Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1907-10-05
STATE FAIR.
Thousands Throng the Mammoth
Show at White River Junction.

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Wednesday and Thursday was a
grand success, with mammoth ex-
hibit and tremendous crowd, Some
former expositions under the auspic-
es of the state government have not
come up to requirements of even a
not too critical public, but the big
fall festival held this week was in
most ways an entirely satisfactory
spectacle The state administration
seem quite justified in going into
the show business.
The fair was formally opened
Tuesday by Governor Proctor, who
was accompanied by Senator Proctor
and was escorted by Norwich uni
versity cadets, the latter camping on
the grounds and giving exhibition
drills each day. The large exhibits
in all departments and other at
fractions drew several thousand peo-
pie in spite of cold and cloudy
weather, but the races were post
poned till Friday on account Of the
heavy track.
1t was a good old-fashioned stock
show in point of size and excellence.
The different classes of cattle IN
cluded thousand head; there were
$50 or more horses in view, includ-
ing some beautiful Morgans from
the new government breeding farm
at Middlebury and elsewhere, and
the sheep exhibit was one of the
largest ever seen at a New England
fair
The sheep driving contests were
interesting features, given with two
doga, one from the Greenfield stock
farm and one from j, Pierrepont
Morgan's stock farm.
THE SECOND DAY
Weather conditions were perfect,
but the managers were hardly pre-
pared for the rush of an unwieldly
crowd ON Wednesday, when over
twenty-five thousand people jammed
the entrance and thronged the
grounds. On the whole the rail
roads handled the crowds very well,
but the managers must know that
one or two ticket sellers can't attend
to the carloads of visitors discharged
at the gate during the rush hours.
Woodstock and all its tributary
villages turned out as if the people
hadn't seen a show for years. The
early morning train had many pass
enqers; at 9 o'clock six loaded cars
started for the Junction. The train
stuck on Shallies hill and the pass
engers had to push it over after the
little engine had tried to get over
once Or twice on flying start. The
push" train got there little late.
Long trains faom the north and
south were similarly loaded; the
highway to the grounds was crowd
ed with vehicles; not less than $50
automobiles passed in and most of
the available space for hitching
horses was used.
The exhibit of farm machinery,
maple sugar utensils, etc, was large
and the noise of whiring wheels
drew attention to this interesting
department. Nearby was the aqua
rum, a number of huge tanks show
ing fine specimens of trout, bass and
other fish from Vermont waters.
The poultry department showed
hundreds of birds Of the various
strains, this show being called the
best ever seen in the state.
Floral hall showed some vacant
/ space, but it was attractively deco
rated and had many features of in
terest. Horticultural hall had large
display Of fruit.
The Midway was extensive, with a
great variety of amusement wonders,
and the fakirs did a good business.
One or two crooked games started
up, but were quickly put out of COM
mission by the police.
The lack of facilities for feeding
the people was an error of the man.
agement that is likely to be corrected
another year, hungry thousands call
ing attention to this fact. A clamor-
GUS crowd waited outside the doors
of the two larger dining places, while
coffee and "hot dog" were served
from unclean and uninviting stands
to those who could push their way
to the front.
The state fair commissioners are
rightly pleased over the attendance
and the size and quality of the ex-
hibits.
The track events brought out a
fast field of horses, and the racing
throughout was interesting and well
managed. The grand stand, holding
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