The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1905-09-28
Rural Visitors Enjoy the
Sights On the Pike and
Midway Just Like City
Folk.
RECORD BREAKING DAY
GAMBLING FAKIRs WERE RAID
ED AND DRIVEN FROM THE
GROUNDS AT SECRETARY
MARGERUMas REQUEST.

Farmers day. at the Interstate fair
yesterday was the most successful We'd
nesday in the history of the association
and thousands of tillers of the soil from
various parts of this state and Pennsyl-
/ yania were present.
The attendance yesterday was about
10000, $500 more than on Wednesday
of last year. This broke all records for
a third day of the fair by about 1000.
The gates had been opened but short
/ time when thousands began to pouv in.
Secretary Margerum was ready to take
! care of the breaking attendance
and Captain Cieary had dozen detec-
/ tiyes on the grounds to look after pos
sible pickpockets and crooks in general.
/ The early trains from all sections of
j the state and Pennsylvania and all of
! the trolley cars running to the fair
! grounds carried capacity loads. On all
! the roads leading to the grounds there
/: was a continuous parade of wagons Of
1 all sorts, many of them containing six
/ and eight persons. Hundreds of wagons
I We're checked outside the grounds and
! their owners and guests entered the
grounds through the turnstiles.
The buildings containing fat pigs.
cows. sheep, fine horses, big turaips,
| huge pumpkins and other fruit and vege-
| tables and farming machinery were
! thoroughly inspected Exhibition build
ing No. 1. set aside for fancy work and
home products, came in for its share Of
| visitors during the day.
The weather was perfect and the
grounds were packed with humanity
from 10 a. m. until dark Hundreds of
farms were deserted. While the farmers
aud their families enjoyed holiday az
! the fair
Expert farmers declared that the dis
! play of liye stock, agriculture and farIn-
ing machinery was the best thai thy
had ever seen. The size of some of the
fruit and produce surprised the visitors
from the rural districts.
There was never a dull moment dur
! ing the day. as the Midway attractions
We're never so varied and the races en-
! the half-mile track never so Hlst. The
vaudeville programme was excellent.
The female artists" on the Midway
attracted the attention of nos only the
farmers but city men and women Bark
ers shouted until they were hoarse TO
induce the auditors TO see the biggest
show on the the grounds for the least
money" One barker stated that his
show was for men only and advised the
women who had escorts to remain on
the outside while the masculine sex
4 looked at the aadies'
Fortune tellers" did big business
| in reading the lines CT the hand Some
of the palm readers correctly told the
whole names of some of the persons who
entered the tents.
The air was filed with the odor of
hot frankfuters and roast beef. The
| public comfort pavilion was taxed to its
capacity at all hours with nungfy and
tired persons who went there to enjoy
luncheon and rest.
+ The man with the whips did a big
hnsiness and many farmers returned to
their homes with whips which the ned
dlers said could not be purchased in
other places for twice the amount paid.
Long before the grand stand ticket
i box opened line of 500 persons waited
for seats and every ticket was sold be-
fore the noon hour Twelve policemen
under the supervision Of Captain Cleary
We're required to prevent iostling and
undue crowding.
| About 6 o'clock there was 4 rush OF
| several thousand persons to the trolley
cars. Many persons escaped injury BY
attempting to board car while it was
in motion. General Manager Peter E
Hurley, of the Trenton Street Railway
company, directed thei movement of the
cars and assisted in keeping order.
1aUoitt tWt-ScUfe guIilpilug luklfS.s WhC
violated the privilege rules at the Inter
state fair grounds and the-laws Of New
! Jersey by conducting illegitimate games
of various kinds were raidrd yesterday
| by Captain John J. Clearv and several
officers.
4 The majority Of the gamblers had
privileges on the Midway snear No.
exhibition building, while number con
4 Quoted their business in various other
places on the grounds
| Secretary Mahlon r. Margerum re-
4 ceived Il number Of complaints from the
far directors that gaming wheels aad
other devices were being conducted t
4 defraud the fair patrons
\ Secretary Margesum Instructed Cap
tain Cleary to make an Investigation
The captain and several officers founc
that the fakirs were running wheels oi
chance and that "cappersH were EN-
ployed BY the operators Of the games and
that these confederates won eQntinually
| willie others always los,