The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-10-21
TO DINE WITH LIONS
SELMA FAIR OFFICIALS ACCEPT
 NOVEL INVITATION.
Dinner win Be Served in Cage where Several Kings of Beasts VIII
 Also He Fed--Other Selma
Advertiser Bureau,

| Selma, Oct, 20. A dinner at which some of the most prominent and influential business men of Selma will be the guests has been arranged to take place Tuesday after at the Fair Grounds. The table will at the Fail Grounds The table will be set in a lions cage and several lions will partake of food from the same table at the same time as will these representative citizens of Selma. The table will be of the ordinary kind and no great steel bars will separate the lions from their guests of honor. It will be set with dainty china and glassware and the menu will be tempting, consisting of several courses. While these courses are being dis posed of by the citizens. the hosts of the occasion will be served with dish of their favorite food. raw meat
 This dinner Is to be given to the President and Board of Directors of the Central Alabama Fair Association Nearly every one of them have accept ed the invitation and after Tuesday they will relate with pleasure the time they took dinner with several lions. The lions which will share the dinner with the officers of the fair association are not old and half dead ones. Every one in the cage will range between two and four years, and they look as big and as fierce as any lion can look.
 The program for the dinner has been elaborately arranged by Secretary Slater. of the fair association. The officers of the association will gather around the table and walters will serve them with the different courses. The lions will occupy other places at the table and al tine same time will pc served with raw meat.
 Just before the first course is served ana on behalf of the members of the fair association, Mayor V. B. Atkins, in a short address to the members of the animal kingdom will accept the in- vitation to dine with them. The lions VIII probably respond to this address with one of their. gentle roars
 To make sure that the lions will harm no one of those who will dine with them. Messrs. " R. Peacock and l. Clay. of the Board of Directors or the Fair Association, went into the cage where the dinner will take place last night. Both of these gentlemen were little nervous as they stood in the cage with the jungle kings, but as the beasts were friendly this ner vousness quickly wore off After they had been in the cage for a minute ar so one of the big beasts walked up to MT. Peacock and raising his hind feet placed one of his big paws on his shoulder and looked him steadily in the eye Tor a short while. He then got down and walked around Mir. Clay nd looked that official over.
 In speaking to friends this morninp. or his venture into the Hons cage Mr Clay said that the first moments were ones that he will never forget. He said ne knew If one of the lbig animals had attacked him that he would never have had an opportunity to use the big pistol which he had in his hands. but that now he is looking forward with pleasure to the dinner Tuesday afternoon.
 Everything was quiet at the fair grounds today. Sunday was observed and the show people took a very much needed rest. The attendance 60 far has not been as large as was expected but this Is probably on account of a report that everything was not in read . mess.
 Wednesday. the last day-of the fair. will be known as Selma Day, and this day will be generally observed by the business men of. the city Every store in the city. with the exception of one or two. will close for the afternoon on that day and the proprietors and the clerks will visit the fair grounds and make 1t one of the biggest days of the week.
 The several free attractions which were put on at the fair grounds yes- terday afternoon were greatly en- joyed by all who saw them. The double parachute jump was one of the most marvellous feats that has ever been seen by the majority of people in this section of the State. These free attractions will be given each after noon and night during the remaining three days of the fair and they alone will be the means of drawing a large crowd.