The herald., 1894-04-01
BIGGEST CROWD OF ALL
CHRONICLE DAY AT THE MID.
WINTER FAIR.
School Children Given the Treat o
Their Lives-MOre Than Ninety
Thousand Admissions-The
Record Broken.

SAN FRANCISCO, March 31.-No such
crowd of people ever assembled west of
the Rocky mountains as that which
fiocked to the midwinter fair today.
Ninety thousand and ninety seven was
the number registered by the turnstiles
between o'clock this morning and 10 at
night. Under the auspices OF the
Chronicle the school children OF this
city, Oakland and Alameda were ad-
mitted free of charge: Private and pub
lie schools were well represented, as were
the orphan asylumH aud other charita-
BILE institutions. The crowd was not
confined to children alone, as thousands
OF grown per-ons went out to see the fun
and look after the youngsters. Not an
accident of q serious nature was re-
ported, and though dozens OF little ones
were lost; they were rounded up by the
police and guards and restored to their
friends. The strain on the cable sys-
TENS leading to the park was too much
and two OF them broke down during the
day.
The public school children have
already had day at the fGir under the
patronage Of the Examiner, when TO-
coo children saw the fair. Today all the
schools of the state were included in the
! invitation extended by the Chronicle.
1t is safe to say that the largest crowd of
juvenile humanity ever brought together
ON the Pacific coast was that which
from the early morning hours until
afternoon thronged through the big
fair. An elaborate programme OF ath-
letics and music had been prepared for
the amusement OF the children and
refreshments of fruit, crackers, soda and
the like were at the free disposal OF all.
The managers OF the Southern Cali
fornia building had a busy afternoon
treating the children with oranges. At
2 O'Clock, the hour set for distributing
fruit every available foot of space in
the building was occupied and the ave-
nue. leading up from the grand court to
the entrance to the building was black
with people. There was big stand in
front of the building on which was
piled box after box OF luscious navel
oranges. The children were formed in
line and passed from the building
through q long chute, which had been
erected in front of the stand. Four po-
lice officers were on hand to keep the
crowd in line, while two men
from the building handed out
the oranges as the eager children
passed by the stand. Fifteen thousand
oranges were given away and the Ekins
form a trail from any part of the
grounds to the southern counties build
ing. The proceedings we're watched with
interest by hundreds of people who stood
outside the line until all the fruit had
been distributed.
There were some funny incidents con-
nected with the distribution. A mum.
Der OF grown people forced their way
into the line in the expectation OF get
ting oranges, but the southerners, from
previous experiences on similar oc-
casions, were prepared for them, and
each Of the adults were handed q
diminutive green lime, to the greas
amusement Of the spectators.
When the crowd of little people be-
came quite unmansgeable, Superintend
ent Frank Wiggins OF tie Southern Cali
fornia building put up a job on hia
neighbor, Clio Lloyd, who has charge of
the Santa Barbara pyramid. Virgins
told the youngsters that Lloyd had sew
eral carloads of walnuts expressly for
them. The announcement was followed
by wild rush to the pyramid. Lloyd
family inquired to what he owed the
honor of this unexpected onslaught.
Before the visit was explained to him
there WAS not walnut left ia sight.