The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-10-07
Crowds Are Increasing Every Day and Officials Expect Records to
 Be Broken
ROTARY CLUB WILL HAVE FROLIC TODAY:
 STORES WILL CLOSE
Horse Races Yesterday Are Close and Exciting-Midway Reaping Rich Harvest-Walker and Park hurst Each Win Five-Mile
 Motorcycle Race

The State Fair struck it's old time stride yesterday.
 Estimates are that over 15,000 peo- pie attended during the afternoon and night. The big show is gathering im- petus. By tomorrow and the next day some of the largest crowds ever seen in the state are anticipated by fair association officials.
 This is Rotary and Merchants day. The downtown stores, retail and wholesale, have agreed to close their doors at 1 o'clock and all employees thereof will be fairgrounds bound. The Birmingham Rotary club will have charge of the "doings."
 Yesterday was full of features. As the guests of the fair association and the Rice & Dore Carnival shows yes terday the newspaper carriers of The Age Herald had one glorious time. The newsies enjoyed the treat as only a newsie can. They came out early in the morning after delivering yes terday mornings Age-Herald and took in" the fair in a body.
 Four exciting horse races were run, one trot, one pace and two running races All four had close finishes and a close finish is what it takes to bring the cheers from fair crowd. The motorcycle races Were marvels of speed. Two five-mile races were run. Gene Walker won the a rl 41o
 Cattle Awards Tomorrow
 The awards of the booths in the wom. ems department were made and the cat tie awards will be made public tomorrow The badly show in the women's depart ment is progressing with considerable noise. The judging will not be concluded for one or two days Fair officials have come 10 understand that whenever Presi- dent Buster Brown is wanted they only need send messenger up to the baby show
 Yesterday was midway day. It started orr with The Age-Herald carriers in the morning and from then on one continuous crowd roamed and strolled up and down the wide avenue which is lined on both slices with every sort of side show amuse- ment device, lunch stand, fortune teller and candy shop imaginable. The midway this year, according to statements of old heauS Tn the fair business, is the best ever on the Birmingham fairgrounds The shows especially are of a high-class va riety. Not a concession on the midway is objectionable. They are all honest and fair and worth the price of admission. The big roller coaster operated by w A. Welcher, said to be the largest in Alabama, was crowded all day yester- day. The Rice & Dore water carnival did an enormous business. All of the side shows were busy 1t seemed to be what the midway man calls a money crowd" and the smile on the face of the spieer was unmistakabls as the crowds poured past his ticket box and damned into his tent.
 The result of the motorcycle races yes- terday were as follows:
 Five-mie open: First, Gene Walker, Indian; second. Joe Walters, Excelsior; third. Gayle Joice, Indian. Time, 4:91a
 Five-mile close: First Red parkhursr Harley Davidson; second, Arthur Mitch ell, Harley Davidson; third, Gayle Joyce, Indian. Time, 416A
 Gene Walker. the popular Birmingham boy, who has been doing the fastest mo- torcycle driving on the track this year, met with another accident in the second mile of the second race yesterday when the cap came off his gasoline tank. the gasoline spilled out and his clothing caught fire No damage was done, but Walker was compelled to stop his ma chine and get out of the race.
 Horse Race Results
 Results of the horse races yesterday were as follows;
 2:2o Pace-Reed, F. F. (Wallzer). first;