The sun., 1905-09-05
NONE BUT BRAVE GOT TO FAIR.
RICHMOND COCNTYS SHOW
GROUNDS A MORASS.

Observations Of Our Reporter, Who Was
J'ndeceiyed by Monkeys That Mas
Queraded as Cats-BOats May Not he
Necessary To-day to Navigate Grounds.
Aljova the Wild Girl. sulking in her tent
at the Richmond County Fair, was asked
yesterday what made her wild.
ITS the darn mud" she said, peevishly
II was going to the plumber apprentices
ball on Avenue B tonight, but me white
shoes is ruined, and it's all off,"
Similar was the cry of almost every one
who went to Dongan Hills to view Staten
Islands great harvest festival. especially
those who journeyed from Manhattan.
The ferry and railroad we're allied ex-
asperators, accomplishing e thirty-fve
minute trip in two hours. 1t is five min
,,tes more to the fair grounds. The grounds
we're not merely wet or muddy. They
were a morass, and unless one carried
ones own sidewalk he or she had no chance
below the knees.
The visitors splashed about in the sloppy
going. Hot dog. crab and lemonade men
whose tents had been pitched in the center
Of the grounds went through all the mani
festations OF grief described in Scripture
for they could not get customers without
sending boats for them.
The megaphone man said things would
be better to-day and 1t was whispered that
the management would use sponges on
the morass during the night. The fair is
there, sure enough. and nothing is needed
but dry weather to make it booming sue
cess. 1t was to have been formally opened
Aottn No
on hand to help with the job, but when the
managers saw the swamp they decided 20
put the speeches of until tomorrow.
There was to have been horse racing,
both sulky and saddle, but the new track,
which is a kite shaped ellipse Of the most
modern style OF racecourse architecture.
was so far beyond hope that even Lamp
lighter couldn't have run a lick over it..
The racing will 60 on to-day II the track
dries out at all. Some OF Staten Islands
leading butchers will compete. for you
never eaw a real butcher who didn't have
an entry for the 2a5 class.
Also. 1t must be recorded that the death
defying, high wire bicycle riding performers
did not go on because of the swamp, They
necks, but that they had never learned to
swim. However, no one can aford to miss
this amazing. educational spectacle, which
will positively be presented all the rest OF
the week. The megaphone man said 80.
The 500 people who went to the fair were
not without reward though. There was
vaudeville show in which slapsticks were
used with perfect freedom and rollicking
darkies imported from West 1hirty-first
street danced with abandon.
In the big agriculture tent were viewed
the products Of the most fertile farms
of New Jersey, Long Island and Staten
island. The City Farm exhibited ears of
oorn as long as piece Of wood and cabba Ses
as great as a quantity Of snow. The Early
9ossin apple blushsd beside the Peerless Peerless
raised on Long Island and brought across
the briny at great expense and risk
The dog tent contained not the frank
furter Of commerce, but the precious pets
Of all the leading families and kennels OF
ners, Bulls Head and Kreischervile. The
dogs were chained to the bench in regular
show style. but they didn't have to be, for
they never would have jumped of into the
water. Some very good foxhounds were
which wore all the green ribbon that could
be found In the general store at Old Place.
The poultry show was good, with plenty
Of White Wyandottes, which evidently had
been scrubbed before being brou ught from
Red RED jane Bantams." The cat show in
Guided everything which could not be
classed as q dog or chicken, and included
two ringtailed monkeys from South America. 4.
which were in q class by themselves, but
which tried to make folks think, by meow
ing piteously. that they, were cats. Your
reporter was not deceived, however.
j. H. Alexandra, who took great in
terest in the fair, showed a white Angora
rabbit, which was admired by every one
and especially by large black cat, Satan
H. No a nd y q CoA q
ward and licked his chops in a manner that
must have been decidedly annoying TO Mr..
Aexandre's exhibit. Plenty OF other cats
were on view, some having been dragged
from under the stoves Of such remote places
es Rowland Hook and Linoleumvlle to be
ribboned for the holiday.
Tho horse exhibit is full Of interesting
entries. but the most useful OF them will
not be there every day, as goods must be
delivered to oustomers, fair or no fair.
ing OF the local delivery horses, the general
trucking and farmers horses and the
brewers horses, but greater than all this
will be the competition for blue ribbons
among the horses OF the Street Cleaning
Department.
carts and two sewage carts. Taxpayers
who complain that such never call at theil
| homes may 70 to the fair Friday with the
assurance that they will see the depart
ment outfits at their best and after tina
| thy should never complain.
! On Saturday will Re seen and judget
horses Of less usefulness, such as roadster
and jumpers. Most Of the society people
/ of the island have made entries.
There is a wicked appear ring tent in tn
labeled Dancing Girls" and an Orienta
stands In front and winks a suggestion o
what may be Vowed within for the lowly
dime. His winking was plainly perceived
yesterday with the aid Of telescope
across the young Sareossa Sea wkicl
separated him from the rest OF the worlc.
No one seemed to want to swim to IN
tent. 1t must be remembered that tn
| place was very wet all about, ihnt Oh,
youth and beauty OF Staten Island wer'
there and that the wind that whirls abou
the Flatiron Building is not alone amonl
| the elements in accomplishing certsiI