The Greatest And The Best

THE GREATEST AND THE BEST

County Fair is Now in Full Blast

GOOD RACING GOING ON

Every Department of Exhibits is Full and the Fair Should be Visited by All

The management of the Washtenaw Fair Association are to be congratulated in having pulled off one of the most successful fairs ever held in the county. In point of number of entries, quality of exhibits and the attractions offered it is certainly the best exhibition ever held by the association and the attendance of visitors has been a record breaker.

The managers have worked hard and the resultant show gives evidence that their labors were well directed. Every department, with the exception of farm and draught horses, is filled and is attracting crowds of interested spectators.

In the fine art department in addition to the unusually excellent display of needlework, embroidery and other art work so dear to the heart of the ladies, a number of the merchants of the city have taken pains to make displays, among them being Mack & Co., showing household goods and furnishings; the Ann Arbor Music Co., displaying their well known Ludwig pianos and also the Heller piano upon which they are making an extra push just now; the Neale Catarrh Tablet Co., with samples of their goods; Gruner & Lutz, showing their lines of shoes; Wadhams, Ryan & Reule, with samples of their handsome suits and gents' furnishings; the Crescent Gold Mining Co., with samples of ores from their mines; White Sewing Machine Co., Haller's Jewelry Store and Alexander the Photographer.

In the vegetable and fruit department there is an excellent show of all varieties of vegetables and although it has been said that this was a bad year for this class of farm products, one would not think so from the display. The fruit display is somewhat lacking in that there is a dearth in the exhibition of peaches despite the fact that this is a peach growing county, but the show of apples amply makes up for the lack. In fact we doubt if there will be shown at any county fair in the state, this year, a finer or larger display of this fruit. The exhibits in the domestic and dairy departments, however, show a falling off from previous years, and that is the more surprising as this is a good dairy county.

The exhibitors in sheep, cattle and swine are few, but make up in quality what is otherwise lacking. Chas. E. Whittaker shows a fine flock of black top Merinos, while Mr. Inman has a handsom lot of Merinos, and B. D. Kelley, of Ypsilanti, E. E. Leland & Son, of Emery, display fine flocks of Shropshires. The cattle exhibit is confined mainly to four herds, those of B. D. Kelley & Son and Pacey & Smith, who have some handsome specimens of shorthorns on the grounds, and Harvey S. Day, of Willis, and J. Selwyn Childs, of Whittaker, who show fine samples of the Holstein Friesian breed. Of swine there are but two varieties, the pens of Chester Whites shown by C. B. Isbell & Son, of Saline, and some Poland Chinas whose owner appears to be too modest to publish his name.

The poultry department is the most complete on the grounds and lovers of the hen will take especial delight in inspecting the really fine specimens of "blue-bloodism" in poultry. Almost every known breed has its representatives and the display probably attracts more attention than any other on the grounds.

The horsemen are out in full force and judging from the records of many of the animals on the grounds there will be some of the best races ever seen here.

A pretty feature of the day was a leap made by "Tash" the king of diving dogs, belonging to the Mexican animal show. Tash is a little, black, shaggy spaniel. Yesterday at the call of his name he came running from the tent and springing upon a 60-foot ladder began to go up. The wind was blowing hard and Tash stopped now and then to take a breath, when his master urged him on with the crack of a raw-hide. A small platform was placed on the top and from this Tash leaped into a canvas held by the crowd below. The dog seemed hurt as it was picked out of the canvas, yelping and squealing. A leap will be made every afternoon.

The machinery exhibits this year are unusually fine. Two large windmills are running full blast on the grounds, owned by an Indiana company. A gasoline engine company is also represented by an Indiana firm. A curious little device invented by Mr. Woodmansee, of this county, is a dog or sheep power machine, used for churning butter, chopping fodder, etc. A small black dog was placed on the tread and held by his fore legs. The machine revolved all right but the dog was too small for the machine and soon got tired.
 

Wednesday the fair grounds were crowded with school children, the afternoon being set aside by the school board as a holiday for the pupils of the city schools. In previous years, the district schools have attended the fair to a great extent, but this year their representations were scarce, presumably on account of the short time which had elapsed since the schools have opened. No entries have been made of kindergarten and grammar school work, a fact to be deplored, for it has always proved a most interesting exhibit and has been an incentive for good work among the pupils. The children who did attend yesterday had a happy day of it for there are merry-go-rounds and candy and pop-corn stands in profusion at which to spend their nickels.

The managers of the fair were very complacent over the large attendance yesterday, there being several hundred more people on the grounds than on the corresponding day last year.

Everyone seemed pleased and well satisfied with the exhibits made and the attractions which are offered.

The fine arts building proved the center of attraction for the ladies. The exhibits in this building are much more attractive than usual.

The Ann Arbor Music Co. occupies one of the most prominent booths and are displaying an example of the fine work which is done on the third floor of their building, in the finishing rooms. A Heller piano in an unfinished condition and it's counterpart beautifully polished are shown. Several thousand sheets of music have been given away by this firm to fair visitors.

