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province to pass upon, a great deal of difficulty and per- 

 plexity was experienced by them in judging between speci- 

 mens of a similar kind of manufacture. As. for instance, 

 in the case of the two specimens of harness making, exhib- 

 ited by Mr. Fessenden and by Mr. Frost, although the final 

 decision was unanimous, yet no member of the Committee 

 could decide without a long and close examination, to which 

 the preference should be given ; and they feel it their duty 

 to say, that in their opinion, either of the specimens would 

 stand well in comparison with the best work of the kind in 

 the State. 



Your Committee would be doing injustice to themselves, 

 if they failed to notice favorably many articles, from which, 

 in consequence of the limited amount entrusted to them to 

 distribute, they were compelled to withhold the premiums. 



Prominent among these, were two woven counterpanes, 

 tempting enough, in their warm and comfortable appearance, 

 almost to draw one to the luxuries of his couch, on this in- 

 clement day ; a rag rug, by Mrs. W. J. Wheeler, and one by 

 Mrs.M. E.White, both of admirable workmanship ; a rag rug, 

 by Mrs. Jonathan Sampson, aged sixty years, which would 

 put to shame the fingers of many of our young ladies of 

 twenty ; a rag carpet, by Mrs. Goodhue, an excellent piece 

 t of workmanship ; a very ingenious contrivance by Mr. John 

 Fessenden, for working butter, which we recommend to the 

 notice of those who have dairies to superintend ; some ex- 

 cellent specimens of teeth selting, by Dr. C. H. Whitney, — 

 and last, and least in size, but not in ingenious contrivance, 

 two miniature steam engines and tenders, exhibited by Mas- 

 ter Gideon Sibley, aged fifteen years, and Master W. A. 

 Parker, aged twelve years, which seemed almost ready to 

 run without steam. 



Several articles, too, were submitted to the Committee, for 

 their approval or condemnation, which were not entitled to 

 prizes, not having been manufactured by members of the 

 Association. Among these were a plough of beautiful make 



