The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1902-05-28
WAGNER Day at The EXPOSITION.
Complete and Gratifying Success
in All Respects. Attendance
Estimated at $4,000.
From the Charleston Post.

Thirty thousand visitors had passed
through the several gates of The Ex-
position up to 3 O'Clock this afternoon.
By tonight it is thought that the at
tendance of the day will run up to
fifty thousand. At a late hour this
afternoon every street car running out
to The Exposition was crowded with
people going out to the show.
All Of Charleston and good part
of South Carolina beside was at the
Ivory City today. The streets of the
city were like Sunday, but the grounds
of The Exposition teemed with life
and gayety and enthusiasm. It was
Wagner Day, and everybody We'd with
his neighbor to make it memorable
occasion and all succeeded in their
efforts.
The weather was magnificent. The
heat wave which had made it uncom-
Portable for the past few days was
broken by the little gale of yesterday,
and this in turn subsidized to delight
full breeze today. Everything was
propitious to the great celebration, and
everybody was happy.
The name of Wagner was on every
tongue and nothing but praise of his
great work was heard. Restricted by
his own modesty to the most meagre
of formal program, the demonstration
in his honor was for ali that, and
perhaps in consequence of it, the most
hearty and appreciative. Wherever
Capt. Wagner appeared the great
multitude made the air ring with
shouts, and the scene of his labors and
accomplishments for the past six
months today echoed his name from its
every corner.
Everybody who went into the
grounds contributed to the material
welfare of The Exposition and to the
relief of its chief benefactor, as we'll as
paid tribute of enthusiasm to the work
and it's author. There were no dead
heads. Everyone paid his way and the
receipts at the gate for the day were
far and away beyond those of any 9TH
er day of the show.
1t was like great family reunion.
Everybody knew everybody else.
There were no strangers and no call
for company manners and fine compll--
ments; just a hearty, warm and
friendly meeting of thousands Of peo-
pie ,all animated by the same purpose
and moved by the same interest. It
was the crowning day of The Exposi-
tion and great day for Charleston.
In many respects the day eclipsed
that of Presidents Day, and those who
were'at the grounds on the occasion of
the visit of President Roosevelt to the
grounds remarked the contrast.
There was no congestion about the
ticket Offices and no crowding about
the turnstiles, and once within the
grounds no effort was made to rope
the visions in certain section of the
grounds. They were given full swing
of the entire grounds and buildings
and the result was that there was no
unpleasantness of any kind. The
crowd today was scattered in different
sections of the grounds. Thousands
of people hocked through the buildings
in the natural section, while others
devoted their time to the Midway and
The Exposition buildings proper. The
crowd kept moving all of the time,
and instead of being hardship to
take in the exhibits it was delight
ful pleasure.
President Wagener and the directors
of The Exposition are highly gratified
with the success Of the day. The at
tendance was all that they expected
and all day long they wore pleased ex-
pressions on their faces.