Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1905-07-07
FOURTH WAS A BIG
DAY IN GRAND RAPIDS
Many People Helped Make Day E
Success Despite Bad Weather
-Program Carried Out

--TTOgTan
Despite the bad weather on the
Fourth, large crowd of people were
in this city to help the celebration
along, and it was success. The rair
of the day before tended to keep the
crowd smaller, as did a few showers
of the Fourth, but in spite of this
there was big crowd of sight seers
here and all seemed to be having a
good time.
Parade and Fire Run in A. NJ.
The program was carried out as was
planned, the best events of the day
being the races and the base bal
game. The carnival parade was not
so universally participated in as was
expected, due in measure to the
lack of time the merchants had tC
prepare, and more particularly
because of the rain storms on the day
preceding and on the Fourth as we'll
But there were number of carefully
prepared floats in the procession, put
in the parade by business men from
both sides of the river. The line OF
parade was long one. the procession
going over all the main streets of the
city. This was in the forenoon
starting at ten O'Clock. and the main
features were in the afternoon, with
the exception of one other, the fire
run made by the east side company.
This was made in good order and in
quick time, as was arranged on the
program. This run, as is always the
case, attracted large crowd to the
east side of the river, and to the
scene of the imaginary fire.
Races and Ball Game on East Side.
The races in the afternoon and the
base ball game attracted the crowds
out to the fair grounds. 1t is thought
there was crowd of people out to the
grounds equal in number to half the
population of the city. The first race,
with bicycles, was pulled off shortly
before two O'Clock. George Blair, Fl.
M. and j. Cruise and Fred Mosher wera
the contestants in the bicycle race,
AS GhiS race was to be decided by one
heat, it was fought out from the
finish. Blair came in first, j. Cruise,
second, and III. M. Cruise, third. The
race was for one mile, the time being
3.O2
Farmers and Green Races.
In the Farmers horse race five
horses were entered, uf follows: Felix
B. by George Baker; Dan B. by n. V.
Blair; Puss by A. H. Trotter: Eva Mae
by N. G. Ratelle; and Plunger by Joe
Duncan. Eva Mae grew tired of the
company of the other horses and went
away from them, taking first money.
Plunger developed the same idea, com
ing in second. Felix B. came in third
Dan and PusS conferred together, and
decided to be "alSO rams" The time
in the half mile heat was 1.26. Only
two contestants confessed to being
"green" on the track and entered that
race. Tommy and lin were the
horses, owned by P. H. Davis and
John Possely respectively. Jim
hurried Tommy all the way around,
and was beaten only by squirt by
Tommy when almost under the wire.
Free For all Ends in Talk Contest.
AS in the green race, only two en-
tries We're made in the free for all
A WauSau horse and a NekooSa
horse were pitted against each other
The animal from Nekoosa won two
heats from the Wausau representative
of horse flesh, and then over the fence
for bit of grass and was left IN the
third heat. Her owner, however
claimed the money, because he had
won two out of three heats. T. f
Gunther, own of the Wausau racer
vociferously entered an objection
claiming that real race was always
decided by the best three out of five
heats, whether there were two OF
more horses entered. Meanwhile
Stevens of Nekoosa had put his horse
up in the stable, and refused to take
it out again, when he had. as he
thought, unQueStiOnahly won the race
In order that tistic encounter might
not mar the events of the day, the