The Portland daily press., 1898-09-05
NEW ENGLAND FAIR.
There was Loss of $4,000 This
Year.

the Missing Pool Box.
"Did Rigby make any money out OF
the New England fairP"
| There was time when question ike
this would be unnecessary for the Rlgpy
management used to look to the Ne"
England fair to square up the dehoits Oh
the trotting meetings. But this year bne
conditions have been reversed. Inc falr
left lot of unpaid bills that will either
have to be made up out of the profiss OF
the grand circuit meeting, this month, or
Maid out of the pockets of the generous
Portland men who have year after year
stood behind the Rigby bookkeepers and
settled all outstanding bills that the track
receipts were insufficient to meet.
| 1t it too early to find out just how the
New England fair accounts are going to
foot up. There are rebates to come in
from the railroads, quite a number OF
bills due the association and grist of
bills to be paid. At the Rigby office any
inquiry about the financial standing of
the fair is in vain, for the gentlemen
there are wisely keeping their own coun-
sci till the records are all complete.
From an outside source, however, 1t is
learned that the big fair lacked about
SIC. 900 of paying its expenses.
This showing on the wrong side of the
ledger is not due to any lack of advertis-
ing; or to any Encouragement, but to
combination of circumstances such as had
never before been encountered by the New
England Agricultural society since it
brought it's annual show to Portland,
four years ago.
There is nothing quite so dependent on
weather condi lions as cattle show and
fair. The New England fair this year
ran up against thunder showers one day,
q drizzle on the next and driving storm
another day. These three unfayorable
days were in the middle of the week,
when the largest attendance was ex-
pected. The first day of fair never
amounts to great deal so Tar as gate re-
csipts are concerned. The fair had only
one really big day.
luOs0 5GUfluS ItdQ0 d ulACEcuCc VI
ully &c., with as. was the statement
made by one of the managers of the fair.
after the thing was over, and nobody ex-
pressed any doubt about it.
The disappearance of Cashier Gibson of
the pool box syndicate, with about S22,-
stormy day. brought further loss on the
association. The afternoon that Gibson
allied to show up at the appointed time,
MIR. Clancy, who had general charge of
the pools, tried to soothe the disappoint-
ment aud anger of the sporting fraternity
who had put up money on the races. He
said Gibson had a way of disappearing,
now and then, when he had been drink.
| ing little, but that he had always re-
turhed with the money entrusted to his
care. Mr.. Clancy seemed to have not the
! least doubt that every dollar of the miss
ing s22, 600 was safely housed somewhere,
and would be paid over to ticket holders
the next day. The selling of pools was
temporarily suspended to give the miss
ing cashier chance to return from his
supposed spree.
| The next afternoon came without bring
| ing back the pool box cashier or his
holdings. Mr.. Clancy still chung to the
theory that Gibson would come back
with the money, but the week wore on
and the big fair came to close without
realization of Mr.. Clancy's hope.
The day before Cashier Gibson skipped
out with the s22, 900 Thomas j. O'Neil,
q well known Portland man. who was
experimenting the pool selling, was
warned by shrewd Portlander to keep
his eye on Gibson and the funds. Mr..
O'Neil saw the point and going to Mr..
| Clancy he said: "Clancy, I shall hold
you responsible for this money over
night
"Ail right" replied Mr.. Clancy, II
will look out for it"
Mr.. O'Neil was sorrowful, the next day
when Gibson was missing. He made a
personal hunt for the cashier and kept
up the chase about town till the end OF
the week visiting every place where 1t
was thought Gibson might have wan
dsred. After the fair was over MIR. 'ONe1l
started out on tour of the big race
tracks of the country hoping to locate the
much wanted cashier. His quest has been
| in vain.
It is unofficially announced that If
pools are sold at the grand circuit meet
ing, next week, there will be an entirely
new deal in the pool room, and that no
one man will be allowed to handle the
funds without having given bond sufti-
GENTLY large to preclude the possibility
of apy loss to ticket holders or the track.