The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-10-08
EVERYTHING READY . FOR OPEN MING OF THE BIG FAIR TOMORROW Men Were Hard At Work on the Grounds All Last
 Night
SOME AT FRACTIONS WHICH
 WILL PLEASE IHE VISITORS
Down the Line'' Attractions Arrive In Ten Special Cars-Departmental Exhibits Are Practically
 All In Place.

Tomorrow is the day! Swinging wide
 open to the state the gates of the Ala bama State Fair will swallow the peo-
 pie by the hundred thousands and close after nine days, with a record of the l largest attendance ever seen in the south.
 Already the visitors are dropping into the city. Today the special rates go into effect and they will come by train loads. Every railroad in the state has
 arranged to put on special trains and numerous extra cars.
 With open arms Birmingham waits. The merchants are decorating for the event Every store will be draped in buntings and placarded with welcomes.
 They all have on special sales offering the visitors to the fair bargains at very
 low prices. At the same time they will
 pay the railroad fares of every per son who makes a purchase of 80 for 50
 miles.
 And talk about things at the fair
 grounds! That's where things are do-
 ing Today these things are assured: The most beautiful exhibit building ever witnessed in the south. mineral exhibit of the first order. Racing ss good as can be seen in Ten
 nessee.
 A woman's department unexcelled. The most marvellous group of daredevil amusements.
 The best midway ever brought south. A great poultry show These are things which are already
 on the grounds to show for themselves. The main exhibit hall is simply won
 der more beautiful color scheme never was conceived and the hall is packed full of things really worth seeing. It will take two hours to go through and then it will be impossible to see every thing.
 Four car loads of horses arrived yes terday from the best tracks of Ten nessee and four more will be unloaded
 today. The entries include a number of real thoroughbred record time ami ] mals.
 Mrs J. B. Ried has woman's de- partment that never was equaled. Near ly 1000 entries were put in yesterday and the breadstuffs to come in before o'clock this afternoon will fill her de- l partment to overflowing and everything l is arranged in the most artistic man. ner.
 Dare Devil Schreyer's big chute is com | pleted This is the greatest sensational act ever witnessed in the south. The chute is something marvellous in pro- portions. If man were to declare that he could ride a bicycle down such a steep hill he would be doubt ed, but when he pedals down such an incline and then flies through the air like a bird landing in a shallow pool of water, it is hard indeed to believe. But the big chute stands there and Schreyer is here ready to do what he promises.
 The shows for Down the Line'' will | be unloaded this morning. They come I in 12 special cars and will cover fully three acres of ground. Frank P. Spell
 man has collected a series of midway shows that would do him credit any where
 They are working day and night at the fair grounds. The electric lights were all on last night and the grounds were crowded with people all night long. Manager Barnes ana Ill HIS aSSlStanlS are sleeping on the grounds That is to say they have cots, but every man worked until long after midnight. Carpenters are saving and mailing, un- til a chorus of knocks goes up in every
 direction. A miniature coal mine is be- ing built in the mines building, showing
 the coal car and the various min
 erals as they are taken out
 The agricultural exhibits are almost
 completed. Cullman county has beau-
 tiful exhibit something entirely out of the ordinary, and all the other coun-
 ties have far outstripped their former efforts.
 By midnight everything will be in place. At 10 o'clock tomorrow morning the gates will swing open to the crowds and every amusement, every exhibit every conces- sion will be ready. At Il o'clock the
 stock show will begin and in the after noon the biggest line of attractions and some of the best races will be pulled off in front of the grandstand At night the same amusements will be presented again besides half hour of pyrotechnics
 such as people often pay 50 cents to see All this without any additional charge.
 In response to the written invitation
 of every merchant in the city all Ala bama is expected during the ensuing week.