The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-09-19
How They Went to the Gray Fair and
What They Saw.
THE OXEN STOPPED THE PULLING
BY SMASHING THE DRAG.
A Horse Auction, Bicycle Races and a
Funny Three Mile Dash on the Pro-
gramme-More of the Premiums-Ned
Allen Winner of the 2.27 Trot.
ESPECIAL TO THE TREss.l

ESPECIAL TO THE TRESs.I
Gray, September 1S.-The young men
and maidens came to the fair in great
numbers today and in the early morning
the roads were alive with the buggies
each containing couple of young people.
There were Jimmie and Jane for instance
who started early because they had ten
mile drive to get here, and this is the
way they spent the day. Jimmie left the
horse and buggy among scores of other
teams which lined the fences inside and
outside the grounds, and then Jimmie
and Jane started out to see the sights.
To begin with the local base ball nine
was playing the aggregation from East
Raymond known as the Red Stripes, and
Judging from the cries of the crowd it
was hotly contested game 1t began
early in the morning and lasted until
noon the Red Stripes winning % to IL.
Then there were the pulling matches
and as several pairs of oxen which had
distinguished themselves at Rigby and
Gorham were in the lists, the interest
was high, The spectators included
all ages. There was the gray beard who
told of the matches in which he had
driven years ago and beside him was
young lady from Portland, whose tailor
made costume was conspicuous among
the black and brown coats. She probably
did not know as much about pulling
matches as the old gentleman, but she
seemed to take as keen an interest in the
proceedings The oxen had their revenge
this morning upon the owners who put
| them into the matches and so disturb
their enjoyment of the fair. Charles Hall
| of Windham and James Thombs of
Harrison, with their big fellows in the
class for oxen over ~ feet, had yanked
| the drag short distance. the oxen
straining at the heavy load to the usual
| chorus Of EWhoa hish buck, " Gee
STAR" and stA-line.'' After Mr..
| Thombs's pair had finished six oxen We're
| fastened to the drag to pull it back to the
starting place, and they pulled to such
good purpose that they yanked it apart in
the middle. thus earning rest until
| new drag could he procured.
This was the day of the bicycle race,
and the popularity of the new stecd was
shown Indirectly in another way for Mr..
Silas Adams of West Gray put up several
the track and they we're knocked down at
prices which few years ago would have
been thought very low for we'll bred
| horses A four year old brought $65,
proud stepping youngster of two years, a
| handsome, dark gray, Went for SS15 o,
and a black mare, three year old. was
sold for just $50, the bids creeping up
little by little to $45, and then being
raised by half dollars until the $50 was
reached.
But James and Jenny are more inter
ested perhaps in the fakirs who have
received accessions to their ranks since
Yesterday The man with the honey
combed, double jointed bricks of popcorn
| is here and he is still CLOSING EN- out
regardless of cost" just as he was at
| Gorham-of course James gives Jenny a
| ride on the steam horses which is
rendered the more enjoyable by bag of
peanuts. They also go to see that wonder
which is positively the only sea lion on
| the grounds 10 Prof. Bristol is here
with his wonderful horses and SO is the
young lady who tells the past, present
and future, love, Sickness business secrets
| true and false friends, all for quarter
of dollar Then there is the tent which
contains the cat, not the celebrated at
1 which came back, but one that talks,
sings and scolds as the posters announce,
I and Mr.. Edison's phonograph displaying,
h"The Sidewalks of New York. and
ltsOnly One Girl in the World for Me, !"
which Jennie thinks is lovely. So James
and Jenny have plenty TO Keep IheIn BUSY
| until the racesAbegin anu then they see
| lots of fun.
| The Cumberland Centre band is here
and makes things lively to begin with.
Then the bicycle racers take the track
and ais Jane, in common with many Of
the other young women at the show has
never seen race on the silent steeds she
is much interested. There are two events,
the free-for-all and the race for the boys
| of, GRAY. both of them mile dashes. In
the free-for-all George Sanborn, o. L.
Leighton. A. H. Clough, Harlan
Skillings, Don Gushing, W. Leighton