The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-09-19
Managers of the state Fair Account
for the Unusual Crowds in
Several Ways.
ALL DEPARTMENTS IN SHAPE
EXHIBITS THAT ATTRACT THE At
TENTION OF THE PEOPLE.
The Judges Are BusiIy ut Work and
Are Turning out the Awards
i'm Quick Order
To-Day's Fair Programme.

Morning-Show OF light harness, roadster
and carriage horses. Cut-hower snow.
Concert at Art Hall. -
Afternoon-Parade Of horses and cattle,
o'clock Sousa band concert, O'CLOCK.
Races, O'Clock.
Evenings o'clock, .SOusa band concert
Yesterday was the biggest Wednesday in
every way that the Indiana State Fair has
ever had. Never in the history of the fair
have such attractions been offered and
never before was there such large at
tendance. According TO the estimate made
by President Macdonald at $3.50 o'clock In
the afternoon there were between twenty
FIVE and thirty thousand paid admissions
which IS nearly twice the amount of any
previous Wednesday in the history OF the
fair. 1t was a day OF supremest satisfac-
ton to the members of the State Board
of Agriculture; which has been trying for
years to make Wednesday attractive to
the public as Thursday or Friday. The
board attributes the success OF the day
to a number of things. Some say it was
the ideal weather, others argue that it was
the splendid racing card that had much 10
do with the size Of the attendance, but all
agree that while the attractions generally
were the best offered, it was really John
Philip Sousa's great band which proved the
magnet for the larger portion of the big
attendance.
This is borne out by the fact that fully
half of the people who paid admissions
Yesterday did not go out to the fair grounds
until after dinner. the majority arriving
at about leo o'clock, at which time Sousa 5
concert programme was scheduled TO com
mence. Again during the brief hour and
a half that SOusa conducted his band of
splendid musicians the big grand stand
which holds 1900 people was crowded to its
utmost capacity and the space reserved
Immediately in the rear and on both sides
of the music stand was literally cOngested
with people. but the moment the pro-
gramme had been finished the grand stand
was emptied as If by magic and the nlS
silence below dispersed 10 other parts OK
the grounds
WATCHED THE RACES.
Later a big part of the. crowd returned
TO watch the races, and there was time
In the afternoon when the race course was
lined with people five and six deep for as
far as the eye could see.
Notwithstanding. however that there
were thousands of people watching the ex-
hibition of speed on the race course, it is
not TO be conjectured that other portions
OF the fair grounds looked like a wilder
ness There wasn't an exhibit on the
grounds that was not surrounded constant
~ during the day by a crowd OF lnqusItiVe
Spectators that kept those in charge busy
answering the thousand and one questions
which as many different people could think
of. The lunch counters and reireShment
stands also did "A good business, the hot
coffee and sandwich people appearing TO
have shade the best OF IL on account or
The weather The prOprietOrs OF the side
xrrlfr. Ia
once were all smiles. and well they might
be. for the golden harvest commenced COM
ing to their tills early in the morning and
grew larger as the day grew Older.
There was a jam of people in the Art Hall
ali the afternoon the particular attraction
at this place being furnished by the dozen
or more plano exhibitors, who gave a con-
tinuous rag-time concert.
The DAYS programme began al . o'clock
In the morning, several different events
being scheduled for the same hour Hun
.ireds of people who found the morning air
chilly made their way 10 the stables. where
they could stand around in the sun and
watch the fine array of horses as they
,,ranceG before the Judges. or the excellent
heef breeds Of cattle which were led up
md down before the admiring crowd. re-
sulting sometimes in blue. red, or no
There were better horses. and cattle ex-
hibitcd yesterday, II IS said, than ever be-
fore The coach and hackney horses were
especially praised by the crowds for their
superior appearance au1 action. The sad
the eye OF thoroughbred hOrseman. The
beef breeds of cattle received a good deal
of attention from the farmers. and from
these barns the crowd wandered TO the
pens, where swine. so heavy they could not
stand. were trying 10 Keep warm in the
big beds of straw which had been heaped
around them.
HORTICULTURAL DISPLAY.
In horticultural Hall there is a fine show
OF grapes which attracts a good deal OF
attention. There was a special display of
cut flowers in the same building during the
morning. The corn show in the agricul-
tuEal building is another feature which
seemed 10 be greatly appreciated yester-
day. The visitors were numerous and dis
played great deal of interest in the diff
ferent kinds OF corn and the character of
the grain
ance at Sousa's evening concert was not as
large anticipated. Many of those who
attended the fair during the day. however.
remained on the grounds and there were
hundreds OF indianapolis people that drove
out in their carriages after supper. The
street-car service yesterday was especial
y fine and the crowds We're handled in a
most admirable manner. With the excep-
ton OF one or two minor accidents no
trouble was reported on any OF the lines
10 the fair grounds.
Approximating to-day's crowds by those
OF yesterday the fair management believes
that to-days attendance Will be the larg-
est ever or the fair grounds. About 40 OC
people Is the most that has ever attended
the fair ON any one day during previous
seasons, but the management has no hest
fancy IN maintaining that the crowd to-
day VIII surely be in the neighbOrhOOd OF
5000 The show OF light harness horses
rOadsters, carriage teams and saddle horses
VIII beStn at o'clock this morning. A
show OF live stock will be held at the same
time. The third SOusa concert will be Civ
en- at p. m. and Will be followed by the
races The closing Sousa concert Will be
given at O'Clock this evening.