Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-09-04
THE STATE FAIR.
An Old-Time Crowd on the
Grounds, Wednesday.
Hod Nelson Wins Both the 2, so Pace
and 2.27 Trot.
Kathleen Furlong, A. H. eraao. Geioer
and Lady H. Win.

ot"'e DIR GROUNDS, Lewiston, Me-,
Sept. 3.-(SpeciaD Say, but this is
something like it-something like the
crowds that have tended out on the
Lewiston fair in other years The peo-
pie have been coming all day, and
though it is now late in the afternoon
they are coming still
When you see EN- begin to come in
at the gates soon after breakfast. as
they did, this morning, with their band
boxes under the arms, it is a pretty
good sign that there is going to be a
crowd. That's the way they did. this
morning, and later DEVELOPMENTS
showed that the sign did not fail this;
time. anyway.
Early morning cars from down town
were all loaded, and by o'clock in
bound cars had all they could carry,
and an overflow hanging onto the run
ming boards. At this point life became
q burden to the conductors, for be-
tween the kicks that We're coming from
paying a 10-cent fare for a two-milc
ride. and the difficulty they experienced
in getting around after the fares, they
ilriAl IL QlS1S .eN Iful
with all their trials they kept cool and
not a man got ratified. There is one
thing at least to the credit of this
money-grabbing railroad, and that is,
they have as gentlemanly a corps Of
conductors as ever rung in "A fare.
But to return to the crowd. 1t is
corker. The people are everywhere.
The exhibition building has been
Iii
with gangs of sightseers, and it was
next to impossible to get around at all.
They swarmed along the Midway and
the dealers in iced drinks. hot frank
forts and fruit reaped a nickel harvest
The cattle sheds We're full of them, and
the sleek cows, oxen and steers We're
50 puffed up with pride at the atten-
ton they received that every one of
them looked as if they had been fat
ted for the market.
At the noon hour there were not 10
square yards of grass ground around
the west end of the park that did not
hold basket picnic party. They We're
from cveryWhere-you could find rep
rcSentativeS from any town or cry
you wished, within the radius of 100
miles of Lewiston, and in many cases
they could be multiplied several times.
In the dining rooms it was the same,
and the table girls We're driven almost
to distraction by the crowd which be-
siegcd them. But the crowd was good
natured and everyone got something to
eat. and of good quality.
IN the afternoon the crowd received
another reinforcement. An idea of the
size of the crowd may be gained from
the audience in the grand stand. The
stand seats 5000 people, and at l O'Clock
every seat had been sold and every
inch of standing room, and when the
races were called the grand stand was
one vast sea of humanity. 1t is eStl-
mated that there were at least lZ,O00
people in the stand and an attempt 70
get through the crowd would give a
fellow the idea that there were twice
that number. In all parts OF the
grounds there must have been 20OUo
people.
And then- the weather could not have
bcon bettered if it had been made FOR
the occasion. All day long there has
nor been a cloud in the sky big enough
to patch the roof on the secretary
building. and the air is as pure as only
September air can be. Add 70 inns 4
breeze lust strong enough to offset the
suns rays. and there you have II. nat
more could one ask?
Everybody expected a big day, ana
preparations were made for II. over
| in the cattle stalls the men were DuSS
with spongc and rubbers, ana every
| cow and steer was given pain ana
had their horns polished until they
| shonc like polished ivory. with the
/ borses II was the same. only it doesn
take so much work to make hoI9'
| shine. The hens were not WaSheu-
! thpy don't have to be, because nature
| endowed them to look after themselves
II was the same everywhere ana CIV
ervone who has been at the talr, TO-
dav has seen everything at It's best
Tho program at the grand stand WaS
| tirst-cIass and everything went OH
| without n hitch The platform PEI
| fornance was fine and every feature
was generously applauded and men
tho roces the great feature OF TN
| day kept the crowd in the grand stati'
IN the oui vivc all the afternoon
The only accidents for the day pelei
the black individual who sticks M
baad through hole in the blanket To-
tna bovs TO throw balls at. BY no
| dodpinr in time he got blow unde
ora eve that rendered him dead TO IN
world for some time. AS far as cou''
~, ,o,,rsd no very serious effects re