Our County Fair

The eounty fair for 1894 is now a tliing of th epast. It was a great suocess finaneially, and gave general siit isfartion every other way. Our reporter, strolldmg about the grounds, pffleked up the foUowing notes in wnsch our readers may be interested : FLORAL HALL. What is called Floral Hall, though why, no one appears ibo know, (unless it is beeause of the great numtier of blooming and beautiful young ladies who persfetently seek its shelter) was handsomer than ever bef ore. At least handsomer than it has been for many years. This is no doubt because of the excellent taste of the ladies who had the arranging of the exhibits in the art and fancy needie work depai'tnient. The business firme having displays here were : v On the south side : Dean & Co. had a fine exhibit of everything in their line of goods, including eight varieties of coffee and thirteen different kinds of tea. They also had their own canned goods, baking powder, etc., etc. It was ia fine display. Ebei-bach & Co. had itwo displays, one for their hardware istore, and one for their drugstorc. They also had a pumpkin and everyone eoulil guess, who desired to, on the number of (seeds coaitained therein, the best guesser to have a $20 gasoline stove. Then Mrs. Morton had an excellent millinery display anH gave away Siat pins to everyone who would take one, with her card attached by meants of a pretty piece of ribbon. Tlie "Argus book bindery'" also gave away pads for a time, but they were in suoh domand that the supply did not hold out. On the noitli side Fred Thurer had a large booth (itted up in admirable style with goods to be found in a harness store, consisting of Iiarness, robes, whips, etc, etc. He had a very fine class of goods on exhibition, and one that drew a great deal of attentlon from peoile who keep horses. The Ann Arbor Organ Co. had the west end of the nortlï side filled with all classes of musical goods. l'ianos, ongans, all sorts of string tnstruments, and in fact almost everything pertaining to music, and the display was admired greatly. But the ladies all Btopped before Mack & Sclunid's Jarge exhibit of cloaks, furs, dress goods, carpets, mattings and so forth, with expressioes of : "Oh ! Isn't that beautiful ?" "Say, John, can't you ibuy that fur cloak for tme?" Or, "Don,'t you think that our front room would look beautiful with that carpet on it ?" In fact one could fill a whole column with such expressions heard there. Tlie U. S. Baking Co., of Jackson, had 75 different kinds of cakes and 10 different küids of crackers arranged in boxes with glass faces, and made to show off excellently well. All who came were given a package of crackers, and a cookie, the aruount given away creepüig way vip into the hundreds of pounds. IN THE AKT UEPARTMKNT, good taste had been exercised in arranging the exhibit, and there were on hand a number of pleasant and good looking ladies to answer in a civil ïnanner questions about the variious things thiit went to make up the exhibit. ín the line of decorated china there were some very nice displays. Oswald Herz, son of Ex-Ald. Herz, of the 2d ward, had two cases of china that were greatly admired. Jiiss Sins also had a large number of pjeces that were beautiful, and Miss Mattie 3rake had a set of cup and saucers that were tasty and delicate, Bhowing great artistic ability. Miss Ina Orcutt had a large number of oil paintings from her own brush that had the merit of being able ito "withstand criticism, and Miss Myrtie Goodale's display of water colora was striking and attractive. Mrs. Otis had two unique paintings in oil. One a white dove so blertdéd with the back ground that one liail to study some time to firad the mnlines, land another large picture ent:tied the "House of Glaucus, Pokipe:i." The col o-ring in this picture was striking, but at the mie time not dJsagreeable to the eye. This iai!y also had a co-uple of cases of brica-brac that excited the euriosity of hundreds of people, one article fteing .1 jewel box in tnosaic work, oontaining fourteen kinds oí wood gwnvn in 'the Yosemite Valley. In wood carving there was a cabinet and f ra-me, the work of Miss Wetmore of W. Huron st., that gave evidente of exquLsite taste and niuch genius in this sadly neglected üne of art work. There were a number of smal Ier exhibits, but the columns of a newspaper Ure so email ibliat Lt wou'd be impossible to enumérate. TUK OLD CHIXA COLLECTION. Probably one of the most interesting exhibits, and at the same time most valuable, was that of the o!d china belonging to Mrs. Judge Babbitt, of Ypsilanti. Mrs Babbitt lias been Ü5 years making this eollection, and every individual diáh in it is more precious to her than so much silver. In fact it ís iin invaluable coilection, and will in the near future be prepresented to some public ihstitution in the county to be kept as memento-es of the early days of Washtenaw county. There is not a pdece in tlie eollection that is not known to be over 50 years old, and anany of them will date back considerab y over century. They are all intimato'y coinnected "vith the history of tliis county, for every piece was brouu'ht here by some of the pioneer families of the county, and served them in the early tiays, when dishes were few. There 'are soime very curious designs on these dishes, Jiaving historieal interest.' For instance, a píate gáven by Mrs. C. M. Loomis, of this cdty, has a picture of "VVasJhingtoii's tomivstone, and a man mourning over li is grave. Not a very cheerful scène for one to gaze upon while while eatlng their meals. Tliese dishes were manufactured just after AVasliington's Üeath, and were intended it-o how the national grief over that event. Mis. John W. Maynai'd contributed to this