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THE ILLINOIS FAEMER. 



OCTOBE R 



deep interest and gives promise of success. Doubt- 

 less some department will come short of the pub- 

 lic expectation ; but that the exhibition on the 

 whole, will be a fair exponent of the resources of 

 the State, none need doubt. 



The weather is all that could be desired ; cool 

 clear, invigorating ; just such as will best suit the 

 grand holiday of the great army of workers, wheth- 

 er on the farm or in the work shop. 



Proud are we that once a year, Labor can take 

 itself from the field, the shop and the studio, and 

 in a sylvan retreat like this, away from the noise 

 and dust of the city, the clanking of mighty foiges, 

 the hum of fast revolving wheels, the jostling of 

 commerce, the rustling of corn, and all the busy 

 walks of life, to meet and mingle, to show their 

 handiwork, to compare notes of progress, to gath 

 er up the products of their teeming soil, the useful 

 implements of labor, and the beautiful in art and 

 in nature. 



To us the peaceful walks of life have a charm 

 and judging from the rapidly widening of the liv- 

 ing stream that is entering yonder gate, we shall 

 have plenty of company to join in doing honor to 

 the free labor and the free institutions of the 

 Prairie State. 



THE SANITARY FAIR 



Is a new institution that is interwoven into and 

 made a part of the order of the week. It speaks 

 to us of war and its attendant horrors ; that while 

 we are peacefully celebrating this progress of the 

 industrial army, there is another anny whose plows 

 are the keels of "iron-clads," plowing the wnters 

 wherever the commerce of the nation peacefully 

 floated ; whose pruning hooks are swords ; whose 

 seed sowers are the loud-mouthed cannon, and 

 whose reapers spread devastation and death. 



"Who will not lay some offeiing at this shrine of 

 his country ? Who will not give some aid and 

 comfort to those who cannot attend this great 

 gathering, who are far away in the trenches, beat- 

 ing back the foe who would strike down the free 

 institutions of our land ? 



One prominent feature of the Fair is the active 

 part the ladies are taking in it. The Dining Hall 

 is in charge of ladies, as are also a large number of 

 the booths. This of itself will form no ordinary 

 attraction, and cannot fail of giving a high tone to 

 the entire surroundings. 



THE BAND. 



E. Hull's Lee County Band have just arrived 

 and are marching through the grounds and giving 

 us a touch of their quality. This is one of the best 

 bands of the State. It is composed of ten young 

 men, and though called the Lee County Band, its 

 members hail about equally from Kane and Lee 



counties. Most of them labor either in the work- 

 shop or office. ~ . 



BEET SUGAR. 



•'Chester, Sept. 9, 1864. 

 " W. H. Van Epps, President State Fair : 



"We have this day shipped to your address one 

 barrel of Beet Sugar I'rom last year's crop of beets 

 It is the first barrel of beet sugar made in the Uni- 

 ted States. Respectfully yours, 



Gannett Bross." 



The above will be highly gratifying to the peo- 

 ple of the West at this time of high priced sugar 

 We shall endeavor to learn the particulars in re* 

 gard to this new production. 



the city fathers. 



Already we have heard complaints in regard to 

 transportation from the city to the grounds. It is 

 reported, with how much trjith we know not, that 

 the ci^charges a license fee of five dollars, to 

 which isadded fifty cents Clerk's fees for the priv- 

 ilege of carrying passengers to the grounds. This, 

 of course, must tend to lessen competition and 

 thus leave the public to the tender mercies of the 

 hackmen. This is to a great extent corrected by 

 the Great Western railroad, to carrying passen 

 gers at fifteen cents each way, though not much 

 effort has been made to post the public up in this 

 respect. The charge for freight is enormous. We 

 suggest to the City Fathers that they look to these 

 abuses and have then abated at once. If the price 

 cannot be regulated, do put in so much of compe' 

 titiou as will correct the evil. If farmers and far- 

 mers' boys were allowed to carry passengers and 

 do hauling without taking out license, the rates 

 would be speedily reduced. No efforts on the part 

 of the citizens appear wanting to make the fair a 

 success. Their charges appear satisfactory, and 

 doubtless all who attend will be accommodated. 

 The experience of last year has been useful, and 

 less complaint must follow. One advantage of the 

 permanent location of the Fuir will be to accustom 

 the people to its proper management. 



SIDE SHOWS. 



These are to come within the grounds and be 

 under the control of the Society, instead of keep- 

 ing up an everlasting din outside to draw off gap- 

 ing crowds, and to cheat the Society out of a much 

 needed revenue. Fat babies, Borneo children, gi- 

 ants, snakes, wild and tame animals, with an ex- 

 tensive list too numerous to mention, and which 

 we leave the public to investigate at their leisure. 



AFTERNOON. 



The busy note of preparation is going on, and 

 by to-morrow the Fair will be in presentable shape. 

 The want of help is more and more felt. Parties 

 from a distance are unable to obtain the usual as- 

 sistance, and consequently must lag behind. 



Agricultural implements are being unpacked in 



very respectable numbers, among them some new 



' ones. A corn shock hauler pleases etock growers. 



