Missouri Life September 2023

LETTERS FROM ALL OVER

You Write Them. We Print Them.

WHO’S THE FAIREST? I’m writing about what might be a contender for an even longer running fair than the Platte County Fair featured in your July/August 2023 article [ “Come to the Fair” by Susan Atteberry Smith ]. According to Missouri Genealogy Trails written by L.P. Roberts of Memphis, Missouri, the Scotland County Agricultural and Mechanical Association petitioned the Scotland County Court to become incorporated in 1856. Since then, the Scotland County Fair has been held continuously, except for disruptions due to the Civil War. It was also cancelled in 2020 during the pandemic, but parents and volunteers came together to hold livestock shows for the 4-H and FFA youth. During the heyday of our fair in the early 20th century, records indicate more than 10,000 visitors, including presidential hopefuls, famous aviators, and Scotland County’s very own Ella Ewing, “The Tallest Woman in the World” at 8 foot 4½ inches tall. Some nearby county fairs in Iowa boast even longer running fairs than ours. As a northern tier county in extreme northeast Missouri, it makes sense that Scotland County followed the trend set by their Iowa neighbors. —Trinity Davis, Memphis A NOD TO NORTON Growing up in Missouri in the ’80s, I thought Missouri wines were more the punch line of a joke than anything to be taken seriously. Now, having lived in Pennsylvania for the last 26 years, my trips to Missouri are few and far between, and very seldom do I get a chance to

MAKE ’EM LAUGH I am writing to thank you [ “Musings on Life” by Ron Marr ] for giving me the gift of laughter. Yesterday, I was trying to think of what made me laugh, and the only consolation was my dear little cat, who is really very funny by nature, and also, the many sweet creatures that live among the trees in my backyard. I don’t see a lot of laughter in others, although some do. And then this morning, your column came to mind and yes, glory days, it does make me laugh and I am so grateful for that wonderful gift of funny. —Kathleen, St. Louis CORRECTION In Ron Marr’s “Musings” [ July/August 2023 ], an editing error replaced “AR-15” with “automatic model.” Ron points out that despite how it is often portrayed in the press, an AR-15 is not an automatic rifle. The general public may purchase automatic rifles, but doing so is a com plicated process that requires, among other things, the purchase of a special tax stamp and a thorough ATF back ground check with a typical process time of 8 to 10 months. Here is Ron’s original column: MissouriLife.com/ron-marr-vs the-smartphone . We regret the error.

Wine expert Doug Frost touts the quality of Missouri’s Norton wines and wins a new fan.

sample some of Missouri’s current wine offerings. But on my recent trip “back home,” and prompted by Doug’s constant insistence that Norton wines are really good, [ “Wine Dog” by Doug Frost ] I had a bottle of a 2018 Norton from White Mule Winery. I was immediately hooked and bought a second bottle to take with me. I proceeded to share it with three of my red wine-drinking friends who couldn’t get enough of it. There wasn’t quite a row over the last dregs, but I did have to ration out the last sips. Doug, your persistence has paid off. —David W. Walker, Palmyra, Pennsylvania

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