coilection a gravy boat of aneient but unique design, which she I had brought to this city with her and been in her home on S. División st., for a half century. It is considered a rai-e specimen and very much prized. Among other old dishes were a píate and sauoer trom Mrs. Eliiabeth Allmendinger and a p'.ate from Mis. Asa Burnett, of Ann Arbor, cup and saucer from Capt. Anns, of Webster ; cup-plate from Mrs. Haran, of Northfield ; a tea pot, tsugar bowl and cup plate from Mrs. Clemma Mi Is, of Pittsfield ; a turren from Mrs. Donahue, of Ypsilanti, one that she brought with her when she came from Ireland ; a platter from the faniily of Judge Van Cleve who formerly resided in Ann Arbor ; a platter f rom i Mr. Green, of Whitmore Lake, who was here before the first University buildings were erected, and who helped build the two wings of üniversity Hall ; Mrs. Mary A. Starkweather, of Ypsilanti. contributes a curious looking old fashioned syrup cup ; while Mrs. Babbitt contributes a large china foot-bath, a dish that is very rare. There was a curious piece that everyone takes to be silver, but is nothing but china, contributed by Ir. Batwell, of Ypsilanti. Tlie manufacture of thiis sort of ware is now a los art, no one knows how to make it, so that this pitcher Ss really wortli more tlian its weight in silver, or perhaps gold, either one. Another of the quaint designs is tlie iiicture of a niother wielding a whip, with a refractory child struggling over her knee, exemplifying the scripturaJ saying "spare the rod and spoil the child." This was on. a cup and saucer from Mrs. Peter Carpenter, of Ypsilanti who, by the way, is a member of the famous Sprague family, of Ehode Island. i A teapot donated by Dr. Bennett, of Ypsilanti, has a rural sceno with a young boy and glrl holding each other's hands, and costumed in the style of many years ago, tire girl especially looking rather queer in the pantalcttcs whicli carne to hr ankles where they were held In place by a I igh1 band. Then there was one jone pewter dish, a pílate, given by Mrs. Cernsha McCormiek Noyes, ín t-he days oí great grand and grandparente, pewter was used to n considerable extent for íood dlshes. Another quite remarkable disli was a soup turt'di trom the Woodruff fainily, and brought by them to Ypsilanti when it was known only as Woodruff's grove. A quaint oid water pitcher from Mrs. Jarvus, of Ypsilanti, who relates that when she went to buy it, she luid just come over irom England, and it being a etormy day &he wore upon her feet what were very popular theai in England, wooden pattons. She remenibers how the people in the store laughed at her queer foot covering, and how mortified she feit. Shcs qnly wishes now that she had saved the pattone. An open work bread dish is from Mrs. Mary Collins Whiting of this city, and quite a curioeity. The entire collection consists of 162 pleces, and Mrs. Babbitt desires to have at least one piece Irom every township in the county, representing some pioneer famUy thereof. It is indeed a valuable co lection, and if the history of each piece could be known it would niake u marvelous book. FRUIT AND VEGETABLES. There was some luscious looking plates of apples, pears, grapea and peaches, yet the display was not above ordinary years. Mr. W. F. Bird had the word Eden, spelled wit'n fruit, the E formed with apples, D, pears, E, grapes and N". peaches, quite a tempting Eden. There were specimen branches of peach trees effected with the yellows, and also of fruit, which was a fine idea, in making the people familiar with this disease which destroys so many peach orchards. We never saw BUCh mammoth quinces as were shown, while specimens of all other truits were good. Harlow Grose, of Ajm Arbor town, had a table on which he displayed specimens of home grown nuts, having fil'teen varieties, all edible except the horse chestnuts. The peanuts looked exactly as good as the North Carolina product. TOOK THE CAKE. The bread and cake makers were on hand with specimens of their ability in this direction, and it almost gave ome the dyspepsia to gaze upon the variety of toothsome appearing loa ves of fruit and other kinds of cakes. The fact was also developed that there were some fine bread makers in the county. In vegetables and cereals there was not an abundance, yet what was displayed was far above the average. The stock display and chlcken exhibit were not up to the average year. EOAD VEHICLES. There were two exhibitors, Walker & Co. .and A. P. Ferguson. "Walker & Co. had 18 jobs on exhibition, mostly hand work. A light colored surrey sold to Jas. E. Robison, and a phaeton sold to AValter Mack probably attracted the most attention of anything in their display, tliough every style of carriage doublé and single, that can be found in this mnarket was shown. A P. Eerguson had sometliing new in a ball hearing axle that no doubt is the coming axle. It runs one-third easier tha.n the old atyle, and reduces friction to the Jowest possible limit. For ordinary use it will need oiling but twice a year while a livery man would need to oil it but tht-ee or four times. At the same time when the nut is put on that liolds the wheel, it is dust and dirt proof, and tliiere 6s never any oil running out and over the hub to catch dirt and look filthy. It is a great invention and no mistake. Mr. Ferguson had 17 carriagee, carta, etc., on exhibition, aa tliey were beauties every one of them, severaa being sola wliále on the grounds. TIüh manufacturer makes a fspecialty of road carts aJso, anl lias a eradle cart whlch he guarantees to rile easier tlian any otlier made. He also liad a nevv style suiirey tliat made oue vvish to be the owner of a fine equine and $175 with whk-h to ptirchaee the same.