Semi-weekly herald., 1913-09-29
REVIEW OF THE FAIR
FROM FRIDAYS DAILY

Nature has been distinctly unkind
to the fair association this year. The
weather for the celebration could not
have been much worse. Although il
was far from pleasant Wednesday af-
ternoon, the crowd was determined to
ignore existing conditions and make
the occasion one of gayest hilarity-
and they met with good success But
yesterdays storm threw wet blan-
ket over the entire situation. The
morning was of the sort to dampen
spirits and the afternoon to dampen
wearing apparel and both were done
to a finish.
| In the afternoon about the time the
people usually make their way to the
fair park, it rained so hard few ven
tured out. Those who were on the
grounds and protected with umbrel-
las viewed the stock pens and vibrat-
ed between halls to view the various
exhibits.
The Shiprock government school
display which is the latest addition
received no end of favorable COM
ment. The blankets are some of the
finest and most valuable specimens
of Indian arts in existence. Each
tells its own story of the weavers
experiences, hopes and ambitions, to
those who are wise enough to inter-
pret it. Some of the blankets are
woven of yarn colored with vegetable
dyes, before the squaws learned of
the less valuable drug store products.
The fruit and vegetables displayed
attests to the success in horticulture
and agriculture met with there. In
fact the whole exhibit is eloquent
evidence of Superintendent Shelton's
success in directing the training of
his charges so they win make good
Indian citizens instead of poor imi-
tations of white men.
| When the hour for the thrilling
slide for life, the first feature on the
program, arrived, there was less than
a hundred persons in the grand stand,
so everything was delayed awaiting
the arrival of the crowd. About 2
O'Clock the heavy clouds broke away
and the rain ceased. Then every car
to the grounds was crowded to the
guards. By little after the grand
stand was fairly well filled and the
gate receipts showed the visitors pres
ent were not many less in number
than on the previous day.
The track and the baseball dia-
mond were so wet that it was almost
impossible to use either. The base
ball game between Allison and Du-
range (the Alamosa club resulted
in a score of 3 to 20. Good fortune
attended the Durango team to such
an extent that from the beginning
little interest was manifested in the
contest. Even the players did not
seem especially enthusiastic, but the
depth of the mud had not little to
do with their attitude of mind.
On account of the condition of the
track the motorcycle race had to be
called off, but the elements willing,
it will be one of the attractions of
the late afternoons program today.
Wet weather always has bad
effect on the Indians frame of mind
and yesterday was no exception. One
of their number was to ride in the
five-eighths mile running race. His
limited knowledge of English made
it impossible for him to understand
instructions given and he failed to
make a start in the contest. The
dusky skinned folk thought they were
not being given square deal and
were so peeved about the matter that
when the time for the buck race ar
rived, some controversy followed and
at their request, Mr.. Gray, the man
in charge of the bunch, took the In
dian horses off the track. A son of
Buckskin Charlie at last convinced
his brothers the mistake was
theirs, not the judges, and when the
other races were over they had for
gotten their grievance and were ready
for their part in the program.
There were six entries in the buck
race and nearly every horse in the
lot was good runner. The half mile
was covered first by the wearer of
the red neckerchief, the wearer of the
green neck-covering being a close
second. In the squaw race, the dusky
maiden in red was easily the winner.
She has been noted on the tracks on
previous occasions and is famed for
being a good horsewoman.
In the five-eighths mile running
race, Delmar, Hallar's horse, was
first; Hank Brahum, owned by J. B.
Fullerton of the San Luis valley, Sec
ond, and Barney Dreyfus, Billie
Likes horse, third. The last named
; racer is Texas product that has been
the winner in thirty-four races.
The half mile running race result
ed in Perry Craig's horse, J. A
Naples, winning first money; Silver
Heels, owned by Duckworth, second
E and Lady Garvin, third.