Exhibition of i8jj. 
85 
“Yesterday dawned clear and pleasant, and an atmosphere tinged with a 
shade of Indian summer rendered the second day of the fair all that the 
most anxious could have desired for completing the arduous work of setting 
up articles for exhibition, bringing stock from abroad, disposing of material 
and supplies on the ground, and doing all and sundry of the thousand and 
one things that crowd forward unexpectedly on such an occasion, and de¬ 
mand dispatch when ordinary calculation would have supposed the whole 
task ought to be completed. Preparation day at a great fair is no exception 
to the general experience that one seldom knows when he is done “ fixing 
up,” as the ladies say. Work at the office of the secretary progressed, as it 
had done on the previous day, amid a crowd of waiting applicants, and the 
recording clerks found their duties not only not diminished but rather in¬ 
creased up to a late hour in the afternoon. The whole number of entries is 
very large, as indicated by our reports yesterday morning, but the exact num¬ 
ber is not yet known. It is certainly above 3,00(X Everything about the 
grounds wore an improved appearance over the aspect of Monday and really 
required to be seen to be appreciated. The superintendents of the different 
departments, and all persons in authority, likely to know -what would be a 
just estimate of the prospects of tlie week, agree that if the weather continues 
good the fair will far over-shadow any previous one held in the state. This 
is the first day of regular exhibition, and consequently, the first for a general 
influx of visitors, though every train coming into the city yesterday was 
overloaded, and most of those on the Milwaukee & St. Paul Road carried 
from three to four extra cars, all filled. 
Wednesday.—The executive committee at their meeting on 
Tuesday evening congratulated themselves that everything con¬ 
nected with the different departments were in excellent condition ; 
that the arrangement of exhibits had been confided to trusty and 
efficient hands; that the display in each and all departments had 
never equaled the present, and that the promise for the future of 
the fair, both from an educational and financial stand point, was 
most promising and hopeful if the weather continued good. This 
is ever a matter of great solicitude on the part of state fair offi¬ 
cers, as their best laid plans and schemes for improvement, amuse¬ 
ment and profit are often entirely frustrated by a week, or even a 
few days of bad weather during their exhibition. On Tuesday 
night the sun set behind heavy black clouds, portending no good 
for the following day, and at an early hour Wednesday morning 
the weather looked still more gloomy and forbidding, and “Old 
Probabilities r ’ predicted rain, seeming to have no regard for even 
a great state exposition. But the masses had come to this state 
show of the varied industries, to see, be amused, instructed and 
