Semi-weekly herald., 1910-10-03
lBy VIM. A. Rartlett.l

more ways than one. This success is
measured not alone by the large at
tendance OF people who have poured
into Durango during the week, not
alone By the big street parade. the
fine band music. the lively sports. the
horses races, baseball games and rare
exhibits; but By the impression the
fair has produced.
Upon the writer the fair has pro
duced most favorable impression
and probably much more favorable
impression on every other visitor
There has been something more to
this great annual celebration than The
jostling OF the crowds, the sports and
the exhibits The greatest thing about
the whole show was the Spirit OF
Optimism, which has this week taken
Durango by storm and has swept
through the crowds and permeated the
minds and dropped from the lips OF
everybody.
What They All Say.
That is why the fair has been q
success What else was it held for?
After all the glamour of the street
carnival is passed and the winners
OF the horse races forgotten, people
will be saying. Durango is the best
city in southwestern Colorado ut
has the push, the enterprise. the boost.
Ing spirit" 1T is the center of
great inland empire 'it has the
greatest climate and the greatest nat.
ural resources known to any one re
zion in the west. and the civic pride
to see that those resources are not
neglected" That Is why say the fair
lie success. And nothing succeeds
like success
The Crowds.
Yes, the crowds were here. They
came by the thousands. The streets
were packed with them. Standing
room ON the sidewalks at night was
at premium The hotels were all
full. and after the extra cots were all
occupied there were not sufficient hat
racks in town to hang the surplus visi
tors on at night.
Street Scenes.
But there was something doing ev
cry minute. There were the street
stands with various attractions to
tempt the visitors Some of our In
dian friends who came in decked up
In ill-ftting suits of New York make
aud who looked even more uncomfort
able than they felt would be tempted
by the fair lady who offered prizes to
those who would knock down the most
cotton cats with baseballs, -Four bits
II you knock down nine. a dollar If
you tip them all" While the little
man with the devil fish was telling
the crowds that 1t had eight legs and
sixteen thousand mouths. There were
the stands where you shot toy gun
or played number game with
chance to win prize, and the common
Ring 'em in, and ring 'em out. you're
sure to get knife game. and other
devices calculated to separate the
crowd from the coin. They all added
interest to the fair.
The Indian Dance.
Then there were the galloping COW
boys and Indians. the Indian dances
and other street features which were
well worth while. The crowds which
surrounded the Indian dancers would
put Broadway to shame and standing
room at the front of the circle could
have been sold at ring-side prices at
the Jeffries-Johnson fight Short.iegged
men were around trying to buy stills
TO elevate their line of vision above the
sombreros of the men in front These
canoes were feature IL would be
difficult to call their terpsicorian ef.
forts either two-steps or waltzes, nor
Virginia reels, but at all events il was
the real dance with no down-east sham
thrown in. They tell me that the
feather busters some OF the braves
wore on their heads were not their
everyday clothing. but their best
"Sunday-go-to-meeting toys"
Struck BY Thunderbolt.
There were SO many good things at
the display of products that 1t was
hard to pick the best. was struck
by Thunderbolt on my first visit to
the fair grounds, when one of the
frnit-growers tossed me an apple about
as large as cantaloupe and as shiny
as billiard bail They told me after
wards it was Thunderbolt apple
grown up the Animas valley by Attor-
ney Buchanan. Mr.. Lee. or some other
expert. The fruit men were all there,
and II seenls that most OF the doctors,
tcoth-carpenters, attorneys, and most
everybody else are growing fruit: and
after . visitor surveys that great ex
hibit Of apples, pears. peaches. etc, II
would be hari TO keep out of the fruit
business
Dry Farming. Too.
With all IT'S unlimited water sup
ply. the Durango district can also be
prenA Of its dry farming, for the ex-