The news & observer., 1905-11-05

vass, a whir-i-gig or so at which IN
unWary Deposited nickles on the RED,
white, blue or yellow on chahce
which was as epheneral as the Ola
dream of social equality, a dozen res
taurantS and place where all could
get their representations put down IN
black and white on the postal card
for the small sum of ten cents,
ladies and gentlemen" Among all
these various attractions fitted a mot
ley crowd Of those who were black
and those who ought to have been
out were not, with an occasional
white man thrown in. This crowd
made good deal of noise, but was of
An orderly character. There was no
drunkenness or obstreperousness OF
my sort. The noise came from Mar
5hals in sashes who gravely and with
dignity whirled squeedunks above
above their heads and from pickan-
innics who, with equal gravity, blew
up and permitted to exhaust the rub
ber babywakers which are aural ev-
idence that a fair is in progress.
Presently there was the beating
of hoofs on the track and the crowd
surged to the rails. Down the track
same two horses, clippity, clip and
away. For awhile it was a close race
Then one of the horses broke" The
crowd cheered or groaned as their
ympathies urged. Everybody knew
both horses and Jockeys. 1t was a
race Of gentleman jocks" the two
doctors of the colored people in the
city. Then the others horse broke y
t seemed that the horses could not
stand prosperity. There were three
heats of this race and the last horse
hat broke was the horse that beat
Which horse would break next lent
delightful uncertainty to the mat
ter, which kept all elate. But, strange
to say, there was no gaming appar.
2nt. The interest, which was intense
was personal and not speculative.
Presently the football teams of 81
iugustine and Shaw University ap
peared. They were conscious of them
selves and their uniforms. SO plainly
so that their posing was merely dra-
matte and interesting. The crowd
looked on at the preliminary practic'
and evidently envied the man with
he nOse-guard. who engaged in mimi
battle with the corn-field black with
The kinky mustaSche.
In the meantime, however, while
the band played. thnre was a black
'ellOw On a vacation who did not hes
tate to both dance and sing to the
great but wilfuly concealed admira
ion OF all the colored ladies. who
loutcd at his performance which ran:
"Kaint yo hear de rain an hail
fas' a falling
"AleX-an- n-der.
Ttake me to yo heart agin an cal.
me honey.
"Al wants yo love an not yo
"Alex-an-derr'
AS he spoke these lines with tho
rythm which only the negro coulC
put into them, the singer side-stepp-
ed and sasheed across about half
acre in front of the Judges stand
and the yellow man with the nose
guard and the big referee with the
letters on his sweater were for tht
time forgotten.
The football game, however, soor
diverted the crowd. There We're
rushe5 and tackles and much talking
by the omnipresent referee who boss
ed everybody on the field and called
the talking of the players. In the
meantime the side lines gave a faiI
Of college roofing" With
cheers and topical songs-the last
of which, by the way, had the white
beat to a standstill for
euphony and rhym. Finally Shaw
won by a score of five to nothing
out lHdl WdS DeSldc the lutEtlOIl
AS on the midway there was little
speculation, the only sporting pro-
clivities noticed being those of two
white men who bet on the kick for
goal by Shaw after their touchdown
which was an absurd bet on it's face
the ball being directly in front of the
posts and there being no wind. As
d cynic would have suggested the alb
surdity won, the ball going under the
cross bar by five feet.
1t is hoped that these glimpses at
a really creditable fair will be taken
in the way they are Written-the way
Of man who was never able to see
sights if they involved the climbing
Of stairs. There was a large crowd,
and a more orderly one could not have
been imagined. The exhibits were
good. The people were amused and
simply so. There was no drunken
ness, no arrests, no trouble. Secre-
tary Hamlin walked about with his
regalias of office and was as modest
as the success of his undertaking
would permit him to be-not very
modest as the facts would indicate
but graciously pleased. The marsh
ais were numerous and all mounted.
None of them fell off. although some
adopted a slew-footed method of stir
rup footing which would have given
pain to a cowboy.
All in all the fair was pre-eminent-
~ gOodnatured, creditable-and col