The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-09-03

All records heretofore established for
the opening day of the Minnesota state
fair went to smash before noon today
in an avalanche Of people that almost
buried ticket sellers, gatemen, conees-
sionaires, exhibitors and officials.
AS fast as the streetcars could bring
them, the people began pouring into the
grounds at O'Clock and during all
the morning hours and well into the
afternoon the stream increased in vol
ume until by the time Dan Patch was
due to make his mile against time
there was crowd on the grounds
greater than the fair has yet seen.
eff this is the first day of the fair, ~
remarked an old-timer in state fair ex-
perience, "what will the rest, of them
be7' And that was the question in the
east, south, west, everywhere within
the confines of the exhibition grounds,
there was nothing but moving mass
Of holiday makers.
Seeing the Livestock.
Anyone doubling the present and fu-
ture. of the state as a stock growing
region would have been astonished as
the thousands upon thousands who
barns all morning long. So great was
the congestion in this part of the
grounds that guards had repeatedly to
interfere to secure ingress and egress,
and the exhibitors attendants lost
speech early in the morning.
These thousands were only drop in
the proverbial bucket.
The crowds began to surge around
the box office at the grand stand, as
before that hour that all the boxes and
all the other reserved seats were gone,
and there was a mad rush for general
admission tickets. By noon the crowd
about the ticket offices had assumed
the proportions and character of mob,
which swayed and pushed and pulled
until the very box Offices were removed
from their foundations, and when the
sale of seats finally began. and the
gates were opened the gatemen had the
time of their lives.
Dan and the Weather.
Dan Patch and the weather did it
Dan Patch and the weather and the
ever increasing popularity Of the state
fair
When Dan Patch awoke this morning
It was to find even the weather ar.
ranged to- make the opening day of the
state fair the greatest in it's history.
The fastest track in the northwest, after
its thoro wetting down Of Saturday, had
been raked, scraped, pummeled and
make every horseman' 8 eyes glisten
with the pleasure Of anticipation.
Dan and his colleague, Cresceus, were
in the pink Of condition, and with the
clear skies and light wind. the perfectly
conditioned track and. the perfectly
trained horse, even the most pessimistic
of the opinionated had to admit that
Dan Patch would probably break a
world record this afternoon. and that
Cresceus would do few stunts him
self. At any rate, those who know all
about the fastest PAGER and the fastest
trotter on the tracks, will be holding
anxious watches on the pair this after.
noon.
Ready at the Gates.
Before the gates opened and the
turnstiles began to click at 9 o'clocE
this morning, practically every exhibit
was in place and every entry on the
ground and the tremendous hurry an6
crowding Of yesterday had given place
to the orderly excitement of first
day at the first CT all the big state
fairs in the country.
1t didn't require expert intelligence
to tell that more records than those or
the track were going to be spoiled today
There were plenty Of lines in waiting
long before the gates opened and from
the moment the starting "All right D.
was given, there were steady streams Of
people from all over the northwest pas
sing thru into the states big show
grounds.
Farmers from the best parts of the
bread-and-butter state came early tt
get good look at the poultry, dairy and
food, and other exhibits interesting tt
the men who till the soil. Machinery
hill, where the engines, windmil]s ano
countless other devices for the perfec
ton of farming, were on parade, at
tracted many thousands Of visitors.
Stock Have EARLY Visitors.
Stockmen from the rapidly-growina
dairy belt and sheepmen from the .fa1
northwest made early pilgrimage to the
rows OF barns and sheds, where the
pest stock of the state is on exhibition
itorsemen from everywhere crowded
into the grounds to get an early look at
Dan Patch and to cast a critical eve
on, the other "trotters, PAGERS and runners
that were being put thru their PAGES be.
fore noontide routine. $50
Thousands and thousands of union
labor men, with their wives and fami
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