Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-11-23
5000 PEOPLE
Attend the Opening Night Of
Knights Temp!ar Fair.
The Coliseum the Scene Of Pleasant
est Gathering for Years.
And Everyone consratuIates the Sir knights
on Their Success.


last evening, when 5000 people crowded
into the Coliseum and passed within
the walls of that building one - the
pleasantest evenings of their lives.
Everybody knew that the fair COM
mittee and every Knight Templar in
the city had labored long and faithfully
for the success of their initial effort in
the fair line. Everybody knew that
the fair was bound to be a success. 1t
couldn'e be different, but the most san
guine never for a moment had the
slightest idea that the fair was to be
such a pronounced success on the
opening night.
1t seemed, indeed, that the people of
Gardiner had one and all left their
homes and gathered at the Coliseum.
1t looked as though they had all by
mutual consent assembled there to help
a noble order in noble cause.
No more characteristic audience ever
gathered in Gardiner. The rich, the
common feeling in their hearts, with
one concentrated common purpose-to
aid the knights Tempiar in furnishing
Masonic block.
That this block. which by the way
is one of the handsomest in the State,
will be furnished royalty, no one
doubts who looked upon the immense
concourse of people in the Coliseum,
last evening.
The hall itself was handsomely deco
rated. 1t was clothed more prettily
than ever before. The Stars and
Stripes were everywhere. they waved
their tidings of peace. They had a
magical effect upon the people there
with a sense of patriotism and made
picture that will not soon be forgot
ten. The background to this patriotic
bunting was a forest of fir trees that
were naturally placed between the
beams and the ceiling.
Along the sides and at each end of
the hall were pretty booths, presided
over by Gardeners prettiest. 1t was
said that he who found himself in close
proximity to these booths afterwards
found that he had parted with more or
less ,of his roll. But then it all was
going for the X. T. fair and that made
great big difference. No one COM
planned.
On the left as one enters the hail. he
is confronted by a closed booth with
an opening at the center. This is la
belled Fish Pond and those that
have cast their lines here say that they
had very good success. In the next
booth Webber Bros. exhibit a hand
some stock of glass and China ware,
and a few glistening articles of tin
ware.
Balls corsets in the third booth from the
entrance. These are handsomely ar
the decorations of the hall which Mr..
Studley superintendent. This booth is
attracting lot of deserved attention.
S. d. Libby, the Gardiner furrer, has
the next booth. 1t is dressed in all kinds
of furS, some costly, some more common.
The sealskin and the otter is exhibited
here, and also the common furs of this
State. a handsome novelty of Mr.. Lib
by's booth is a deer head, From the
prongs of the antlers protrude little
dainty colored electric lights. This is the
work of Homer r. Hill and is decides
novelty that attracted considerable at
tention and praise.
Then there is the kitchen booth, where
everything that pertains to the cook
room can be found.
The fancy article booth is presided over
by Mrs. S. w. Cults, Mrs. Melvin Pow
ers and Mrs. Elmer Beede The fancy
articles that have from time to time been
presented to the X. r. fair by the fair
ladies of Gardiner are shown here and
are greatly admired especially by the
feminine sex.
The chatting dish booth is prettily deco
rated with blue and white bunting and is
presided over by Miss Zelda Phillips, Mrs.
f. E. Drake, Miss Edith Lander, Della
Swain and Misses Fannie Ring and Josie
Shepard.
Then there is the reception parlor, the
ice cream, apron and flower booths, the
booth where all the good homemade pre-
serves are to be found, the candy and
the grocery store. In short, there are
booths where anything from a barrel Of
flour to paper of pins can be purchased,
and all these are looked after by fair
salesladies who will see that no one IS
sighted.
The programme, last evening, was en-
Joyed by all. 1t was a fine entertainment
and one that reflected much credit on the
amateur persons that participated The
Augusta Female Minstrels were present
and they managed to keep the large au-
dience in one continual burst of merri-
ment. They were very funny and they
cracked several jokes on Gardiner people
that were greatly appreciated. The bio
graph proved to be even better enter
tainer than the management predicted.
The whole entertainment was great
success and the Knights Templar are TO
be congratulated on their success, sue
cess that was won by their popularity,
coupled with unceasing iabors
This evening, the famous National
Home Orchestra will render concert,
and it is predicted that the success of
the first evening will ha dI1nIiootad