The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-09-26
THOUSANDS AT CUE
BUTCHERS MADE A FINANCIAL
SUCCESS OF THEIR VENTURE.
OMNIPRESENT SMALL BOY
INTERPRETED WITH ARRANGE,
MENTS OF COMMITTEES.

People Were still Coming when the
Rain Began-Everybody in Good
HumOr and Seemingly Having a
Good Time-Butchers Worked like
Beavers to Help the Fun Along.
Boys Climbed i'm windows, Broke
Through the Floor and Overrnn
the whole PIace-Rnin Interferel
with the Programme.
More than 1000 people went out to
the Fair grounds yesterday to take
part in the butchers festivities and
eat barbecue. This is the number Civ
en- out at o'clock and others were
still coming, though the threatening
weather undoubtedly prevented many
from going out at night, and the rain
interfered with the races. From the
moment the grounds were thrown open
in the morning, the people flocked In
in droves, keeping the cars filled,
though extras were running all day.
The estimate of 1000 is exclusive of
the small boy. He was there in ones,
twos, threes and by the hundred. AT
the dinner table lie was there. When
the races began he owned the track.
When the band played, he took all the
music to- himself and for fear anybody
else might enjoy it, he yelled himself
hoarse. He ate until he couldn't eat
any more and then he destroyed what
was left. He broke windows in the
effort to get into the eating room, and
tore up the floor to find another en-
trance. He poured in in swarms and
the pestilence in Egypt was
not circumstance to the small boy at
the barbecue. He simply took pos
session of the grounds, the buildings
and whatever else he saw. Even the
shrine of the Tickle Goddess was not
exempt and though he was barred
from participation in any of the games
of chance, he hung around in festive
punches until the croupiers or some
unlucky votary at the shrine drove
him off with a curse. The man with
the megaphone yelled himself hoarse
in the effort to get him out of the way,
but it never leased him, and the Won
der is that some of them did not over
take the speedy automobiles and hang
on behind. To all appearances there
were nine millions Of them on the
grounds at one time.
The cue started off well. The wait
ers had arranged the viands on the
tables in the Agricultural Building.
and the idea was to let in enough peo-
pie at one time to occupy all the
places, but the small boy settled all
that in short order. There were too
many windows in that building for him
to go to the door. He poured in and
helped himself. He would seize one
piece of meat from one dish, a bit of
potato from another, gouge the center
out of a loaf of bread and then rush
for the ice water barrel to wash 1t all
down. Then he would return to the
attack and select a new part for his
depredations. The result was that he
spoiled dozens of dishes where he was
entitled to only one. When the grown
folks reached the tables they found
nearly everything picked over, and
they then rushed, dish in hand, to the
railing, where the carvers were at work
and begged for something. The work.
men had more than they could attend
to, and as the crowd kept getting larg-
er and larger, the confusion increased
From a financial standpoint the day
was great success. The butchers did
all they could for everybody, and the
people poured in large numbers. At
4 o'clock President Gardner said there
were fully 1000 people on the grounds,
and more were coming out by every
car.
Everybody was in good humor. and
the people generally did not mind the
rush at the dinner tables. That could
not be helped, and was the fault of
the boys more than anything else The
music was good, the dancing was en-
joyed until a late hour and the efforts
of the various committees to help all
enjoy themselves was appreciated
The balloon ascension was to have
taken place at 9 o'clock last night.
Though the rain had ceased at that
hour the ascension did not take place.
as the rain had wet the balloon.