Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1903-07-31
FIELD DAY SPORTS
At R|VERDA[E.
Some Very Good Races Held in
that HustIins Little Burg
Last Saturday.
A BALLOON ASCENSION
WAS MADE At NIGHT,
Quite a Large but Orderly Crowd was
In Attendance-The Elm Hall
Band Furnished Music.

Situated nine miles west of Alma is q
little village Of few hundred inhabi.
tants. which is appropriately named
Riverdale. It is located in the bend Of
Pine river on the Pere Marquette rail
road, surrounded by a rich farming
country that was formerly in the center
Of the numbering district Of this part of
the state and it's mills were at one time
the chief industries of the place, one
single mill still remaining and at
present in active operation. Many of
those who established themselves
there in the mercantile business when
the numbering operations were at
their zenith, still remain and others
have joined them in building up the
business portion of the little burg, until
today there is not another place of its
size in the county that can compete
with it,
AS an illustration of the enterprise
manifested by the residents Of the town,
the field day sports held last Saturday
afternoon were fair example The
affair was well advertised and long be-
fore noon the people from the surround
ing country commenced to congregate
to see the fun that was promised, until
when the time for the opening of the
program arrived, the streets were
crowded and it looked like Fourth of
July celebration.
The Elm Hall band had been engaged
to furnish music for the occasion, and
taking into consideration the time the
members of that organization have had
to perfect themselves, they were a credit
to their town. The races were pulled
off without hitch and there were no
accidents to mar the day. In the even.
ing VIM. McGreanor, a young lad who
at one time lived in Alma, made a
balloon ascension in very successful
manner. The balloonist came down in
his parachute about a mile out of town
in an open field. The crowd was order
ly during the entire day and the DOM.
mittee who had the arrangements in
charge are to be congratulated upon the
successful carrying out of the program
The summary of the races is as follows
Free-for-all trot or pace There were
six starters in this race, the horses being
owned by Harry Schaeffer, J..F. Chase.
Thos Patterson, K. Hollabaugh, VIM.
LaPaugh and Chas. johnson. From
the start il was seen that the race Law
between the Schaeffer, Chase and Pat.
terson horses, Schaeffer winning first
money, while Patterson and Chase had
to go four heats TO decide second which |
was given to Chase.
In the running race there were five
starters, the horses being owned by Ar.
thur Humphrey, g. f. Hale, b. Snyder,
p. Woodward and II. Davis. The Davis
horse, ridden by Lee Strong, took first
money In two straight heats, while the |
Hale and Humphrey horses were obliged
to run three heats in order to determine
second money, the Humphrey horse
winning out.
The old mems race was open 20 men
over go years Of age, distance 80 yards.
There were three contestants for the
money in this race, r. e. Fisk winning
first, David Marlin, second, while Thos.
Patterson come in third.
The bicycle race was the last on the
program and Frank Belknap easily won
first while Thos. Reed drew second.
xJOMAN,C COMDI EXION