The Press., 1897-10-14

point of attendance in the history of the Stafford Springs Agricultural Society was held.
 Tuesday, the first day of the fair, the attendance was small. The weather was good, an attractive program was arranged, but the people did not come. Liberal prizes were offered for bicycle riding, but the riders did not come. There was not rider in the professional class who had ever been heard of before. In the ama- teur class there were more entries, but even these did not draw the riders as the liberality of the prizes offered would seem to warrant. Lovers of the wheel regret that the crowd was so small the first day.
 Wednesday, the second day, dawned clear and warm. This was the day that everybody and all their friends got there. Conservative estimates place the crowd at eleven or twelve thousand. Others figure as high as fifteen thousand. Prob ably the actual number was about g, ,O0O In the afternoon both grand stands were filled, mob of people surged up against the fence and platform by the stretch, and there were enough people left in the midway and other parts of the ground to represent what the Rockville fair people would call good crowd.
 Thursday the weather was again pleas ant, and the people attended in goodly numbers. It is estimated that there were about 5000 people present the third day. The large attendance insures the possi- bility"of new grand stand and it is pos sible that when the people come next year they will see new steel frame grand stand, with a seating capacity nearly double that of the two now in use. Some money no doubt will be expended on the track also during the coming year.
 The usual interest in the midway was felt this year, as the crowded condition during the two big days plainly showed. It didnotseem as if there were as many fakirs present as usual. The games of chance were barred except in cases where mer- chandise was the equivalent received by the player. The three-shell artists were here, but as far as can be learned made no attempt to play on the grounds, confining their efforts to those waiting to take the train at FOx's crossing. The Zoo" was easily the leading attraction of the mid way, and deserved to be. This aggrega- tion contained 8 collection of animals worth going some distance to see. All the animals were good specimens, and the wrestling lion was magnificent Many people felt that the tanners handled the brutes too roughly, but it IS probable that they have to keep the beasts cowed in or der to be able 10 enter the cages The African who entered the cage containing the bears and jackals was especially free with his club, and the animals did their tricks under protest. The lion tanner is an Indian, and life insurance agent who could witness the way the lions reach for him when he leaves the cage would con- sider him very poor risk. The merry go-round was back of the "Zoo," and did a good business all three days. Opposite the ''Zoo" was an aggregation, consisting of a juggler, trapeze artist, fairy, and several white negroes. They gave va- riety show, clean and of some interest. The Atlanta exposition next door to the "Zoo" did not even interest the class of people for whom they catered. Those who took in the tent that contained the