The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-10-09
SUN GOD ARRIVES
in time TO SAVE
RICHMOND day
Turns Drilling Failure
Into Big Carnival
Success.
ESTIMATE PLACES.
CROWD AT 5O,OOO.
Gucsses Run as High as so,0O0,.
but Lower Figure Is Regarded
as More Accurate-Crowds
Pack Grandstand Day
and Night and Gorge IS
Wahoo Lane.

Maybe 1t was Vtce-President Cohen's
watchchain rabbit foot. and maybe 1t
was the Patrick County lucky stone
that President Henry Fairfax carries
concealed in his hip pocket. Whatever
1t was. 1t suffiiced to turn Richmond
Day. dripping failure through four
morning hours into the big success
Aiat it has always been and must be.
The story of it Is tale that is n
tribute to the love which the people of
Virginia carry in their hearts for the
big day of their biggest fair. The day
dawned wet with n sticky drizzle that
spread the blues from farthest Church
Hill to the extreme west boundary that
VIII mark Richmond's limits when the i
pending annexation ordinance becomes
law. The forenoon hours brought.
the dreaded rain. and Ballyhoo Lane
took on the cheerful look of a petit
toner in voluntary bankruptcy.
Citizens Turn Sun Norshippcrs.
There arose combined prayer, led
by the president of the Fair Associe-
ton, seconded by Lady palmists and
Hindoo seers, and abetted by 10000
men, women and children, who had
saved their pennies for Richmond Day.
They prayed to the sun god In the rit-;
answered. At / o'clock In the after
noon he broke through the clouds and
served notice that Richmond Day.
would not be rained out, and the city
boarded the street cars.
The heavy movement began shortly
after o'clock, and continued without
intermission through the afternoon and
early night hours. at $3.50 O'clock the.
throng moving across the concrete
bridge and stretching unbrol1en to the
grandstand entrance. gave evidence
that the rain hoodoo had been broken,
and that Richmond Day, 1918, intended
| to go down In fair history with a rec
1 ord as honorable as those os the seven
| that have gone before. n
BY o'clock the enlarged grandstarid
with capacity OF 5000. was packed to
the aisies. and late comers began
FORMING the phalanN around the race
track fence that an hour. or two later
stood six deep. The quadrangle inside
the grandstand Enclosure held 1000
provided with stand privileges which
could not be made good, and tho
grounds in general took on the an
pearance of Richmond Day of old
Crowd Reached $4,000.
Between the opening of the gates in
the morning and their closing at mid
night. $4,000 people. 1t is estimated.
filed into the Enclosure. The estimate
is garnered from the opinions of hard
ened fair habitues, who have learned
to gauge carnival crowds by unbroken
attendance upon Virginia's big fair.
as high as $4,000. They wero the op-
timists. Others thought that it fell
as low 10000. The optimists called
them Knockers
II think it is safe to say that, by
closing up time, $4,000 people will have
visited the fair" said Vice President
Samuel Cohen. at o'clock. I'VE are
delighted with the way things have
turned out. The rain hurt. of course,
but i don't think the receipts will fall
behind last years"
10000, Says warwick.
General Manager Warwick as be-
comes tho chief engineer OF the ex-
position, declined to permit the attend
ance TO fall below $4,000. The grand
stand, he said, was larger; the Midway
was jammed. and the grounds we're
packed. 1t was impossible to say with
certainty, but he thought 10000 as an
outside guess was not too liberal
IF we haven't the largest crowd, we
certainly have the best fair" said Mr..
Warwick The Midway is far superior,
TO the one of last year, and the free
shows and exhibits are so per cent
better Everything considered. Rich
mond Day this year rs as great a suc-
cess it has ever been"
Il am surprised the way folks turned
out. in spite of the threatening wealth
err" said President Henry Fairfax. ."I
came down expecting an ordinary at
tendance, and find 1t almost as large
| if not as large, as the biggest crowd
tho fair ever drew"
| Mr.. Fairfax was unwilling to mako
guess at the attendance but thought
| 10000 was not far wrong a policeman
at the hot dog counter. who had been
watching fair crowds since 1906, gave
/ IL as his opinion that the attendance
was as large as it was last year.
| Everybody Happy.
With question of the size OF the
| crowd Df fho Z ~
recorded that everybody within the
gates was happy. The sun never came
out long enough to dry the grass, and
Ballyhoo Lane remained slushy through
the afternoon and night. but nobody
cared. The program went off without
hitch. and Santiago fell amidst orange
fire that was not a whit the less orange.
because the atmosphere assayed 80 per
cent water.
Excitement came early. The fifth
race, for three year olds and upwards
for purse of S400, brought out six
entries Racewell. w. Daley up. threw
his rider near the end OF the two~rnii,i
course and crossed the finish line alone.
The grandstand stood up and cheere6
the riderless horse as he sped game1y5
in ahead of the field winner, but
Idisqualifed.
Ambulance Picks Up Rider.
| Jockey Daley was picked up by tIs
city ambulance and rushed to the field
1 hospital to be treated for minor bruises:
Jean Wagner. with Jockey Burns up,
fell at the first mile. and her rider Wac
picked up unconscious by the anYhu-
lilance. His injuries. II is believed, VIII
not prove serious. Orderly Nat. owned
Noltaire, owned by c. Donati. nnished
| second, and Boundhrook, w. IL Wool
fridge, owner, finished third. 4; Ss
Bessie Patchen, owned by Charle1