The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-10-10
FIFTEEN THOUSAND NEGROES
Are Said TO Have Been In The Exposition
Building Yesterday.
SECOND DAY OF THE COLORED FAIR.
The Minstrel Show and tho Coiored TrndKe.
DIANA Competitive Military Drill.
A Baby Show To-Day.

There IL every reason to believe that IS. 0ot
negroes passed into the Exposition building
yesterday and gazed with delight on tn,
varied exhibit made there by the Virgins
Industrial Mercantile and Building Associa
ton. The attendance was far greater thar
on Thursday. and there were many strange
faces among those present. The people from
other points seem TO enjoy immensely Thu
whole proceedings, and expressed to thel
Richmond friends their congratulations or
what they deemed such an excellent effort.
Throughout the day crowd surged into
the gates and the wagoneer had oitimes more
| than he could attend 10 in transporting the
| crowds from lower Broad street Outside the
gates wagons ranged themselves ns far down
rs the Exposition fence. and against such @
| background impromptu lunch-tables were
| presided over by buIom colored women
| Everything could be bought to eat from raw
| oysters 10 roasted potatoes and trade was
| quite brisk from noon until O'clock.
Customers sbounded for many negroes
| stood outside the gates. whether for. the
want Of sufficient funds or for personal aud
| private reasons will never be known, but the
| fact remains. they were there and in large
| numbers. Some we're old and some were
| young. Men. women and children made up
| tho condemnation. impoded the progress OF
| pedestrians and importuned every passer-
| by with eloquent enoits about their wares.
IN TBE BUILDING.
The sight inside the building was an ami
mated one. IL tho people had been white.
some corners Of the hall would look much
like the Exposition Of 1888, tor there was the
same little crowds In front of each
Doth. the same hum of conversation and
tho same sounds Of distant music.
some promonaded like lot OF ratified sol
dicrs marching and counter marching. while
others hearkened to the demands of the
inner-man md filled themselves full OF
cold chicken legs and ham sand
wiches. Others became for the nonce
artistic, and with would-be critical
eyes scanned the embroderies paintings and
lambrequns with expressions of connosseurs,
Others. and a considerable number of them,
sat down and talked and laughed and enjoyed
themselves 70 their hearts content. while
others looked Mt the soldiers and talked in q
loud. dictatoriai way about tho points they
knew about military.
The fakr was in and about the building
with prolihcness surprising and sold every
thing from q solid gold ring for ten cents TO
Il Waterbury watch, chain, diamond pin and
sleeve-buttons for dollar bill. He pos
sessed some games of chance. too. and
gave you your choice of knocking the
baby down and getting cigar or
betting on single number for a
dollar and receiving go for such display of
wind power. Then the merry -go-rounds also
attracted the dusky daInsel. with her barber
boy beau. and they sat Oh the wooden steeds
with abandon airs and thought that negro
fairs were way out Of sight"
MORE EXHIBITS.
Many exhibits were added yesterday and
the committee began inspecting the several
displays incident TO the distribution Of prizes.
The latter will take place to-day. and blue
ribbon will be rs common es peanut-huils III
front of the Theatre early III the morning.
Among the exhibits added yesterday was u
fox. The individual who entered 1t spoke
like an Italian, looked like a negro. had rus
set hue on his cheeks like an Indian and con-
Quoted himself with tho foreign ara of an
Arabian. considerable lot OF fancy work
was also exhibited for the first time yesterday.
and a, soon ns it WAS hung out groups gath
cred about the displays and approved or dis
approved as their tastes dictated.
yesterday WAS military day. Early in the
morning the visiting military, attended by
their comrndes-in-arms from this city, formed
into line at Seventh and Broad streets and
marched down Broad TO Nineteenth. The
usual route was then used and tho military
reached the Exposition grounds tired lot of
individuals ABOUT noon a competitive drill
took plnce Tor three prizes--ono hundred
dollars fifty and twenty -hve-these amounts
to be awarded to the best drilled companies
RESP ectiyely.
THE DRILL.
The drill took place near the old exhibition
hall. and WAS watched by fully five thousand
interested spectators. Colonel Henry q.
Jones, Colonel 10 l4ano Stern, Captain Frank
.asslter, OF the Petersburg Grays acted as
ridges and Corporal David Drowry. oil COM
pany +, acted ms Colonel Jones orderly. 10
one who understands the manual of arms and
the various eyoiutlons some OF those per-
formed yesterday were extremely iudicrous.
but as whole the companies did well The
judges decided after the drill WAS over
that Company A, First battalion,
Washington city, was entitled to
the first prize company O. First battalion
Petersburg. second. and company A, First
battalion Richmond. third. Captain Hav-
kns Is commandment Of the latter company.
Company Z, OF thesame battalion also dr!lied,
while the Monumental City Guards. OF Baltl-
more. and company Il, Of Richmond. who
were present. did not enter the contest
From a military point OF view number of
pretty movements were executed, and some
on the programme we're Skipped 10y the
commandants one individual attempted 10
make his men stack arms from the position
assumed WAtn Lhb toHIhHu ia bhyOHStS
is given. while another individual gave
the command right forward. tours
rights. aud half of the company went ono
way and half another. One captain drilled
his men by numbers for five minutes without
calling a number. while the orderly sergeant
OF one company carried ms rife At carry
during the entire time Of the drill. The
" ashlngtunlans wero unquostionably the
best drilled men. and were applauded by
spectators from oil parts Of the field.
IN THE MCsIC HALL.
In TIE Music Hall there existed discord. At
noon the MINISTRIES said they were entitled to
play. and the management for w. Il. Davis.
tie negro tragedian. said they were the peo-
pie. The minstres took possession and kept
the hall an hour, after which Davis attempted
10 essay the parts OF Richard III. aud
OthellO. Had he been Booth or q Barrett
he would have failed. for Just
about the time he would declaim.
'rd rather be dog and nay the moon"
one OF the numerous bands about the
building would render with forte effect the
star Spangled Banner" or the WashingtO-
mans in the room above would cut the atInos-
phere into small bits by yelling over their We
tory Nine Smallwood also attempted 10
sing selection from Ernani, but the halls
acoustics are not built for a sopranos voice
A band of nifty pieces sounds we'll IN the
place but one single. solitary soprano be-
comes but n faint echo before 1t gets down to
a Il Al. Il.