The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-09-28
FORMAL OPENING.

At II o'clock the formal opening took
place. y procession was formed. with
superintendent Harding mounted on a
fine black horse leading. Behind him
came the Hartford COrnet band, seven
teen men, with handsome uniform OF
buff and gold trimmings Behind these
marched the boys and girls from the
Soldiers Orphans school, headed by
their fine band, composed of little fell
lows from eight to fifteen years and
including twenty pie 'es. The Juvenile
band was dressed L. regular army
musicians uniform, with the two white
stripes on the trousers, although most
of the musicians wore kniCkcrbockers
The remainder of the boys about
eighty, were attired i'm the United
States army uniforms with their ofl-
GERS appropriately attired. The girls Of
the school were neatly uniformed also,
some wearing blue and white and
others pink and white dresses. They
had their officers also. =.
After this came the judging Of
horses. The equine aristocracy were
driven into the enclosure, and there
put through their PAGES for the en-
lightenment of the judges and the edi-
fication of the spectators, who in i'm
mense numbers pressed forward on the
ropes. The candidates for red and blue
| awards were either led, driven singly
| or in pairs around a miniature ring of
about 800 feet while they We're under
| the keen eyes of the umpire. This was
done in every case, and as every class
had numerous entries it took nearly
two and half hours to get it through.
The immense dining hall on the
grounds, as well as the one outside,
We're taxed to their utmost. The one
inside has its own equipment of crock
cry, spoons and table furniture of all
kinds, marked in light green letters
| Hartford Fair Society,"" This saloon
| seats nearly 200 persons and as it was
crowded for several hours there must
| have been many hundred diners in It.
| The walters were the best-looking
girls of the locality, and despite the
great rush. did their duty to their GUS
| toners we'll.
iITCHING CONTEST.
After dinner the first event I'm the
arena was a hitchinG contest for wo-
| men. The conditions were that the
| woman who could first harness, hitch
| to wagon and drive horse should re-
ceive a premium of So and the second
| quickest, SO. There were six con-
| testants, one of them a miss about 13
years old, the only child. The horses
were denuded of every bit of harness
and the fair contestants stood with
the head harness in her hands when
the word was given. The winner Of
the first premium, Mrs. S. A. Breese,
of Afford, did the stipulated work and
cracked her whip and said "Gee-dap,"
| in just one minute and ten seconds.
The next in readiness was Grace
Stearns, of Brooklyn, and the third
was the little girl, who was badly
handicapped by her inability to reach
up TO the tall horse she was trying
TO dress. Letha French, of Jackson,
was her name, and it seemed as il she
was entitled TO a special premium for
her ability, under the circumstances.
The next in order was a drill by the
boys from the orphan school. They
were divided into two companies of
forty each, one of small and one of
large boys, and gave fine drill, under
Military Instructor Bambrick, Before
| Al, sl-lII . Ii,