The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-10-14
AIRSHIP RACE WAS BIG
 FEATURE OF AFTERNOON
Results of Races on Track-Every- thing Went Exactly a1 Scheduled Yesterday-Eight Thousand
 Go Through Gates.
T know you'n like it.'


 That is the pet expression for the Alabama State Fair. It was on the lips of the 5000 who passed through the
 gates yesterday. Some candy seller start ed it and before the day was over it
 had been sung to a dozen tunes and was the answer to every question.
 Have you seen the diving horses?" No"
 T know you'll like it,''
 "Yes, I've seen the Odom airship and the drigible airships, the performing animals and the acrobats. I've seen the fireworks and I've been down the Pleas ure Way. Sure, I know you'll like it.'' If there is anybody who does not like the big fair he is off his base for the best citizens unite in declaring t the best ever.
 Yesterday was the first great day of the fair Evrything went off exactly as scheduled and there was not a slow moment As soon as the gates were open the crowds began pouring in and during the afternoon there were at least 4eo0 people on the grounds. although the Wild West show carried away over 10, GOO people
 Knabenshue and Beachy had a great race yesterday afternoon inspiring the throng with their easy control in the air. The airships rose together and sailed about quarter of mile beyond the fair ground fence. returning quickly with Knabenshue in the lead. Fun on Pleasure Way. The crowds just discovered yesterday afternoon what a ripping bunch of fun can be found down "The Pleasure Way" and until Il o'clock it was a breezy scream, with running hither and thither, laughing and blowing whistles. Old state fair patrons made a break for the Human Laundry, for the Human Laundry is back again. The children en- | joy the process of scrubbing, blueing drying and ironing. and the ladies al- ways want to go again. Frank Spellman | says that the laundry was his best pay 1 ing show in Birmingham last year, and | 1t is already showing the same popu- I larity.
 But the crowd is pouring into Dakota | Eds Wild West show at the end of the
 
 | Spellman Is proud. It is departure from midway stuff. and requires a very large | tent 10 accommodate it. The thrilling acts | of wild west life, the perfect horse riding and roping, and the many other daring | tricks of the westerner are exactly dupli- ] cated on the Fair Grounds by these genu l inc COW punchers and COW girls. l For something entirely interesting there | is nothing like the Panama canal In 1 in detail Or rather in miniature The lec- | turer has recently returned from the l isthmus and explains all at first hand | The city of Panama, with its citizens walking the street. street cars and auto l mobiles passing. people going into the 1 theatre and everything to make up | city is there in mechanical perfection. I The railroad with the tunnel through the | mountain runs a regular schedule. The city of Culebra, where the officers homes are seen, the big cut with steam shovels l actually at work, and miners on the side | of the cut drilling for dynamite explosions which are occasionally heard, the city of | Colon, a government sawmill. which Is a | miracle in mechanics, all give perfect | reality to the scene. This sawmill has | the smallest engine in existence, and auto | matically the logs run up from small I lake, are rolled on the carriage, cut per ! fectly into blanks carried by little men | and stacked in piles. Another feature is | the wireless station which exchanges message with vessel in the Pacific, say | ing "Hurrah for Taft" ''How did you like it?" the ticket seller asks, and the patron always speaks high | ly in praise.
 Skepticsm about the flea circus is all gone, last years show having proven that l the little animals can be trained to do more gigantic stunts than even humans. There was a rush to see these trained feas yesterday, and the Improvements in their performance make it interesting to those who know them. Among the novelties there is nothing more wonderful than Hop, the frog boy This man has perfect head, but his limbs exactly resemble those of frog. His legs are with joints opposite from man, and he can only move by hopping. Coffee, the living skeleton, Is a man six feet tall weighing 54 pounds. He is dressed in dress suit, and after showing his skeleton-lke form, declares that ne has been married and divorced four times and is now in search of another wife, Mazeppa, the acting horse. is the great entertainer of the midway. He moves with the intelligence of a human, reads. writes, retires to bed and pulls the cover ing over him, is a miraculous fire fighter, and saves a child from the flames. Ma zeppas tent is large, because it always accommodates a big crowd. The fun at the fair is down the mid way. It is the place where all care is | thrown away and people go to have
 real good time.
 Racing Results.
 Here are Wednesdays results in the
 races:
 First Race-2:25 pacing; stake. $500
 March McEwen TO. h. by Fred s. Il
 McEwen (Penick) ....................
 Doctor M. ch. Il. by Sir Edwin Ar
 hold (Sette) ......,....-.............,2
 Gentry Pointer, b. h. by John R.
 Gentry tCoates) ....,...,,.............
 Tom T., b. g. by Rexwood (wish-
 arD .... ........3 3
 Time. 2;1O1s, 2d21k
 Second RaSe--.-v o.,
 sorrents Todd. b. h. by Todd