Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-09-10
The Speed Contests.


Thanks to clOuded sky, the first two
hours of yesterday afternoon were decided
~ pleasant and enjoyable on the race
track, and the large audience which had
assembled was comfortable as compared
with Tuesday and Wednesday. After two
o'clock, however, the clouds, which had
threatened rain for time, slowly drifted
away, and Old Sol proceeded to make up
for lost time with vengeance. As on
previous days the track was in perfect con-
dition, and the racing opened with
every promise Of excellent sport,
As early ~ 10 o'clock ladies and
gentlemen, who had evidently read the
REGISTER of yesterday, began to repair TO
the Grand Stand, and at noon there We're
nearly 4 thousand impatient spectators on
hand BY | O'Clock two thousand five
hundred people had put up quarter each
for the privilege of sitting on the dusty
benches of the amphitheatre, while two or
three thousand others COntented themselves
with standing along the fence from the
Main Building clear around to the Grand
Stand. At this time people were pouring
toward the track in an endless procession,
and mt half past one, when the deciding
heat of the unfinished running race was
called, the crowd had extended itself clear
around the half mile track, while the
thrOng along the quarter stretch fence,
about the pool seller, and on down
toward the stables, could only be numbered
by thousands. The Grand Stand must, at
this time, have contained $500 people
Still the people came pouring down from
the upper portion of the ground by hun
dreds, and accommodations Of any sort
even standing room in the hot Sun-were
ut biz premium. A Grand Stand accom-
mOdating five thousand would not have
been too largeyesterday, for fully five hum
dred who bought tickets and got into it
lett, unable TO find seats, while thousand
Others could not even get inside At two
o'clock it was thought eight to ten thou
sand people were in sight from the repor-
ter's stand. The space inside the track
fence contained about three hundred car
riages of all sorts from gigst to barOuChCS, and
five hundred men sat upon the fence ITSELF
or stood beside it, Ill along the front of the
Grand Stand. 1t was 4 great crowd and
demonstrated beyond doubt that good
speed contests are the most popular amuse-
ment eXtant.
Right here is q good place to call atten-
ton to the fact that the reporters stand is
not intended aI an annex iOr the Grand
Stand Il is designed by the Board OF Di-
rectOrS us 4 place where the working news
paper men can labor apart from
the crowd, and secure from inter
ruptiOn or annoyanccs. Upon the newSpa-
information, and it is important that
the gentlemen who undertake the task of
supplying news be not handicapped in
any way. This is, OF course, understood
by the large majority Of intelligent people,
and the newspaper reservation is respected
accordingly. But 4 small percentage of
gentlemen yearly make practice of pre-
Stunning upon their acquaintanceShip with
the writers for the press, and either ask
| for admittance to the stand or put on n
cheerful air and climb the ladder without
waiting to prefer q request The repOr-
ters stand is for the newspaper men of the
city press only, and none Others need ap-
ply.
THE UNFINISED RUNNING RACE.
The first event yesterday was rho I'M
finished half mile running race, the con-
test being between Mollie Thomas and J..
4. AlexandGr, The bell rang for the
horses at o'clock. and they began
scoring twenty-five minutes later. Mollie
Thomas took the lead at the start, but
Alexander pulled to the front, and was
half a length ahead nj the quarter, lead
/ WHICH he increased gradually 10 the finish,
winning easily in ,5l!.
Following is the summary:
West Virginia state Fair and Exposition races
! Fourth day-Running race-Half mile heats
! Purse $780, divided.
| J. A Alexander, G. G., Williams and
4 Leonard, GGiuTl blS $500. ..............l