four o'clock
The Fair Grounds were located near the neighboring village , about seven miles distant from the Old Squire 's , and consisted of a large wooden building and a high fence , enclosing about thirty acres of land . The admission fee was fifteen cents . The Fair continued three days : Tuesday , Wednesday and Thursday , of the last week of September . We set off at four o'clock of the opening day , Addison , Halse , Thomas and I driving three ox-carts , loaded with farm products . We had also to lead `` Ponkus '' and a two-year-old Hereford bull behind the carts , and manage a yoke of Durham steers for the `` town team ; '' our progress was therefore slow and it was nine o'clock in the forenoon before we arrived at the Grounds and had made a disposition of our various charges . A great crowd of people was pouring through the gate of the enclosure . Fully four thousand people were already on the grounds ; and a gaudy array of `` side shows '' at once attracted our attention .