::FIET y$ABS OF A SHOWMAN'S LIFE 



The ordinary showman Barnum and Lord 

 George Sanger to wit has amused and enlightened 

 the outside world by a recital of his experiences 

 in pursuit of his vocation, and has, metaphorically, 

 taken behind the scenes of his profession all who 

 cared to go there. But this example, so far as 

 I know, has not been followed, at any rate with 

 corresponding particularity, by any agricultural 

 showman other than myself. 



My endeavour will be to depict from personal 

 observation the inner life of the agricultural 

 show yard and the manners and customs of its 

 inhabitants, .including those responsible for its 

 control ; and to point some contrasts between 

 yesterday and to-day in agricultural methods and 

 in the characteristics of those who pursue them. 

 I purpose casting my retrospective net sufficiently 

 wide to embrace within its meshes any matters, 

 whether inside or outside the show yard, which 

 naturally arise out of my agricultural experiences. 



Let me forestall criticism by saying that I 

 propose to indulge in many trivialities, to put on 

 record incidents that are quite unimportant in 

 themselves, but which may serve to illustrate 

 the doings of the little world in which I have 

 moved. To form an adequate idea of any par- 

 ticular phase of life, we must take cognizance of 

 those minor details of which it is largely made up 

 and which throw so much light upon the under- 

 lying motives that are the springs of action. 



So in the telling of my story I do not propose 

 to ransack my memory for recollections of inci- 

 dents of great pith and moment, for these are to 

 be found in newspapers and formal records. My 



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