Mack & Co. have probably the most attractive booth in the building. It is fitted up as a parlor and is most homelike in appearance.

Alexander, the photographer, has a most artistic display of his work. Mr. Alexander is very original in his ideas and his pictures are entirely lacking in the stiffness so apparent in the work of the ordinary photographer. The work of illustrating which Mr. Alexander has taken up is something entirely new. An example of this work is shown illustrating Dr. Samuel A. Jones' poem, "My Pipe and I." The illustrations are in soft brown tints and the posing of the figures and settings of the pictures are most artistic.

The display of fancy needlework is exceedingly lovely. Miss Loena Marknam has a fine display of work. A Swedish stool done in pyrography and tinted design attracted a good deal of attention. A display of most artistic bows for the corsage and hair are displayed and a new and very becoming shawl is shown which is called "The Varsity" and which will undoubtedly prove most popular.

W. Sachman, of William street, has a beautiful display of burnt work on wood and leather. This is one of the best displays of the sort ever shown in the city. The ideas are original and artistic.

The entry of dolls is exceedingly small this year. A special premium of five pounds of candy is offered to the child who enters the best doll, dressed by herself. Miss Margaret Sessions easily takes the prize with her large doll dressed in a dainty gown of point de esprit.

Other exhibits are made by various merchants of the city. The one which drew the greatest crowd was probably the Was-te-na tooth powder booth in charge of Willis Johnson, who gave valuable premiums with every purchase of tooth powder.

The display in the Horticultural hall is not so large as usual, but one of the exhibits is so peculiar that the hall is specially worthy of a visit. It is a potato still attached to the sprout of the old potato and which measures about six inches in circumference. This freak potato was grown by Timothy Fohey, of Webster, who claims to have discovered a new method of preserving old potatoes and of growing young ones without the ordinary means of earth, dampness or light. This example of a peculiarly grown vegetable is attracting a great deal of attention and Mr. Fohey feels justly proud of his experiment.

The exhibit, in another building, of carriages by Walker Bros. is one of the finest shown in years. It consists of about twenty carriages, run-abouts and road wagons, which have been manufactured by the firm. They are the equals in beauty and comfort of any carriages built.

The machinery exhibits this year deserve a special looking into. No year yet has seen the improvements and the new inventions that the new machines of this fair show.

The Page Fence Co., of Adrian, has a regular yard fenced in with their famous woven fence wire. The Angola Engine Co., of Angola, Ind., has its gasoline engines running at all times. Two windmills, one from T. W. Boatwright and one from the Aermotor Co. of Chicago, are going full sweep. Mr. Woodmansee has some specially interesting small devices for the creamery and for farm work.

King Emil's wonderful show is one of the attractions well patronized, and Kline's vaudeville show is drawing large numbers. The German Village, in which a local orchestra is playing, also has its share of patronage.

The poultry exhibit is the best that this county has yet seen, and it will take hustling work to make another year as good in poultry. Ducks, geese, chickens, turkeys and barnyard fowls of all kinds are here. It is encouraging to know that our farmers are making such big strides in the care of poultry as to cultivate the fowls so that they develop into fine looking specimens.

The races were a trifle tardy in the starting, but went off fairly well when started. The 2:30 pace was pulled off first. There were four entries - St. Patrick, owned by Davis; Texana, owned by Marsh; Billie Green, owned and driven by Simpson, and Friday, owned by Johnson and driven by Platt. The others entered on the score card were absent. In the first heat there was some trouble in starting off. The drivers were in fairly good line and nothing was done until they had gone some rods past the stand, when they were called back. However, they did not hear the bell and made one round before they were stopped.

The first heat was pulled off after three attempts and was won by Texana in 2:27 1/4, Friday second, St. Patrick third, and Billie Green fourth. The second heat was again taken by Texana, Friday second, Billie Green third and St. Patrick fourth. Time 2:27 1/4. In the third heat, on the first lap St. Patrick (by Davis) was fouled and thrown from the bike, his shaft being broken and wheel smashed. Davis was unhurt. Texana won the heat, Friday again receiving second, Billie Green third and St. Patrick fourth on a foul.. First money went to Marsh, the owner of Texana, who got three straight heats with ease. Purse of $250. Second money won by Johnson. third money won by Simpson.

There were ten entred in the 2:20 trot and but four raced. Davis drove Trelawney. Josie Wilkes driven and owned by W. Lewis. Frostus owned by Teachout. Sidalis owned by Van Auken and Vervian owned and driven by J. M. Bauer. The first heat was won by Frostus, Trelawney second, Sidalis third, Vervian fourth. Time 2:24 1/4. In the second heat Frostus was first, Sidalis second, Vervian third, Trelawney fourth. Time, 2:21 1/4. Third heat - Vervian first, Frostus second, Josie Wilkes third, Trelawney fourth. Time, 2:23. Fourth heat - Frostus first, Trelawney second, Vervian third, Sidalis fourth. First money was given to Teachout. Second money won by Bauer. Third money won by Davis, VanAuken taking fifth money. The races were then closed.

Some money exchanged hands at the "Maple" club, but at no time was the betting exciting.