Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1908-09-22
Twas Never Better.
Continued from pagel.)
by G. W. McDaniels, were part of this
jRICuLTuRAL IMPLEMENTs.

by u. w. McDaniels, were part oil tnis
exhibit.
AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS.
A. w. Walker l. Son of South Paris
showed a number of sulky plOws anG
swivel walking plows, and some othe,
implements, for which they are agents
and in which they do large business
every year.
The Cummings Manufacturing Co. o.
South Paris showed line Of the o. K
swivel and Paris level land plows, which
they now manufacture, and which have
been manufactured at South Paris fol
many years. They also showed o sam
pie of the Cummings double runner
pung, a pung for heavy work, which
they are now making.
The George b. Haskell Co. of Lewis
ton made display of variety Of agri
cultural implements in tent on the
grounds.
| ADowS THE MIDWAY.
"Yi, Vi, Keep DOWN. punctuated
with pistol shots, and the prodding of
sticks down into the area within wood,
u-barred cage which occupied the mid.
die of platform.
"Yi, Yim came back the answer from
the depths of the cage, in a feminine
tone.
And then after few minutes of yell
| ing and prodding, the crowd would lose
interest, and the men would get tired,
and Mamie would get tired, and the
silence and quiet of the grave would
settle over the scene, and the meat on
the pitchfork standing in the corner OF
the platform would shrivel in the sun a
little more.
This was Wild Mamie, or Wild Min
ME, according to which sign you dis
covered first-the "Yuccatan Wonder"
also other things. She was near the
head of the midway, and the rumpus
her barkers kicked up was pretty sure
to have good part of the crowd within
it's range.
In her calmer moments, before the
fair opened, Wild Mamie or Minnie visit
ed the nsighboring towns and did her
necessary shopping without her wildness
causing any one to think that she ought
to be shut up in barred cage, but on
the midway it's different.
Then there was Jabo, the Amanda
island wonder-as wild as Mamie; and
two or three interesting shows of real
wild animals; and big sea turtle; and
some real Fiipinos which disappointed
somewhat, because they were not little
brown men," but big almost black men;
and beauty show, whose manager
didn't like to have his ladies stay out in
the sun for fear of damaging their COM
plexions, oblivious of the fact that the
sun couldn't reach their compilations
with an anger in less than half an hour,
as we'll as of the fact that the ladies liked
to stay out so well that they did the
grounds in their show clothes, or near
clothes, unafraid and un-and, well,
there were lots of other shows and
things.
Verify, the midway in all it's old-time
glory was with US. What would a fair
be without it? II gives the real flavor.
And there was never so much OF it.
The street which used to hold the fakirs
is now only part of that department of
the fair. They have spread out, here,
there and yonder, till you are almost lost
in the maze of tents and booths.
The Ferris wheel and the merry-go-
round are close competitors for the
patronage Of the public, who like to go
round, either in a perpendicular or
horizontal plane. Ice cream and Coney
Island sandwiches right off the gridiron
90 about equally well. None of the
fakirs complain particularly about bad
business except when President Wheel
er, the superintendent of the grounds,
comes around TO collect the ground rent.
But they all pay, and the people pay,
and life along the midway is more or
less one grand, hilarious song.
THE RACES.
The average American enjoys a con-
test. This may explain the crowd that
swarms the grand stand. The closer the
contest, the better pleased is the crowd.
This wears races were about an average
with former years, though II often oc-
ours, aud without fault on any ones
part, the best racing was on the first and
third days, when the crowd was smaller
than on Wednesday.
The incident of Thursday was the
howl of the spectators for a new driver
for Carmenita, under the conviction
that the mare was being held back to
save a record. The judges granted the
request, but the result was the same.
The free for-all was done in split heats
and was nobody's race until the last
heat was finished. The drives for the
wire in each heat were exciting.