Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-09-04
GOVERNORS DAY
Calls a Tremendous Crowd to
the State Fair.
Perfect Weather and Perfect Happi-
ness for the Multitude.
The Races Won in Straight Heats and
Good Time Made.

/ We'll, well, WE'LL" said Jerry Bracket,
the car starter, as he lifted his cap to
wipe the preparation from his brow,
! yesterday afternoon, and gazed on two
electrics, which We're coming around
The curve down Main street, land still
| they come. See the crowds on those
cars-packed in like sardines and
hanging on to the running boards.
There'll be Il crowd here, today, all
right
Mr.. Bracket is good judge of
crowds and the signs which tell when
Il big one is going to gather. and he
| made no mistake, this time. Wednes-
days crowd was big one, but the
people who came through the gates,
today. where noses are counted will
make Il figure that will be given a
place away up in the list of big crowds
at the Maine State fair.
1t has been the day Of all days-this
year. Everybody thought, Wednes-
day. that the crowd had turned out
about as large at it would. but they
probably did not stop to consider that
today was Governors day, and that
thousands would wish to get a glimpse
of the States Chief Executive, as well
as to have aslook at the attractions of
the fair. And that is just what those
thousands did.
In the early morning. the weather in
dicatiCns did not look especially favor
able for Il good day. Everything was
covered by a dense blanket of fog. and
the wind was south. But the Kenncbcc
Journal said it would not rain, 50 of
courselt could not. After awhile the
fog famed off, and gave us a day that
has proved but a little short of ideal
That the day WAS to be a big one
seemed to be anticipated all over the
grounds. Down among the cattle
sheds. after the milking had been done
and the stock fed and watered, the
stablemen had a busy morning giving
the cattle a bath, Each animal that
had won q ribbon, red white, or blue,
was to appear in the parade of prize
winners in the afternoon, and conse-
quently came in for a BATH to be fol-
lowed by rub down which left them
with coats as sleek rs satin. The
COW who galavants round at the fairs,
looking for blue ribbons. is quite a diff
fcrent creature from the every day COW
who spends her time in the pastures,
and gives down her quota of milk twice
Il day-until after the fairs are over.
Over at the stables it was a busy
morning, also. Horses were getting
their morning rub down. and the air
- 1,
hazel. Hold Nelson was there in all
his pictIIresQueness. A horse show
would not be horse show if M. Mel
son We're not there to talk ''hosS" to
his friends.
But the place which seemed to feel
the pulse Of activity about as much as
any, and which caught the early morn
ing crowds. was the Midway. TIE
girls of the Moulin Rouge, realizing
that the crowd before which they We're
to disport themselves would reach the
high water mark, today and took es-
pecal pains in the arrangements of
their Partisan gowns and the applica
tior of rouge to their faces. Mime
haha who eats Cm alive" had Il new
lot of snakes gathered from Lewiston
fields, and everything in the snake pit
went merry as Il marriage bell. But
| the Minnehaha of yesterday and today
was of the masculine gender.
The other features of the Midway,
| the African dodgers, the cane men, the
dealers in pink lemonade, hot frank
| forts. and other destroyers of the peace
of the inner. and the man with the
striking machine, all received their
share of the patronage, while the hand
organ man with the monk reaped Il
harvest.
And then. to add to the enjoyment
the Brigade band of Lewiston ar
rived at the grounds, early, and taking
| a stand near the exhibition build
ing. rendered one of its popular con-
certs. This band is said by many to be
the best in Lewiston, and under the
leadership of Prof. r. i. Hall of Wat
ervilc. is furnishing some fine music,
this week.
Il was a sight to see the people come.
The elcctrics ran from the city every
| seven minutes and every car was load
ed down with humanity. The Maine
Central ran excursions, both by the
way of Brunswick and Winthrop, and
specials and regular trains were all
loaded alike. Another thing which
helped out was that the stores and
mills of Lewiston closed ut noon, that
their employees might take in the fair
As a sample of how the people came
the record of admissions at one gate
is given At 10 O'Clock this morning
the counter on the gate registered 2lco
and at noon 5000, or 200 more than the
gate registered ali day, "Wednesday. Al
8 o'clock this afternoon, the gate reg
istered $780, And this gate is only one
of the four entrances. A conservative
estimate of the attendance for the DAY
is rising 10000. One man who has tend
ed gate for the past 10 years sald Una
the crowd on the grounds, TO-DAY i
the largest he had seen in that time,
OF course the great event of the DAY
was the visit of Governor Hill ant
staff. and the majority of the peopi
STAYED near the entrance. awaiting IN
: Z Il ra1tx-