The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-09-28
STREET FAIR SOAKED.
Emporia Enterprise Receives a Sc
we're Backset-

H0I0 0dCh5Ot
Especial to the State Journal.)
Emporfa, Sept 2S.-This city had two un-
expected visitations Thursday. One was
welcome, the other was not The first
was Governor Stanley He was well
coined although preceded and followed by
the other, which was heavy rain that
robbed the street fair of its glory.
The greetings to the governor and other
visitors were in the signs, everywhere,
bearing this legend:
welcome to A. L. To-
Interpreted this means: welcome to
A Live Town.
Last year Emporia had one of the best
street fairs in Kansas. This year the
preparations were more elaborate and
everything promised to eclipse the record
of last years success Four blocks Of
booths occupied the center and each side
of the principal street Band stands were
located at convenient distances; a pal
ace of Kaffir corn stood at the principal
corner, in the center of the street; the
booths were drape1 and decorated, when
came the rain.
Then Emporia's streets ran red, then
blue. And, as the colors from the deco
rations were rushed along to the sea-
streams of muddy water followed. The
beauty of the booths was gone; the wan
behind office stoves and by the exercise of
vigorous powers of description applicable
to such conditions These people had
worked for weeks to put other street fairs
into insignifcance, but the unprecedented
rains robbed them of success by destroy
public-spirited citizens.
The merry-go-round man sat glumly
among his nOn-earning horses and char
lots. The peanut vendor used his gaso-
line. roaster to warm his hands. The
but no audience The takers were silent;
the hot candy. man got out Of sight; the
slack wire performer shivered in the rain,
and all other enterprises were handi-
capped, but everybody studied the skies
and hoped for better things from the
weather clerk.
Three o'clock Thursday brought no ces-
afTa1 Saon n fb tne raip; M Money Was needed to
the days features; also those carried over
from + m, Weddnesday ed ltyhd The business men % put
apart for the fair close with dark and
forbidding clouds above and pools OF mud
Into the midst of a big crowd. which
had half diminished compared with
Wednesday, Governor Stanley landed at
noon, having stopped OF for two hours
on his way to Newton.
After lunch, as the guest of Q. NJ. VIII
hite, the originator of the "a. L. t.
motto the governor was escorted to, the
an Teo reoepion as beId % wneFs
governor to be taken to call on the wo-
men of the Methodist church, who had
a dinner and bazaar near. The remainder
of the EmpoTia visit was spent in hand
Leroy. a brother of the ex-governor,
shook hands with Mr.. Stanley. The greet
ing was cOTQ1al-
The Lyon county headquarters for the
Republicans are the largest in the state,
being located in a store room on the main
street.
Going to Emporia, a crowd of Reading
young men, who were good singers, en-
tertained the people in the car. The
young men greeted Mr.. Stanley and soon
after shook hands and said goodby. They
preceded the governor from the train, and
as he stepped to the platform gave three
cheers for the governor" which were
augmented by the crowds meeting the
train. Mr.. Stanley stood in the pouring
rain to shake hands