, dispensingto the crowd tobáceo, oigars, cigarettes, and everything desired in the line of smoker's goods. Under the grand stand the Wouian's Christian Temperance Union had tables, and furnished meals to the hungry. Everything about them was ne'at and nice, the ladies who acted as wakers upon the occasion wore handsome, and those who supervised the arrangements, sold the tickets, or attonded to the wants of customers, werc genial, affable and obliging ; and this too, notwithstanding they were not becotuing plethoric in purse or Crcesus-ized by catering to the huneer of the multitudes who didn't appear. In the main hall our city workors and merohants had a very fine display. In the line of dry goods Messrs. Bacli & Abel and Mack & Schmid had booths which attracted a greatdealof attention for thSir exquiste taste in arrangement an-1 beauty of goods displayed. A. L. Noble stood alone king of the clothiers, and showed goods which made one wish almost that he owncd a government printing office long enough to issue greenbacks sufficient to " dress up " with. Wines & Worden had an elegant display of carpets, oil clothsand such goods, as also did C. Fantle, both of whicU attracted admiring crowds. They were festooned and draped with much taste, and the effects were pleasing. D. F. Allmendinger displayed a large number of organs and musical instrumente which rivaled in beauty and excellence the more celebrated maken. As they were the product of a home manufaclory, they justly attracted especial notice. Next to this display came that of I. L. Grinnell, with his sewing machines, the White and tho Domestic, in various stylos, and designs, which did tbeir work admirably. J. Keek & Co. displayed some elegant and expensive parlor, and bedroom suites, together with other furniture which caused cxclamatious of admiration l'rom the ladies especially, as their visión restod for a few moments thereon. John Schumacher showed the public what could be ohtaincd at his place of business in the line of stoves, hardware, kitchen furniture, etc. His display was superior to the usual exhibitions of the kind and was A, No. 1. Ilangsterfer & Bro. had several cases fillod with candies, fancy goods, smoker's goods, etc, which were temptiog to gaze upon, and ulicitcd the adiuiration of the visitors. S. Hendrickson, of the State street bakery, had a fino display of bread, and pastry, while the Bauingartners had a case of bread alone. Ahaiidsome case of ladies' and childrens' hoods, caps, and othor "fixings" was shown by Miss M. F. Miley ; nonio beautiful patch quilts, executed by both ladies and young girls ; various articles of ladies' and childrens' apparel appeared in the needie and and fancy work departnaents ; Clarcnoe S. Yates, of Ypsilanti, had a case of finely executed pictures in India ink ; also some very pretty scroll work was displayod, aud various things which wero protty to gaze upon, but which our pencil is too short to chroniele. Jas. Tunis had an elegant and iimucnt-o display of cut and pottod flowers ; and thcre werc also othcr exhibitors n tbis Hoc. Stepping outsidc again, we noticed a fine array of carriages, tho work of C. Walker & Bro.; and wagons from the works of F. Wagner & Bro., both meritorious. The Ann Arbor agricultural company displayed a fine line of their implemcnts, consisting of reapera, mowers, sulky rakes, harrows, plows, outting boxes, etc., etc., Thi.s company have worked up for themselvesan immense business, and their goods have been awarded the first premium in soveral state exbibitions this fall ; their chilled plow has been especially successful both east and west. In the line of windmills A. M. Bodwell displayed his Triumph, and an Vpsilanti tinn the Defiance. There was considerable to be seen in the various displays, cnough to keep one busy for some Jittle time. But the weather, oombined, perhaps, with other things, made the fair a failure in a financia! sense. Life, energy, and vigor is lacking somewhere, we will not attempt to say where, but that must certainly be the case, else other places, with no more favorable weatber, could not report immense receipts, and a grand success, upon the very same days. It is quite noticeable that anything run for a long lime in the same oíd rut, becomes unattractive to the general public. The fair business may be solved in the same way. At any rate, how would it do to Iet Dexter, or Chelsea, or Manchester, or Saline each have the exhibition and its management for once at least, and sec f new enthusiasm and new life could not be enthused into t. There is no reason wby these annual exhitions of tbe the products of our county, in the mechanical, asricultural and fine arts, should not be a grand thing, pleasing for tbe peoplc in general to gaze upon, and instructivo in the display of new devices, and the giving of new ideas respecting methods pursued and ends attained. It ought to be the grandest occasion of all the year for every resident of our county, and made so attractive and valuable as not to be out done five to one by a common perambulating circus. OU ! THE BABIES. One of the f'eaturos of the oocasion was the baby show. Thcre wcre five entrios of papa's darlings and mamma's " pitty witgy ittle topsy wopsys, with their ittlc footay tootsys," and thoy wero said to have been the maddest lot of little animatcd huinanities ever shown to admiring constitueDcios. The babies displayod were those of Mrs. Adolph HoflFstetter, named Catharine ; Clara, youngest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Senator Joe T. Jacobs, aged five months ; Mabel Markham, aged five months May Sherman, aged eight months ; and Bcssie Sutherliud, aged three months.' Catharine took the first premiun, Clara the second, and Mabel the third. Of course the decisión of the judges may be rightfully questioned by those who were not awarded the first premium. Kverybody thinka their own baby is the handsomost, the sweetest, the smarteat, and the best, and everybody is perfectly right in so thinking. Consequently other people are not proper judges. The only proper way to ruó a baby show satisfactorily is to award first premiums to each baby entered, and allow he mother to be thejudgo.