The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1878-09-07

seemed to bring the parents, and by the mid
die of the day the largest crowd was present
ever seen at any Of our county fairs. The
number was not less than ten thousand ard
may have reached twelve The gate receipts
were in the vicinity of $4,000 Heretofore
such IA sum was considered fair for the whole
week.
About the first "amusemene' was game of
base ball between the Athletics of Joliet and
Our Boys of Streator. The latter had beaten
the Pawpaws yesterday and were now to test
their skill and pluck against Il new contestant.
The game was quite interesting but the Strea-
tor boys seemed to be in particularly bad trim
for they allowed Joliet to get away with them
at the rate of II to o
While the officers were busy winding up
the exhibition of horses and cattle, the Mar
settles band, drawn by four horses, in splend-
Id band wagon, drove up IN front of the stand
and being greeted with cheers enlivened the
The band had come on their own motion and
were welcomed by the officers rs an import
ant accession to the attractions of the day
4 fully organized base bail club from Mar
settles also made its appearance on the ground
but too late for entrance to contend for any
prizes offered far base balling.
HORSES SHOWN.
Lot 17-Carriage IIorses-were shown in
double teams, being entered by j. T. Parr,
j. Wood, W. f. Eddy, Dwight Lawrence and
H. Holmes. They were all first class, but the
Judges thought the team of j. r. Parr was
rather the best and that of H. Holmes the next
and awarded the premiums accordingly.
Next came single horses to buggy, with 3
entries, to wit; j. Wood two, NJ. Kinnlvan,
d. b. Sawyer and Ida f. Strrwn. Miss Ida
drove the same animal with which she took
the first prize last year, and though she had
some splendid steeds to contend with, she
again bore off the blue ribbon, d. B. Sawyer
getting the red. An incident in connection
with this contest caused considerable merri-
ment A little daughter of Sam Degen, not
over or years of age, was alone in buggy
with one horse when the single buggies con-
testing for the prize were moving back and
forth in front of the judges stand, and she con-
cluded she had AS good right to show off as
any of them and actually did so, about as well
AS the others, handling the lines with the dex-
tcrity of an old whip, drawing up in front Of
the stand with the rest, with lmpoSin g gravity.
Though not among the entries for premium, it
was unanimously voted that she was entitled
to Il ribbon.
At the close of this exhibition, Neey's By
ron, by way of amusing the large audience
that filled the amphtheater, trotted mile in
. .32. doing it beautifully indeed without sin
Gle halk or break.
Then Lot l1--Roadster Sweepstakes, were
shown, consisting of entries, including Nee
ly's Matilda, Dwight Lawrence's Clara, &c,
The committee awarded the premium to Geo.
A. YOungs Rose of Leland"
MILITARY DRILL.
Some pretty high expectations had been in
dulgcd in regard to a promised military CON-
petitve drill at our county fair; but although
the prizes offered were liberal, none of the
companies seemed ambitious to
come to Ottawa and compete with our tidy lit
tie company of Illinois National Guards, I'M
der Captain Smith. So the promised compel
tive" drill resolved itself into a simple drill
by our own company. 1t must be conceded,
however, that the company went through The
manual of arms, and marched and counter
marched with precision that few veterans
can excel, and that certainly evidenced much
Ia bOrOus drill on the part of the officers and
men. They were closely watched for an hour
by an interested audience, and frequently
greeted with hearty applause. The committee
yhecrfully awarded the company the first prize
It's presentation with very
,ourtly note to the gallant captain and his
boys"
Among the spectators ut the drill none
seemed more interested than Capt. Arlington OF
he La Sale Guards, and six or seven OF his
men. who had come on purpose to see the drill.
MORE HORSES
The drill Was followed by an exhibition of
Draft stations, being Lot 10, draft sweepstakes.
There were but three entries, Green's famous
3ashaw % years old, being cheerfully award
ID the prize
Meantime game of base ball. the second
or the day, was in progress between the Ath-
ctics of Joliet who had laid out the Streator
BOYS IN the morning, and the Pswpaws,iwhom
he Sircator Boys had beaten ON "Wednesday.
Tie base ball business received another be-
yidering complication by the Pawpa~s beat
nv the Athletics by score of 10 to s. There
5 no telling how many more games 1t may
ow take to untangle the complication as 1t
ow stands The Streators are better than the
'awpaws, the Athletics are better than the
reators, the Pawpaws are better than the
athletics who are better than the Streators,
rho are better than the Pawpaws and so on to
ndless bewilderment
SPEED.
81.