The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-09-05
HOLIDAY CROWDS
THR0NG STREETS
Business at Stand Still, While
City Celebrates Labor
Day
THOUSANDS JOURNEY
TO FAIR GROUNDS
Long and Varied Program Begun
Early in Morning and Will
Continue Until
Nightfall.

Business is being forgotten by a
majority OF Richmonders Monday.
while they Yield entirely to the spirit
OF making merry on what Is one of
the greatest Labor Days in the his
tory OF the city.
Early Monday morning. Broad and
Main streets were lined with crowds
waiting for the circus parade to pass.
Immediately their curiosity in this
respect mad been satisfied, a majority
OF these betook themselves to the
state fair grounds where a monster
program OF events of all sorts and
descriptions VIII hold their interest
nntfl nightfali.
All Richmond Is represented In the
holiday crowd. There are bankers.
brokers. clerks. young men, old men,
young women. and women nearer
middle age. Then there are children
OF all ages And the old seem quite
Es excited. quite as eager TO have a
good time, as are the totts
The business thoroughfares of the
city were thrensed early in the morn
ing. but the throngs comprised no
shoppers. Financial pr9ht and loss.
were for the time being forgotten.
Nobody wanted TO buy anything but
pleasure.
A majority Of the stores remained
open during the morning. but closed
In the afternoon while employers and
employees Joined In a mutual pleasure
PUNT. Closed also were a majority OF
the professional Offices Of the city.
Also city hall. the State library, the
the city hall. the State library the
capital and several other municipal
buildings were. closed so far as the
Tha
doors Of the buildings were not lock-
ed, but practically all Of the clerks
had been given either entire or half
holidays.
No Oratory or Parades.
Unlike most Labor Days in most
cities. Richmond il wasting no
precious moments ON oratory this
year. Contrary To custom, too, there
has not even been a parade The
ceIebrants have been allowed 20 ros-
low their own inclinations in having
q good tirie. thus far. the plan seems
to have been most successful.
The circus. Of course. is attracting
huge crowds. So also did the morn
Ing baseball game. 10 which num-
Der of fans betook themselves armed
with lunches. in order that they might
remain in the bali park for the after
noon game.
greater crowd, probably than will
attend either the circus or the ball
games however. is docking 10 the
State fair grounds. where the various
union locals OF the city are holding
huge celebration.
1t WAS at first intended to have the
program which Is lengthy and diver
sif1ed enough TO suit the tastes or
all. begun early In the morning. The
circus parade attracted so many spec
tators that would otherwise have gone
to the fair grounds. however. that
the labor committee In charge Of ar
rangements decided to postpone the
running off of the various events. in
order that none of the spectators
might be sighted
Accordingly the celebration at the |
fair grounds did not begin until
about 1880 o'clock Once started IL
moved along so smoothly and was so |
interesting that the great crowd. |
which began to pour In shortly after |
IL O'Clock and which continued 10
grow by leaps and bounds until by !
hoon the grandstand was filled to |
overlooking, was more than content. |
Program Good One.
Several features of more than usual |
interest are included on the Labor !
Mems program. One OF these is the |
baby contest. in which several score /
(Conf!nued on Seventh Pagel