The Oakes times. [volume] (Oakes, N.D.) 1906-current, 1909-09-23
FINE SEPTEMBER
MARKET DAY
Large Attendance Denotes In.
creasing Interest in This
Movement.
Splendid Exhibits of Corn,
Grains, Vegetables and
Other Products.

Saturday, the 18th was a day of
beautiful North Dakota autumn
weather and the scores of threshing
rigs in the surrounding country were
at their busiest, nevertheless a very
gratifying attendance of about 1,5OO
country people came to Oakes for
Market Day. The time for advertising
the day was rather short and many
were doubtless kept away by lack of
time to arrange their plans, but the
crowd was much larger than on our
first Market Day, July II, and the
farmers themselves were much more in
evidence. 4,
A livelier interest and better under
standing of the object of such a day
were displayed. The special prices and
liberal discounts were appreciated and
our merchants enjoyed thriving trade.
The young folks enjoyed free rides
on the fneery-go-round to their hearts
content. There was no lack of ex-
cellent band music on the streets. The
combination Oakes-Aberdeen band en-
gagged by the Commercial Club. the
johnson Land Co. Juvenile band and
the band of the Two Merry Tramps
Co. filled in every available interval.
There was spirited competition in the
short list of athletic sports and in the
boys 100 yard foot race. Raymond
Sheridan, Sam Schmidt and Norman
Beckwith were the winners crossing
the finish in that order.
In the girls so yard race the little
ladies showed themselves to be just
about as feet of foot as the boys and
broke the tape IN good time, Mildred
Bond first, Anna Wold second and Josie
Finn third.
Then there was the pie and cracker
eating contest for the omniverous and
hollow legged boy. Blueberry pie was
selected so that the traces of the des-
perate struggle could be more easily
discerned. Eat half pie and two
soda crackers and whistle before the
other fellow was all they had to do.
Well it was case of ''let George do
it" and George did, George Lancaster
was the first youth to pucker his mouth
in the shrill note Of victory, Pete White
next put on a loud pedal and uncorked a
strain in the base clef. It was only q
moment till Willie Mcintyre got his
vocal organs clear of cracker crumbs
and took a side swipe at the cromatic
scale and the race was over. One
youngster slowed the bill of fare in
record time but choked when it came
to the musical part Of the program.
The tug-of-war was the big event on
the card wherein papa and big brother
could show their prodigious strength
and staying qualities. It was the west
side of the Jim against the east with
Oakesites barred-fifteen on side and
the pick of the crowd. Ben Bryan
gathered the clans from the west side
and Will Singleton marshaled the
eastern hosts.
When the signal was given they dug
in their heels and bumped their backs
with stubbornness that looked bad
for the inch and half manila rope but
the rope never turned a hair.
There was brief period Of uncer.
tainty but avoirdupois soon told and
the east enders got their lighter op.
ponents started and went up the street
like bull calf making break for ms
at suppertime with bare footed boy
on the other end of the halter. Any.
way the losers got a box Of cigars out
of it and one of them explained that
they lacked training because on the
west side they had money to buy
horses.
The free auction was poorly patron
lied but such chattels as were Offered
sold well.
The crowning feature of the whole
affair was the splendid exhibits of farm
products displayed at the city hall
There were about twenty-five ex
hibits Of dent corn of size and qualit,
that was gratifying to the farmers