McNAIRY COUNTY, TN - HISTORY - Purdy Fair
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		McNAIRY COUNTY   HISTORY

			Purdy Fair

	  McNairy County Independent May 2, 1924

Our old friend, W. V. Barry, in last week's paper, told of an
interesting contest between old man "Brue" Roberson and Mr. Morley
at the old Purdy fair grounds a long time ago.  We were not there,
then but it was our good fortune to be at the fair there later,
about  the year 1886 or 1887.  W. M. Ruleman was the secretary
treasurer of the fair and he employed the writer at 50 cents a
day-and the day was 24 hours long--to assist him in the work for
the four days of the fair.

Before the fair he had employed several to do the work necessary to
put the grounds and buildings in shape. Two of that number of
employees were Ned Moore and Terry Abernathy.  They had to do,
among other things, the job of white washing the fences.  All this
was done for the exquisite privilege of attending the fair the four
days,  Ned and Terry.  Now mind you , they did not get what they
get now,  $3 and $4 a day, and a "season pass."  They got none of
the former and very little of the latter.  The management just
turned them in at the gates as a reward for the work they had done.

Sunday before the fair we went out early after dinner to see the
exhibitors and the exhibits.  We remember that afternoon and shall
never forget it.  T. J. Sharp and his brother, Dave Sharp, from
Guys, were there and they brought a lot of stock and other
exhibits.  And then there was Bill Moreland with some fine stock.
For the first time in life we saw a man they called Clem.  It was
Clem Lea.  He had with him some race horses and two bright little
boys, Bill and Al.  He had a colored boy with him.  They were
unloading the wagon. It had in it provisions, quilts, lanterns,
saddles, and everything required for the week ahead.  J. D. Johnson
of Henderson was there and Dug Criner came late that evening.  By
nightfall the whole grounds seemed alive with people and filled
with exhibits.

In obedience to a rule at our house-as old as was the home -we had
to be under the parental roof when night came, and we winded our
way to the town of Purdy, and on the west side of what was called
Back street we went in for the night  Back to the fair grounds we
went early the next morning and stayed the remainder of the week.
Terry was getting his pay for is whitewashing and the writer was
assisting the secretary treasurer now and then.

The fair come on and it was a great exhibition.  To us it was not
rivaled by any in all the country.  The floral hall was the
biggest;  the exhibits the best and most varied and numerous;  the
interest the keenest; attractions unexcelled.  The days were
enjoyed to the fullest extent.  Under the law then betting on horse
races was permitted on licensed tracks, and the track there, one
third-circle, was in that class.

There were many races during the week and Clem Lea with his horses,
and Bill and Al as his riders, carried off most of the purses.
Toney Mc--- was in one of the races, entering a ball-faced horse
named Jim.  He raced him under the saddle. The route was a mile,
and Toney won.  Miss. Mamie Erwin, now Mrs. Perkins, was in a
riding contest, on an afternoon, and there were many contestants,
and she won.

W D. Jopling, astride of his iron-gray chargers, was the marshal of
the day and the official announcer.  The role he played; the
magnificence of his carriage; breezy and picturesque; his wonderful
voice and the captivation character of his expressions, made him a
feature on the program every day. Clint Stone rode a ------an
afternoon of---------regular program had been concluded.  Several
were entered in that race.  A side bet was the "purse.".  Rounding
the track for the third time, and in the stretch for the finish,
came, Clint.  The rider behind closed in on him.  His horse stepped
on Clint's and down all of them went.  The crowd rushed to the
rescue. Clint emerged from the mass of horses and riders and wanted
to know "where is my specs?. The damage done to "them" was all that
was found.

Orville Wagoner rode a race that day.  His horse "flew" the track
just north of the grandstand and Orville "flew" the horse. He
struck the ground, and from his looks when they picked him up, the
only part of his anatomy that hit was his nose.  It appeared to be
mashed beyond all hope of recovery. Blood was everywhere.  But a
personal acquaintance with Orville for a great many years after the
incident was proof that the injury was only a minor one.

Some in the crowd we remember very well.  From Bethel Springs there
were Bob and Charlie Turner, John Pigott, who had some sort of
controversy with Charlie Wardlow over a horse race; Kick and Frank
Dillon, J. R. Stovall, Lindsay Sanders, J. P. Epps, Grit Wilson;
and then there was Huse Freeman, Bill Chatman, W. H. Stone, Bill
Tedford. Dick Peeples, Minnie Freeman, Minnie Nelson, Maggie Combs,
Jo Johnson, Dug Criner, Tom and Dave Sharp, Bill Moreland, Clem
Lea, the McAfees, J. L. Littlefield and Frank M. Freeman; Andy
Jopling and the Rimmers with their running mules; all the
Gilchrists, with the pulling mules; John and Erwin Rogers, From
McNairy; Annie Braden, Willie Barrett, Bill Malone, Jim Kirby Dave
Kirby, Dock Smith. DR. J. L. Smith, Hugh McAlpin, Mrs. Nancy
Ruleman, Arch and Jim McDougal, J. W. Purviance, M. R. Abernathy,
J. R. Adams, J. P. and J. J. Prince, J. A. Beard, J. G. Combs, B.
F. NcIntyre, T. F. Dalbey, John W. Stump, the Stanleys, Lewters,
and lots and lots of others.

But the old Purdy is no more, and the fair grounds wherein were
gathered the multitudes in the past, have given way to cultivated
fields, and there remains no sign or vestige there now. The little
boys and girls then are now men and women  About all of the men and
women who took part in these happy days have left the stage of the
world for ever.  But it is well that we take these pilgrimages into
the past and freshen our memories with a recital of the things that
belonged to other days.