The Portland daily press., 1894-09-14

1 a Long Alsb OF frem1umS Awarded on
Stock--The Procession Occurred Yes
| terday-The Fair OficiaIs Excluded a
Midway PIaisance Attraction From the
Grounds.
The management of Gorham Fair evident
ly made special arrangements with the
| weather bureau for fine weather this week
and the bureau certainly have lived
up to their contract.
| more perfect day for fair than yester-
day could not be made, and brought with it
the inevitable result, grand attendance.
| The 945 train from this city left with a
large delegation of our people which was
| largely added to at the various stations be
| tween Portland and Gorham. The grounds
at II o'clock contained hundreds of people
who spent their time visiting the various
exhibits and amusements.
| At IL o'clock there was procession OF all
the premium stock at the fair. The splen-
did appearance of the stock fully verified
the statements made by he directors Tues
day, that the entries were the best ever
/ seen at Gorham. The procession was
headed by the Presumpscot band, a barge
| containing the officers Of the association and
| ladies' followed. Then came number Of
pretty ponies drawing many children. The
horses were neat and noble specimens of
the equine race. Among them was the
| long named horse, a beautiful bay,
who evidently appreciated his triumphnal
| march around the track. Behind the horses
came prettily decorated float loaded with
vegetables and fruit. Flooding along in the
rear of this float came the cattle, their
horns decorated with their red, white and
| blue certificates of excellenoy. The last
| portion of the procession was devoted to
sheep and poultry.
| During the morning considerable excite
ment was caused by a horse attached to
Bickfords' Ice cart running away. The
| animal was going at a terrific pace, and
| dashed in among a number of teams. Fortu-
nately the occupants escaped with but
slight injuries. the teams did not fare so
we'll. however. two or threesof them being
reduced to kindling wood.
| Space forbids us mentioning all the ex-
| hibits, but that of Mr.. Frank C. Harding is
| certainly deserving of special mention. 1t
| consists of fruit and farm products and. has
| been engaged for the Rochester fair.
| The Kanta Kanta dancers were seen We'd
| nesday by the .seleetmen of Gorham, who
| Immediately came to the conclusion that
| although such things might have been
! allowed on the Midway Plaisance, that it
was little too speedy for country fair and
as result the fair grounds were minus one
| attraction @ yesterday.
FINISHING THE s.45 CLASS.
Atss..2.3O the unfinished 2.45 class was
called. and the three eligible horses, May
| Gift. Edwin R. and Nelmah. came for the
| word.
| Considerable interest was manifested in
| the.outcome of this race owing to the close
ness of the heats on Wednesday, and the
| heat which finished the race was the most
| exciting Of all. For the first half the horses
| were neck and neck, then Edwin r. broke
| badly and was out of it.. Nelmah and May
| Gift were Keeping on very Keen terms, but
! just before entering the stretch. Nelmah
| went into the air, and before he regainsd
| his feet. May Gift had forged ahead too far
| to be overtaken, and came first with Nelma
second and Edwin r., strong third. May
| Gift thereby winning the heat, race and
| first money; Nelmah second money and
Edwin r. third money. Time. quarter
3S l-2, half 11.7 ll-2, three-quarters l.57 1-2,
mile 1856.
THE 2.26 TROT.
| The first regular raoeswas the 2.26 class
for purse of $3.50. It brought out the
| followings horses: Combine. Fanny W.,
| Currier, Royal Wilkes and Marcus.
| A penalty of ten dollars for scoring ahead
of tie pole horse finally got the heat
started. This heat was the most exciting of
| thesweek, during the first half the fight was
\ between Marcus and Currier. AS they
| swung into the stretch they were all to-
- l.
| imagined. Currier was first, Fanny W.
second, Marcus third, Royal Wilkes fourth
| and.Combine fifth. Time, ,.:2.27.
| A good even start marked the second
| heat, but the winner could easily be picked
at the end of the half mile, for Royal
| Wilkes who could do no better.than fourth
! in the previous heat ran away from the field
and finished first with a long lead, Currier
second, Fanny W. third and Marcus fourth.
Time 2.27.
| At the close of this heat the Whifit dogs
| gave their usual interesting exhibition.
| The third heat was delayed somewhat by
| a couple of men who wanted to fight before
| an audience. The crowd collected all right,
but the fight was indefinitely postponed.
1t looked as though Royal Wilkes had an
| easy thing In the first half, but after
making break he lost his advantage. 1t
was any body's race In the stretch. and the
leaders finished well together. Currier was
first. Combine second, Marcus third and
| Fanny ". fourth. Time. 2.30.
| Talk about kick! Well, perh apps the
! fourth heat didn't develop one. After
| scoring several times, some one said, go"
Just who said it is in doubt, and this is
| what raised the rumpus. After the horses
| had almost got to the turn the bell sounded
| to recall them. Two horses turned back,
| the others going the full mile. Into the
stretch they came, Combine and Currier
neck and neck. Just before they reached
| the.wire Combine foLled Currier and came
| in first. In less than thirty seconds the
judges stand was surrounded .by a couple
of hundred men all talking together and
waving whips, hats and canes. The excite
ment Of the crowd soon subsided. The
starter claimed he did not give the wcrd,
but started to and did not finish it. The
drivers all claimed to have heard the word
from the starter. The judges decided that
| the word was not given from the stand, and