A County Harvest Home
North Vernon Plain Dealer - Sept 18, 1879
The threatening weather on Friday morning, the first day of the show, prevented a large crowd from being in attendance, and also interfered with the plans of a great many persons in exhibiting goods. The rain, however, did not
fall to any great extent until afternoon. A number of citizens were on the grounds with their show articles and such as were there made a creditable display.
The largest exhibit was by Mr. Albert A. Tripp, who occupied a large space in one of the buildings with
stoves, hardware and tinware. He showed as specialties, a large size Early Breakfast stove, one of the very best of cooking stoves; a handsome nickel-plated, heating stove, base-burner, a large number of cook and heating stoves, and a lot of farmers hardware
and tinware and some woodenware.
Mr. L. D. (Lorenzo Dow) Pennington, nursery man, had spread upon tables a fine lot of apples, the stock of which he has in his nurseries; twenty varieties were shown, all of them of excellent quality, as follows: Baldwin, Stark, White Pippin,
Northern Spy, Wine Sap, Golden Jannett, Black Sweet, Belflower, Smith's Cider, Ben Davis, Rome Beauty, Milam, Tulpehocken, Gravenstine, White Rambo, Maiden Blush, Red Rambo, Romanita. He also had fine specimins of the Orange Quince.
Wm. R. Thomas, of Lovett, manufacturer of reaping cradles, exhibited a fine one, eight pounds in weight only but very strong. This is the intimation we had that such things were made in this county.
In the ladies' or floral and needle work department, we noticed some fine embroidered and lace work by Mrs. Sarah E. Hodshire; a comb case made in fancy style out of plain brown paper by Miss Gertie Williamson; two White and one
Singer for the sale of which Mr. Everett Wagner is agent and exhibitor; sewing thread spun a short time ago by Mrs. Walker, who is far advanced in years; coffins and burial robes, shown by H. C. Vaught; laces, quilts and miscellaneous articles by Lydia Baughn;
fancy work by Minnie Townsley, Mrs. John Busby, Mrs. Stewart, and Mrs. E. H. Crum; watches and jewelry by A. Doll; jellies and cake, Ann Boicourt.
The Standard Hay Press, patented and manufactured by Mr. Geo. W. Penniston was on exhibition, and E. H. Tripp, the agricultural implement man, showed wheat drills, reapers, corn drills and hay rakes. His implements recommended
themselves and he took quite a number of orders for machines to be delivered immediately.
Messers, Hiram Burdg and J. V. Milhous & Son, made a very handsome display of fruits and trees, which attracted much attention from those who expect to set out orchards. The following is a partial list of their display:
APPLES-Hubbardson's Nonsuch, Rambo, Janet, Fulton, King, Keswick, Codlin, Milam, Newark Sweet, Red Winter Termain, Black Apple, Tulpehocken, Fall Wine, Etc.
PEARS-Vicar, Buffum, White Duysirue, Duchase and four other kinds.
Strawberry plants-nine varieties,
Flowering shrubs-seven varieties.
Apple trees in variety, both standard and dwarf, pears, cherries, Etc.
J. H. Wagner & Co. exhibited specimens of their plows.
Mark Robinson showed hives of various styles, and the working of bees.
A handsome lot of flowering plants were exhibited by Mrs. F. W. Verbarg. These and a few shown by Burdg and Milhous were the only ones on the grounds.
Among the agricultural products we noticed samples of White Clawson wheat, owned by De Forest Rich and Mr. J. R. Thompson. This wheat is new here and excited much interest among the farmer portion of the crowd.
J. B. Smith showed large sweet potatoes; Ernest Randall, long green beans; Philip Monroe, Early Rose potatoes; a splendid lot of quinces by W. G. Simpson; apples, John West; J. H. Berkman of the county poor farm, exhibited the largest
collection of farm products, including pumpkins, millet, squashes, cabbages, corn, sweet and Irish potatoes.
T. Wagner showed a mammoth pumpkin weighing 58 1/2 lbs.
A lot of beans, corn and baskets without names were spread on one of the tables;
Daniel Gray made a creditable display of Early Rose potatoes, field corn, Swamp and Fultz wheat, and peppers; Phillip Mara; Brown Leghorn poultry, the only lot of poultry exhibited were the property of T. H. Spann.
We only saw two lots of hogs. "Billy" and "Bess," Poland China pigs, exhibited by Hiram Burdg, and two of the same stock shown by Wm. Vawter. Luther Davis showed a fine Liecester buck.
On Saturday the crowd on the grounds was large and the display of goods would have been very large had not the weather of the day before discouraged those who had everything to bring. On the whole, the display through small was excellent and
the best of everything in its class was shown, while the crowd was well satisfied to be there and exchange greeting with new friends and old ones who had not been seen since last year. We know not now what will be the arrangements for next year, perhaps a regular county
fair, but at any rate something ought to be held whether county fair or harvest home, for it is a good thing for citizens from all parts of the country to meet with each other at least once a year and either will bring them.
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