The First State Fair

To the Editor of the Tribune. The lorn list of foreign-blooded stock to be cxlilhituil at the animal state fair, mcntioned In your paper of tliis mornuif.', briugs to mimi the lirst state (air ever heli), or atteinptod to be held, in this state. A bout. 1842 the legislatura built a "State Agricultural Society." llon. John Dibblo was named president, with a secretary and directors wlio were empowered to boid annunl fairs, name time and place of holding same, and offer in tbeir discretion a llt of premiums and do all other things consistent thereto. This resulted in the getting oul of quite a conspicuous hand-bill, nsming Ann Arbor, Sept. 10, or thereabouts, as tlie time and piuco for holding the llrst state ngriculUiral fair, and offering a hst of premiums for best and second best liorses, cattle, sheep, pigs, poultry, butter, cheese, etc., etc. At that date the writer was a farmer on Grosse Isle and made soine eft'orts in the way of good stock raisinjr, and feeling a prldc in exbibiting the same in a proposed state fair determined to avnil himself of the opportunity nftoidcd. Accordingly be selected flye head of horned animáis and about twenly beatl of sheep trom hls stock and drove tliem on foot 40 miles to tbe place appointed to hold the fair, expecting to have a Mod time and to carry off several prima. Judge then of my surprise and dissapointment when arrlving at tbe place to learn that no provisión or accommodation whatever had been made, and no one socraed to know of a fair to be beid or oontcmplated being held. I was tliere "alo'ie in my glory." At tbe appointed time I drove my stock to the public square and commenced the exbibition, whicli ¦ttraotod quite a crowd, and after a couple of bours 1 wnn jrvinert by ¦ furmcr of tho name of Tibbits, from Plymouth, with a mgooload of butter and cheese. We two m ide or constituted the lirst state agricultura) fair of Micliifran. The prizes ofiered were different from Ihose of tlio present day: First premium for best stallion, a silyer cup; secoud best, silver goblet; best buil, sil ver cup; second best, silver golilet. And so on for sheep and pigs and otber article named. At the close of the "fiir" tbo two xliibitors formed a commlttee to award premiums and reported that I liad won tour firat and second premiums, and tbe Wrlter had won about a corn basketful of silver cups and goblets. Not lonr snlisequent the honorable president was met by the wrlter, and was que9tioned as to bis failure to be at the tnir is ndvt-rtised and carrying out the plan. Afler short pause he exclalmed with considerable freí ing, "Why, I really had forgottcn all about it I" and seemed quite distressed at the outcome and failure. As I had known bim intimately for several yoars, and knew that he was constitutionally absent mlnded, I could readily belleve the correctness of hts reply. Tbe first stock imported from Kngland into this state, the writer believei, was a buil of the Holdernees breed aud two bucks and two ewes, long wooled Leicesters, in 1841, by George Ilenteg of Grosse Dktroit, Sept. 8.