The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-10-02
MANY WERE HERE

terday were:
A. I. d :. F.....................,... &.
Missouri Pacific. :;
Wichita & Western. ............. II
Total. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 81
There were eleven special trains that
came into Wichita yesterday besides the
regular trains. Each regular train car
ried extra coaches. The agents for the
different lines say there were fully
10000 who came in yesterday, besides
those VINO have been here all the week
1t was the day of days. 1t was the
crowd Of crowds. They were all good
natured and there was no restriction
put on their actions. The latch string
was out and the keys were thrown
away.
The visitors were soon made 20 feel {
home. Everybody was trying TO make
the last day one 10 be remembered and
there is no question but what expecta-
tons We're exceeded beyond any realiza-
ton.
were so many Of them that they carried
everything before them. The streets
were thr0nged all during the day. By
early dawn the early trains brought
thousands into the city and il was not
long after they arrived that they sought
out the principal streets. Al noon it
was hardly possible to get along the
1horoughfares. It was hot, dusty and
the air was sitting but the people only
laughed, showed and pushed in :, good
natured way, stepped on each others
toes and waited patiently 10 reach their
destination, if they mad any particular
place 10 go.
EARLY MORNING SCENE.
The scenes leading up to the day we're
akin to the gathering Of the Pilgrims
around Jerusalem on Christmas eve.
Far out on the unbroken stretches of
Kansas prairies the caravans of wagons
reached, not camels, but Studebakers.
The night was one Of those crisp au-
tunnal ones, with just a faint sugges-
ton of frost in the air, Frightening the
naked stars ana gliding the new moon
with a brighter gold All over the
SINE travelling on through the night
NTH revelry, others camping at the side
Of the road in the deep. black shadows
Of the hedges. Before daylight even the
campers from far removed counties
were up and with rattle OF traces and
dou5le-trees were off again bound for
the city. On the hill to the east the
procession filed down into the great Ar
kansas valley, still obscured in the i'm
palpable dust raised the day before and
hanging there as If forever, oblitera ting
trees, and houses and covering every
thing at the sides Of the streets where
it arose, ghosl-like, at every touch OF
bicycle or foot, to say nothing of heavy
vans.
How the people managed TO store
themselves away in the city is a Won
der. BY daylight the streets were full.
BY O'Clock the crowd had not percepi-
IDLY increased although the trains had
begun - pour on. their long stream Of
humanity. This failure Of the crowd t.
increase was because of the drain al
ready being made by the street cars and
hacks. Dilepidated as the vehicles Of
sportatioh were, and particularly
the street cars. they managed TO stay
on their wheels and on the track and
loaded to the roofs. started off for the
fair grounds. action and motion usually
being obtained by the whole crowd tee
tering at the start. 1t was a hetero-
geneous mass Of people. There were ali
kinds Of physiognomies. some adorned
with hirsute fringe OF ali colors, others
with clean shaved faces but black,
most OF them, from the dust.
The crowd began TO go out 10 the
grounds a. an early hour. Every street
car was brought into reauisition, but
they could not begin 10 accommodate the
throng. Every hack in the city had en-
gagements from IL o'clock until 8. All
The livery stables had their rigs rented.
There were hundreds OF private convey
ances, wagons, covered spring wagons
and every conceivable thing that had
wheels was being used. Even with this
array of vehicles a great many who had
rot made provisions before got disguised
and walked cut The streets up town
were comfortably filed all during the
afternoon, although there were $4,000
people on the IdlI x OuluS. otl many u
the cars men and boys climbed up on the
roof and sat there in the no, sun. They
were bound to get there some way md
they did not care how.
AT THE FAIR GROUNDS.
While Bryan was speaking al the fair |
il is estimated that fully 10000 /
we're on the grounds and while ne was |
speaking, 70 the rear Of The grand stand |
and all over the grounds were 10 be seen |
human beings being jostled about. They |
swarmed in and out OF the tents. build |
ngs and booths. The big open fields just |
after entering the gates were filed with |
.eams. Men and women were 20 be seen |
II all hours Punching cakes and other |
satables Others found solace in liquid /
A few got too much.
Women were 10 be seen carrying chill
iren on their arms. Both looked jade5 |
md worn out Men carried their coats
IN their arms and with their handker-