Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-09-10
Cloudy Morning

Weather men far and near, and
even including the bureau itself, had
forecasted fair" for Wednesday and
Thursday, but when the when the sta
BILE boy crawled out from between his
blankets cary this morning and made
a sky inspection, he shook his head
obviously. 1t was cloudy and dark.
There was a sort of rainish feeling in
the air, and just few minutes after
S o'clock there began a slow. misty
drizzlo that gradually increased in
volume until it became good, whole
some rain.
Both the Boys Band and Hobbs
had come to enliven things with their
music but they took cars back to the
city about IL o'clock when the bad
weather was doing its best to dis
courage the prospective fair-goers.
Nevertheless thee rowd gradually grew
as each car brought it's quota of en-
thasiasts. Rain, clouds or anything
else could not dampen their enthus-
iasm, and with dripping umbrellas,
wet glossly raincoats, men, women,
some of them dressed in white, actu-
ally defying the rain and mud, and
children, slowly filed through the
many gates. By noon time there We're
two to three thousand people on the
grounds, although the usually crowd
ed thoroughfares did not show it. The
chilly, damp. cold penetrating air that
seemed to get right into the marrow
made 1t necessary for one to keeI
moving to be at least comfortab BILE
Naturally the exhibition hall and the
art building We're crowded Taking
shelter from the rain and cold almost
everyone went in doors, and the pro-
prietors Of the booths found they were
doing the best business of their stay.
The great, long broad aisles were
damned with a slowly moving mass,
good natured, jostling and wet The
singing of the sheet music sellers, the
lively marches, piano playing enliv-
ened the crowd and folks didn't seem
te care whether it rained or showed.
Art needle work, the embroidery, the
vegetables and the fruit were fingered
over longer than they had been on
Monday or Tuesday, and the big and
little trout in the glass tanks seemed
to understand that folks were stand
ing longer than usual in front of he
anks, and undoubtedly they wondered
why.
Deserted Midway
What a deserted place the Midway was
with the other days. Its slip
perry, muddy condition did not make a
very inviting highway, and only the more
wandered up and down with
a beloved "hot dog being slowly con-
Many of the tents had remained
closed, but the more jealous and ambi-
tious of the fakirs yelled and shouted as
of yore, hoping to catch an occasional
passerby Hoop-la men offered greater
than usual Umbrella and
men were twice as jealous as
they had ever been. Everyone was filled
with the fair spirit even If things weren't
very conducive. Women with their dress
es carefully picked their stepping stones
to keep from the mud, while the men and
BOYS went along regardless of whether
their shines were lost in moment.
Races Postponed
Over in the administration building af-
fairs had an altogether different aspect.
The directors were holding their meeting.
Should or should not the racing program
be omitted or postponed, was the ques-
ton. Finally it was decided to include
the racing in Thursday afternoons pro-
gram unless the track dried up so that
the heats might be run off towards eve
ming today but that was practically i'm
possible so the 2.19 class pace, the 2.l7
trot and the 2.22 trot will be run off with
the 214 pace, the 2.2S trot and the 2.24
pace. making one of the finest programs
ever offered at Maine State Fair. The
were not at all pessimistic over
the probable outcome of the fair, and,
to the contrary feel that Wednesday was
a big day in face of such great odds.
Thursday will be Governors day and a
record breaking crowd is expected.
Old Mr.. Badweather tried to spring a
come back in the afternoon by sending
one or two little showers, but they were
so insignificant that little heed was paid
to them and things ran along practical
ly the same, The motordrome. silent and
still all the forenoon, began activities
after dinner. but the rain made the track
wet and unsafe
over in the cattle department and horse
stalls and in the sheep and poultry sheds
there were not many visitors The long
walk through the wet grass and mud
didn't appeal to the majority
All the judging went on as though
nothing had happened. The grand calva-
cade of price winning horses. scheduled
for IL o'clock, was omitted on account
of the storm, but the pulling oxen, the
trained steers. matched steers, Herefords,
Guernseys and their grades, all passed
under the critical eyes of the Judges,
Thursday. the last day of the fair, will