Unionville Fall Fair – News of the Fair, 1895

Unionville Fall Fair

Unionville fair directors are always to the front in the line of special attractions and are able to announce that for this season they have a grand array of Talent engaged for the last two days of the fair on the 17^th, 18^th and 19^th, September. An indenture of agreement has been entered into with Prince Leo of New York for a balloon ascension by Miss Fannie Van Tassell of New York on the 2^nd day, 18^th, and a high wire performance of at least one hour’s duration, by Prince Leo himself, on the 19^th. Should the weather prove unfavourable for balloon ascension on the second day the high wire performance will be given that day and the balloon ascension on the third day, and if the weather should be unfavourable on both days the fair will be extended over to the 20^th in order that the ascension may be made. The directors have incurred a heavy risk in this engagement and hope to have the liberal presence and patronage of all the old patrons of the fair as well as thousands of people who never visited the fair. In a future issue of the Reporter a programme of the many feats to be performed by Prince Leo on the high wire will be given.

Another very interesting attraction at the coming fair will be O’Connell & Salvail’s clown circus, museum and trained animal show, which will certainly be on the grounds on the last two days. Six different kinds of large colored lithographs will be hung up in a few days, giving full particulars.

The horse ring and track will be further improved, and already some of the best horses in Eastern Ontario have signified their intention of competing for the very liberal prizes that will be offered.

And then we hope our readers will not for a moment forget that the Unionville fair was always noted for the largestand best collection of stock, grain, roots, ladies’ work and the thousand and one things that go to make up a great aggregation of agricultural products and handiwork of the farmers, mechanics, and dairymen of Leeds county. Unionville fair officers never deceived the public. They always advertise thoroughly what they have to offer their patrons and always carry out what they advertise; so that any announcements that appear over the signatures of the society may be relied upon as being bona fide. Further announcements will be made from time to time through these columns. The above is merely an introduction of what is to follow.

^{The above article is from- The Athen’s Reporter and County of Leeds Advertiser Tuesday July 9, 1895 issue}

The Athen’s Reporter and County of Leeds Advertiser

Excerpts from various issues

Tuesday Aug 20, 1895 issue

Our little machine agent intends making some fine exhibits at the Unionville fair next month and will make a discount of 10 per cent off all orders taken at the fair this season.

Tuesday Sep 3, 1895 issue

The sight of a lifetime – Prince Leo’s Balloon ascension and parachute leap.

Tuesday Sep 10, 1895 issue

The Unionville Fair.

Before another issue of the Reporter reaches our readers the fair of 1895 will be a thing of the past. We therefore wish to remind all our readers within reach to be sure to attend the fair, which will be held on the 17^th, 18^th and 19^th Sept There are many reasons why we can make this request with all confidence, amongst which is that those who attend are certain to be well repaid for their trouble in going to a place where they will see the largest collection of cattle, horses, sheep, swine, poultry, the products of the farm, and the handiwork of the mechanic and farmer. Besides this they will see the best all-around attractions and amusements to be found at any fair in the whole eastern district.

Let us briefly notice a few of the most prominent. The Unionville fair has now one of the best ½ mile tracks in the country. He number of horses competing for the liberal purses offered for trials of speed promises to be large.

The balloon ascension on the second day by Miss Fanny VanTassell, who will, when at an altitude of 4,000 feet, drop to the ground by he aid of a parachute, will be a scene of thrilling interest. The high-wire performance by Prince Leo on the third day will be a novel innovation in this section.

The managers of the fair of 1895 have doe everything possible with the means at their disposal to make the fair worthy of patronage of the public, and they confidently appeal to a generous and appreciative public to come out and by swelling the gate receipts assist them in meeting the heavy financial obligations incurred, as well as stimulate them to renewed efforts to make each succeeding annual fair better than its predecessor.

The application for space at the fair is unusually large. Four different manufactures have applied for space to show harness.

Robt. Craig, “the hatter” writes this a.m. asking for the whole west side of rear annex to show $2,000 worth of furs.

Morrison & Percival, Brockville have a full line of stoves, ranges and furnaces on exhibition, and give ten per cent discount on all orders taken.

C.J.Gilroy & Son’s heard of Holsteins drew 5 first and 7 second prizes on Kingston exhibition grounds last week, which is looked upon as a fairly good beginning in the prize winning for this season.

The herd is at the Toronto Industrial exhibition this week, in competition with the best herds in the Dominion. We are pleased that in Eastern Ontario we have enterprising farmers who are anxious to get into the best fair rings and compete for a portion of the good prizes given.

We hear that Messrs. John Forth & Sons, W.H. & C.H. McNish, Wm. Neilson & Son, all large exhibitors at Unionville fair, were equally fortunate at Kingston.

The B&W will run special excursion trains on the last two days of the fair, leaving Brockville at 11 a.m., Lyn at 11:15, stop at Seeley’s and Lee’s if Flagged. That train will run on to Delta and leave there for Unionville at 12:30, p.m., Lyndhurst at 1 p.m. and Soperton, (if Flagged) and Athens at 1 p.m. sharp. Two trains will leave Unionville for Athens at close of fair, one at 5 and the other at 5:30. Train for Brockville at 5:15, Posters with time table and rates, including admission to the grounds will be issued soon.

Tuesday Sep 24, 1895 issue

Lyn– Saturday, Sept 21 –

The Unionville fair was voted a great success by the many who visited it from here. The “merry go round” was a great attraction to old and young, but centrifugal force was the strongest in the case of one of the “boys”.