By ELMO SCOTT WATSON IS doubtful if one Amer ican in ten could tell you Elkanah Watson was he did that should make his name remembered. Yet, about this the year millions of Americans the farms of who or what time of who live on our country pay homage to his memory, unconsciously attending « in an annual event which as distinctively American as base ball or the Fourth of July or Thanks giving day. For Elkanah Watson the “father” of the county fair and il was due te perhaps, by and his persistence i more than a hundred sgo that rural America, and especial ly the youth of rural America, forward each year to “going to the fair.” Insofar as the “county is an institution which had a ular appeal to rural America, it is in teresting to note that its founder ity u his idea look partic it was a man, tired of city life, retired to the country at the fifty enjoy “rural and, ing to find it, years to conceived idea which resulted first=real fair, the idea of a fair itself is not one, county Now, been employed In Asiatic countries from time immemorial for the purpose of bringing traders and customers togeth- er for an exchange of their commod- fties., The great distances to he by the Asiatic merchant with his caravans, the sparsity of popula- exactly a new Fairs have Cov. ered glow tion, except in the cities, ligion and made a differences in language, re and trade customs a necessity of comm social ree, especially among barbaric ples, where fairs been held dreds of years they essentially of barter and trade, So It remained for America, where the com- petitive spirit is so the of a to make it an exchange of ideas er than an exchange of goods, The first fairs of held In this couniry were those sponsored by and semibarbariec peo have for hun were affairs marked, to idea fair a new any sort New modeled Amsterdam, but hey on the European 1641 Governor Kieft established fairs in New Amsterdam, one on Oc tober 15 “for cattle generally,” and the other on November 1 for hogs In 1648 there was also held in the Dutch colony, late in August and at the be ginning of September, a Dutch “ker mess” which was strictly commercial, where the burghers met to exchange commodities. The custo. was con- tinued even under English rule as late as 1676 had the sanction Gov. Edmund Andres, 3ut the county fair of today Js not a lineal descendant of the Dutch “ker mess.” although it may resemble it in gome of its features. It grew out of thie interest in agriculture which be- gan to manifest, Itself early in the history of the new nation. The leaders of that time, such men as Washing: ton and Jefferson, were farmers and farming was the most important busi. ness in the country, Between 1785 and 1792 agricultural societies sprang into being in Pennsylvania, Maine, New York, Massachusetts and South Carolina as evidence of the organized interest in agriculture, These societies began offering prizes for superior farm products but they held no fairs or exhibitions and really did but little to stimulate better farm production, The principal interest seems to have been in live stock and in 1804 and 1805 three live stock exhibitions were held In Washington. At the second one members of congress began to take an interest and subscribed half of the $100 fund which was raised and dis of tributed as prizes for “the best lamb, sheep, milch and horses actually sold.” In 1800 the Columbian Agricultural Washington the city of this was not appealed to ti for it steer, Cow, society organized in and held exhibition In nearby. But thing that farmer of the day an ayerage Was more or OMe one list reads register, headed the United States and his lady and the cabinet mem “Its the ns said, like President ef attendance more social by the } ned for Elkanah fair In would It rem: the com- mon farmer interested be cause he could feel that he had a real part in it. Who he was did this is described in “Tollese of Land and Yale University Press America,” as follows: which be and how the Sea,” In if “Pagea t an hieenth On Was n f the E hool of agricultura and writers, but he wan jis tinguished pupil. As =a he had traveled along the board and in Eu Ave up « sing at Pittafield, Paring ® our years he made his ribu. to the century mont dis. busin Atlantic - In 1807 . sol - ¥ mmerce and k ten Mass dev A By 1511 he had completed iigation of the Berkshire ietly elopment of yerican alti re culture wrote In 1828: “In fall I procured the pair cof sheep that a shire, if not 0s induced to n« cas WO the eriain appeare i siate an exshibitizn sheep inder the great Im in square In Many and females were excited by curiosity to attend this first tion, It was by dent 1 reasoned thus if two capable of exciting =o farmers even animals much ate farmers present responded to marks with approbation acquainted and from that day te present, agricultural societies, shows, and all in connection therewith have predominated in my mind” The Berkshire Agricultural was founded in 1811. The principles on which it was based proved pop. ular, Slowly at first, then mors and more rapidly the Berkshire system spread until it reached west into the new states of Indiana and Illinois and even penetrated the southern cotton kingdom. Unlike its predecessor, the agricultural societies of Philadelphia and New York, it was an organization of the common farmer In its time it served his Intereats well, Watson was a student of human nature, The purpose of the organization was to hold each year an exhibition of the best handiwork and the best products of the farmers of the locality, Prizes were awarded for pre-eminence in farm animals and crops, and in butter, cheese and cloth made In the home. At the end of the exhibition came the general assembly in the largest village church, Here amid impressive ceremonies, the honors were distrib. uted, each prize accompanied by a certificate of distinetion which, hand- somely framed, held a place of hoaor on the wall of the farmer's parlor. Watson's greatest problem was to arouse the active interest of the ladies in these exhibitions, The diplomatic siifts to which he and others re. sorted in order to win over the coun- try women, unaccustomed to activities outside thelr own homes and fearful of arousing comment by appearing in a