Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1900-08-16
FROM PARIS
EXPOSITION DOES NOT COMPARE
WELL ". CHI-z.1O FAIR.
ATTENDANCE VERY LIGHT
admission Tickets Reduced to Cents
Fail to Draw Crowi-ConcessiO
aires Suffering Severely and Threat
ened with Disaster - Results OF
Olympian Games as Expected.
Special Correspondence.

Paris, July 20.-Ihe OlympI3n
games have come to an end, and as
was confden.-F expected, the Amerl-
cans carried away the majority Of the
prizes. Out Of Is events called world
championships, the Americans won
ten, the English two and Hungarian
one. Including these Is events there
were 24 events which were run off
without handicaps. OF these the Amer
leans won IL In the handicap events
the Americans were not so fortunate,
as the handicapping was such that
there was no chance for them TO win.
In the Marathon race, which was one
of the big events, and the only Amerl-
can TO finish came in fourth. Last Fri
day evening the officials Of the Racing
club of France, at the grounds OF
which the games were held, gave din
ner to all the visiting athletes.
Speeches were made by representatives
OF the teams from different countries
and prizes that had been won in the
events which had taken place were dis
tributed. The prizes were in most
cases beautiful and costly works Of
art, and some of the American Win
ners were seen TO look rather dubious.
Iy at some of the huge pieces Of hand
painted china etc, as if they Won
dered what they could do with them
if by any lucky chance they SUCCEEDED
in getting them across the ocean safe
~ and without bankrupting themselves
to pay freight charges. In the Mara
thOn race the first three prizes were
given by Graham & Co., silversmithS.
None of the prizes were in money, as
the meet was entirely for amateurs; at
least that was supposed to be the case,
although no measures were taken by
the officers Of the Racing club to find
out whether or not those competing
were really amateurs. One thing no.
ticeable was the marked difference IN
the apparent ages Of the different attn
Ietes. All the Americans were young
and clean shaver while many OF those
from the continent looked old enough
to be their fathers.
The American athletes were given
dinner Monday evening, the 23d, by
Commissioner General Peek at the Ma
tional pavilion. Besides the athletes,
who numbered about 70, there were
present General Horace T. Porter, Hon.
Chauncey NJ Eepew, ali the national
commissioners who were in town and
the heads OF the departments. In all
about $50 were present. After the din
ner was ended Mr.. Peck arose and con-
graduated the athletes on their success
in the meet and introduced Gen. POr-
ter, who made a short speech in which
he also congratulated the Americans.
After his speech there were short re-
marks by the representatives Of the
different colleges and by the officers OF
the Racing club of France, who spoke
in French. The last speech was by
Senator DepeW. and after a few funny
remarks his speech drifted into the
subject Of expansion, and he declared
his advocacy of the present policy Oh
the president. After his speech Mr..
Peck rose and closed the program for
the evening by wishing the athletes
continued good luck. He then thanked
the assembled company for its presence
and wished them good night. All the
athletes of international fame were
there except Kraenzlein. Chicago uni
versity was represented by four men
and Michigan university by five.