The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-10-12
CLOUDS HANGLOW
OVER STATE FAIR
TILL CLOSING TIME
Continued From First Page

The Virginia Railway and Power
company contributed $4,000 to the cost
or tho new bridge: the two steam rail-
| roads. over which IL stands. $4,000. and
the city $4,000. making the total cost
OF 10000 The Board OF Supervisors
of Henrico County refused to allow the
rebuilding OF the Fair Grounds car line.
! ana the use OF the new bridge-to the
cost Of which the county contributed
nothing-by street cars.
Property Owned by City.
The city owns the Fair Grounds, and
has large investment in the property,
aside from the interest 1t takes In the
development of the fair as a civic en-
terprise, Mr.. Warwick explained. The
car company has already contributed
$4,000 to the bridge. and IS willing to
cxpcnd $4,000 in rebuilding a line
which 1t will use only ono week In the
year az It's contribution to tho future
success OF the fair.
The decrease in attendance, Mr. War
wick said, was due to the fact that
Richmond people were not SO largely in
evidence, and We're evidently afraid OF
tho clouds Every day OF the week
there was larger attendance OF out
of-town visitors than on the CORE
spending day last year.
Notwithstanding day after day OF
leaden skies and dampness, there was
no abridgment of program. Every
| thing went OFF as scheduled. from the
balloon ascension of Professor Hutchi-
son. who lost himself In the clouds and
came TO earth in safety. TO the display
OF fireworks last night. This was the
signal Of the final breaking up. and
before midnight most OF the Midway
people had packed their belongings to
move on TO other fairs. In the hope Of
clearer weather and better receipts
But all of them agreed that 1t was a
great fair.
Hnd More Exhibits.
There were more exhibitors and
there were hundreds OF exhibitors who
before had never given OF their wealth
| of product or OF their skill OF hand!-
work TO the State Fair. r O. Sandy,
state agent OF tho United States De-
partment or Agriculture. said that the
farmers exhibits and the manner In
which they were arranged showed that
there was q vast Improvement in scien-
tihc agriculture r. w Spilman. d.
! rector Of live stock. stated that the
cattle showing was far better than
usual. and that 1t waa the largest that
the association has ever had. Corn.
as usual. was the king OF the crops,
and there was q marked Improvement
In the staple product, especially in the
showing made by the boys corn clubs
Not one OF tho boys who exhibited had
made less than 100 bushels TO the
acre, and some ran W to moro than
can be done BY scientific farming and
proper selection OF grain.
Gloom I'm BnIlyhoo Lime.
II was n bad week for the show poo
pie. Many OF them, II was stated by
n Snowman who travels from fair to
fair the country over, had not made
expenses, and would not have enough
money 10 pay for their own transporta-
ton and the transportation OF their
tents and property /; was a sad song
the takers spelled yesterday and there
was q general tone OF melancholy
along the length OF tho Midway. They
had lost heart. and they could not
force song from stomachs that were
empty and spirits that had tagged.
Tired women sat In the ticket booths
and called weakly for the passing
throng TO come and buy. but the peo-
pie passed on. and the songs that had
been gladstone on Monday morning
changed to tunes OF mourning. In
tho afternoon most OF the shows along
Ballyhoo Lane were absolutely empty.
The fakirs hung up their mcgaphones.
and, folding their arms. gazed cynically
on the moving people. Most OF them
We're sad-cyed and tired. and the wo-
men moved about with the languor Of
weeks strain. Only the open booths
in which were displayed Teddy bears"
and monkey figures did thriving
trade. Even II they would not buy a
sandwich. people would buy n Teddy
bear" to take home 10 the children.
Stripping ynst Field.
After the program was done. many
OF the show people began taking down
their tents. The stripping OF the vast
field soon became apparent. Cattle
were led out OF stalls TO box cars to
he taken home. They lowed sadly as
they wendell their way through the
49, H.. Df tlA - :.
way. Horses that had pranced in with
mincing step hung their heads as they
strobe silently and softly out. The
triulnphal parade was over Spielers
and faklrs and all the other migra-
tory tent people. whose homes arc
where they lay their heads. looked on
with sort OF subdued sympathy. 1t
meant more for them. They had played
losing game since they travelled
from Lancaster to Trenton and from
Trenton to Virginia. Rain had been
their lot Mt every place, and the sor-
rowful fact that their tents. their very
homes. might be preempted stared
them in the face.
Wagons bearing fruit and produce
drove up and down the lanes once
made merry with moving people and
added to the slow stir Of the outward
march. The people felt that there was
touch OF sadness In the air. some
thing more than the sweet sorrow OF
parting and their one-time gayety
was subdued into laughter that was
soft with sympathy. There Is always
something sad about tho moving Of a
fair. The dumb beasts themselves
feel It. They know that the song and
dance nre done: that the success OF
some spells failure for others. that
some hearts are heavy with the fore
boding that when the price is paid
the purse will BIO empty.
The Greatest of All.
Before midnight everything was
down, and the place looked liko n
camping ground deserted. Darkness
brooded over all. save where a feeble
lantern glowed or candle sputtered
through the gloom as fakir searched
for his odds and ends. Gatemen left
their posts, and the host of showmen
folded their tents and silently stole
away. Here and there tent or two
was still left standing, and the weary
spielers crawled In for their last sleep
before they took the long route home.
Cattle that had not been driven out
in the afternoon crept slowly along