The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-10-07
GREAT STATE FAIR
 IS HERE TOMORROW
It Will Be Great and Success
 fuI Event
MANY BRILLIANT SHOWS
The Exhibits Will Be Exceptionally Attractive-Work Was Being Push- ed Sunday-Attractions Are
 Arriving By Every Train.
BY HOMER GEORGE.


 Tomorrow will be great day in Bir- mingham. The opening of the Alabama State Fair takes place. All the state Is interested in the big event. The Alabama fair this year gives every promise of sur passing anything In the line ever att tempted In the state. For months Gen eral Manager Barnes has worked cease lessly upon the plans for the show, and of late the maturing of these plans has brought hundreds of others Into the busy surroundings.
 During the past week hundreds of car penters, electricians, laborers and spe- cialty workers have been industriously laboring at special duties within the grounds Even yesterday large force of employees were hard at work arranging exhibits and preparing for the opening of the show carnival Today these forces will be more than doubled.
 Tomorrow, then, the gates will be thrown open. Indications point to rec ord crowd passing within the fences that surround the beautiful park. Certainly Manager Barnes has received sufficient encouragemen to believe he will set a new mark in the matter of attendance I6COTufS lDt uISl Ol tilC ApeAi'
 A special train of eight cars and coaches arriving from the north early this morning brought the last of the per- formers and paraphrenalia for the Ala bama State Fair, which begins Tuesday morning an eight-day season. The cars were run direct to the fair grounds, via Bessemer, and unloaded by the light of the first rays of the sun. All day today there will be busy times on the Curve and by dark it is expected the tented city of seventeen shows will be ready for the crowds.
 In the exhibit buildings there was work going on all day Sunday, and all Sunday night, and hardly had the night shift put out the lights before the day crew came on. Rushed to their highest speed a mar velous amount of work was accomplished, and when the tired exhibitors and their employees quit tonight it will be after everything has been put in place.
 Something like 200 men were busy at the flair grounds Sunday, and a num- Der fully as large will be on hand today. With this kind of force 1t will not take long to arrange the immense amount of exhibits and get the tents erected for the big Curve shows
 Romola, after all, lost the honor of be- ing the first to arrive, as Ricci and his band of 37 musicians, reached town late Saturday night from New York, having just completed a two weeks engagement at Jamestown. The bandmaster and his men spent Sunday in the city, but will show up at the fair grounds early today. Romola was a close second. however, ar irving early Sunday morning from Kan saS with his monster balloon.
 Then they began to come in thick and fast. Col. Jim Barry, manager of Mum dy's animal show, reached the fair grounds Sunday about 9 o'clock and re- ported his 50 lions, tigers and leopards safe at Bessemer. blissfully ignorant that it was entertaining such a rare collec- tlon The train of cages reached the grounds just after noon.
 About this time, J. Nj. Wells walked In with the announcement that Carrie Ma ton" had reached town, together with five other ostriches, from Oho w. w. Ford, with "Fleetfoot," and five other birds, arrived late in the afternoon Bir- mingiham Is to have a double-header os- trich show, the usual farm consisting of six. Here two shows are combined, and there will be an even dozen birds on ex- hibition. Wells and Ford are both driv- CTS and it is probable & race between ostriches can be arranged at the fair. to settle the question whether Carrie Ma tion" or 'Fleetfoot" can step 1t off faster.
 Percy Fennimore, the Igorrote village manager, was busy at the grounds all day Sunday, getting his houses up and mak- ipg the place look cheerful and home like for his company of Filipinos. The loca- tion is naturally good, with several large trees, and the Igorrotes are booked for a pleasant stay.
 While all these and few dozen others were dropping into the fair grounds head quarters, the cars of exhibits were being unloaded, and the cotton, corn, hay and other agricultural displays hurried to their allotted space. In the main build ing the sound of the haH mer and the saw was heard where miniature houses were being erected. The Mines and Minerals building was completed first, and little remained to be done where the coal and iron industry of the district had gotten together great display. The poultry tent was fitted with GOODS. but the birds will not arrive until today.
 Superintendent J. B. Morson of the rac- ing department announced that his races were practically filled, and that the horses were coming in rapidly. A feature of the programme will be three amateur races, two for gentlemen drivers and one for lady drivers. A cup will be offered for the winner of each event. The days for these races will be announced later. The meet at Birmingham will be under the auspices of the National Trotting Horse associa- tion, the officials of which have shown much interest in the trial of the AustraI- ian system of starting to be given during the fair season.
 While all the officials have not been se- lected, yet it Is stated that Frank Fuller will be the starter, and J. c. Angel clerk of scales. A string of 16 horses from R. M. Williams stock farm, 'Idle Hour,'' Ga., arrived Sunday. and a fine herd of cattle from the Giltner farm at Emi- nince. Ky, came in late in the day. Among the speedy horses entered in the races at Birmingham are Pearl Hal 209s4; Leslie Waterman. 2:09A Pearl A., 2:1314; Opal Wilson, 2:121A: Pulsus, 2:151a; all being pacers but Pulsus.
 It was also announced that Dr. A. Gib- son had offered four special prizes for Mokoline colts, the showing to be made in the arena Thursday. Fourteen entries have already been made, and the prizes will range $50, s25, $15 and $10