The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-10-25

The crowd at the Fair Grounds yester-
day numbered many thousands-just how
many nobody was able to tell exactly, but
the most conservative estimates placed it
at 5000.
The day was perfect. 1t was full orbed,
without even nick or crumple in the rim.
The shower of the night before had
washed the atmosphere free of dust and
hung it out to dry in brilliant morning
SUM- crisp breeze came out of the
north, where far away the blue edge of
Infringing hills cut the still bluer sky,
and made the blood of those who went
early to the grounds Jingle and bound in
the veins. AS the morning grew toward
noon the temperature rose to almost sum-
mer height, but there was absolutely
nothing to mar the day or jar the nerves
with incongruities. 1t seemed as If every
body was there, and nobody was out of
humor or bored.
1t was a crowd on pleasure bent-light-
hearted, good-natured and jolly-ready
always for that which could amuse and
seeking ever for a fresh sensation.
Did you ever watch such a crowd? II
not, go today; take your seat at the
Southern end of the grand stand and look
toward the entrance gate. You will see
an imposing spectacie-a seethlng cur
rent of humanity, whirling in curious
eddies with the overflow ever beating at
the entrance of the various attractions
along the midway" Bright colors are
everywhere, the waving plumes and warm
tints of women's hats contrasting with
the soberer colors of mems attire. On
top of the human current there floats the
ever-present toy balloons, bobbing over
the crowd like huge red apples.
Fair crowd is restless as the sea.
Like the sea it suggests tremendous ac-
b tiyity going to waste. The multitude of
sight-seers marches and then counter
marches-from exhibition hall to grand
stand and back again. At the former
place it goes in at one door and comes
out at another; it wanders upstairs, and
then wanders down again; then 1t parades
in loose order back toward the grand
stand; it walks around in circles and
doubles on its own track, seemingly never
arriving anywhere or finding that for
which it is vaguely searching.
Thus State Fair, seen from the south
end of the grand stand, is chaos. 1t is
huge stewing mass of humanity, far
from home and dizzy with the noise and
flash of it all, until apparently they for
When bees become foolish and break
out in a swarm some one has to beat
a pan to induce them to get together and
quiet down. Perhaps that's why the
fakirs make so much noise in front of
their shows, using horns and megaphones
and bells and drums and other things
anything in fact that will make a noise
You come down from your point of obser-
walton and join the crowd. Even to reach
the ground you must elbow your way
through wedge of people that fills the
seats and aisles and stairways every
inch of space in the grand stand. When
you reach mother earth you are not much
better off, The whole line of march is
in a seething uproar. Peddlers cry
their wares fruit vendors call for GUS
toners, lemonade sellers depict the vir-
tues of their beverage and fakirs grow
eloquent in the description of the mys-
teries hidden inside their booths.
Now and then as you rush along or
stand OPEN outhed before some fakir
YOU catch the eye of some fellow whose
smile gives you the shameful suspicion
that he is amused to see folk make such
fools of themselves. You charge 1t up
against him, slip sheepishly away to lind
yourself straightway doing the same thing
over again at the next place that strikes
your fancy.
This time you do not stand still for
your friend ito catch you and smile again
You force yourself through the jam, pay
your money and get inside the booth.
Already it is full; men compressed to-
gether. elbow to elbow listening to a
girl in abbreviated skirts singing in
high cracked voice. A peroxide fright
on your right offers to tell your fortune
while long haired one on the left wishes
to sell you the picture of your future
wife.
You go out again into the dust and
heat, and fall into the procession-a pro-
cession that is going both ways at once.
Which way, you care not. You drift
with the tide of daft humanity. You
are one of an irresolute throng. rushing