public competition, were finally averywhere triumphant, At the end of the general assembly came the “pastor. my re» For endlessly fo fabored " By the ald of Govern i York, twelve yen Watson “put RIK Ufa Goross 1810, with LArope or ts ene fitlatle &x- hit the best ality ality offer. sees and a host added to ie day 0 Exh wk of the lo vement by interest and exd rom ond Coun. around ¥ t has grown to ur niles r sheds the end sepa. crowds that It has be- res valefar ering : from mers come 3 and with them y people, The fair is no nerely a farmer's natitution Today it is estimated that there ars more than 3.000 agricultural fairs held annually in this country, including the town, county, stats, national and international exhibitions, Some spe cialize in live stock, some in dairy in poultry, some in garden truck and others in crops. But the greater part of are the general county fairs which are held in August and Septem ber. Most of them now are in the Middle West, for New England, where the fair originated,«has lost its lead ership in number and importance of its fairs. But even though modern con ditions have changed the county fair in many respects, essentially it is the same as it has been for the last half century or more, For this institution has an appeal which no other annual event In American Ife has and nothing ever can or likely will take fts place. So the next time you spend a day at the county fair and enjoy the pleasures which only it can fur nish, just give a thought for a mo ment to that “Yankee of Yankees who was born within rifle shot of Plymouth Rock,” Elkanah Watson, and be grate ful that he was willing to spend twelve years of his life popularizing an idea which won for him the title of “father of the county fair” some field Plan Beautiful Lake An artificial lake, three square miled In extent, and as beautiful in its surroundings as any astural lake in the country, Is part of the North Wales scheme for providing electric power, Blight Not Serious it was at first thought that the de struction of the chestnut would leave large gaps in the forests, requiring extensive planting, but the results of recent Investigations indicate that the blanks cansed by the dead or salvaged chestnut are rapidly being filled by guch valuable trees as the oaks, hick: ories and white ash, which can, In many respects, tuke the place of chest. nut in the manufacture of wood rrod ucts. The forests are still far from being fully productive, and will con- tinue to be much below normal far a number of years after the blight has done its work, though progress toward complete recovery is wvearly every where satisfactory. Domestic Tragedy “Mother,” sald the twelve-year-old boy, * have I got a daddy?” “Yes, son,” replied the mother “Then where i8 he? 1 don’t re member ever seeing him.” “Sou haven't seen him since you were a little baby,” But 1 hope and pray you will see him soon. 1 ex- pect him bome In the next gear or two.” “But youth, “He's playing 88 holes of golf on the public links” explained the mother, The first map on which the word Austenlin appears was published In hie year 1824, where ls he” persisted the Coins Valuable Only to the Numismatist Coins and qurrency once valued at millions of dollars make up the col lection of Cere C, Standford of Greg ory, 8 D, The currency Is worth less now, except to collectors. The most valuable piece In the collection wag taken from ruing at Pompell, One piece of Austrian currency, worth at one time £300,000, is in the collection, In United States gold coins, Standford has $2 and BO cents in single pleces, a J0-cent and 25 cent gold coin, He has United States paper money in 00-cent, 10-cent, &5- cent and Scent. denominations, A sliver plece in the collection 18 one of peace medals given by the States to Indian chiefs in 1871. He has an Egyptian coin with the pyramids stamped upon It Money used In Hongkong has a Chi. nese emblem one glide and the English Queen Victoria on the other, Coins from the Philippines have United on English on the other, Who Will Donate Peacock? An obituary of a peacock, which had been a friend of the bishop of Worcester, Englund, and his family for some years, recently appeared in the Diocesan The apprecin tion, written by the bishop, clo®es: “May I add that his disconsolate wi dow, being of the bile sex, would, come another p a peacock to spare notice Gazette, viarium ef muta- wel artner any one has as she tells me, Family Agreement ‘ y ; ¢ “And how do you get on » * with does what noon Opinion. ment do You Tell ’Em George—It isn't tl that a fs i amount money How's father has here at college, No, it's the 1} money the counts Gone father's amount o gon hae, On the Blacklist The Producer's Agent—Th Hiom shows married ifs The House Manage Ou local CPnso barred Rem mopping A Wet Claude still the hotel “Yes, flusher.” ark yet be's the It Isn't what a makes him happy, that he doesn't man posserRses but what Bee Brand INSECT POWDER 03 yo (01/1158 It Kills Them! Non - poisonous. Won't spot or stain. The Bee on every package ~ig your guarantee, Send for {ree insect book- let. If dealer cannot supply write McCormick & Co., Baltimore, Md, MONUMENTAL WORKS land Ma: est, 1564; re, $60; te; sacr.; price $12.840 File J-2127. ALTO AGENCY AND GARAGE ¢ agency in Maryland, covering # well OWE ar; repts. $110,000 yr. 3 ¥ ENE fae yr. 4 File J-13%8 tion so she decided to catch him. She . CONFECTIONERY—LUNCH ROOM 4 Cumberland, MA opposite large school; him which part of J-1968 the slory rice y r oe $6. 560 File that they had just read he liked best. . LAUNIRY AND BEAL ESTATE and He studied a8 moment.and said: “The ' $12.06 Terms : Pile J-191% 4 pr y part that Mary just told.” GROCERY AND MEATS The teacher was not 1s $900 wi iim the “Well,” know, It Didn’t Work In a certain Indiana rural the teacher noticed that one young brig ster was not paying very close atten- rion 3% : vig school, asked BBL res price 37.3710 Fils : COMPANY be outdone ‘ 8 eit to be outdon THE APPLE COLE Detroit, Mich, class could lislen he nid FOR READY r Jie ehel ¢ i BALES UAH Perot ARR re BUT m ted de. 5 rally re- ut Branch either City Bank. 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Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers