Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1914-09-22

It's easy to say that fair "broke all
records" Sometimes In the flush OF the
excitement 1t may seem to be 30, when
. calmer review Of the matter may show
that you have seen just as big q crowd
and just as good cattle before.
| But this year all the evidence goes to
show that the Oxford County fair was q
record breaker, not only In the size OF
the crowd-which Is the first test OF
success-but in the magnitude and quail
ity of It's exhibits In all departments.
There is no reason to throw doubt on
the statement that It was the greatest
fair ever held here.
In the matter Of weather luck was at
the top notch. With good weather for
preparation, and three cloudless, warm
even bot-September days for the fair
itself, nothing better could have been
desired. Barring the dust from lack OF
recent rain, the conditions were perfect.
A conservative estimate OF the crowd
on Wednesday puts it at 10000, while
some would add few thousand to that.
At any rate, it was about as many as
there was room for on the grounds, spa.
cious though they are. In addition to
those who came by other methods Of
transportation, long and crowded special
trains from Portland and Berlin brought
two or three thousand people to South
Paris. The cash receipts of the society
were larger than ever before in its his
tory.
Exhibits in every department OF the
fair were large and complete. Contests
at the drag, on the ball field, and the
trottiug track, kept something doing all
the time. The racing wound up on
Thursday with the greatest contest on
record in the free-for-all, when after one
horse had taken the first two heats, an.
other went In and nosed out the next
three, and the time of each OF the fret
three heats was 2:13 4, which is below
he previous track record.
The South Paris Band played on Tues
day, and the Lewiston Brigade Band on
the other two days. There were no
Especial a,tractions''-no vaudeville, ex-
cept 10 the tents on the midway, no aero
plane flights or other general exhibit
tons. The character of the fair as an
agricultural exhibition was closely main
tanned.
With a crowd the size of this one, it
would be too much to expect that there
should be no drunkenness, but the court
record resulting from the fair is very
short. A hundred gallons or more of
hard stuff which was very likely design
d for this occasion was gathered in by
the officers at railroad stations nearby just
before the fair, so that the supply was
materially reduced. One man was ar.
rested during the fair in an advanced
stage of intoxicstion, and another the
morning after the fair closed. One man
was also caught in the act and taken on
a charge of single sale There we're men
about who had been drinking, but they
were not numerous.
OF farming machinery, which plays so
large a part in modern agriculture,
there was no lack in the exhibit. The
largest exhibitors were A. W. Walker &
Son of South Paris, whose line includes
about everything used for farm work,
not excepting traction engine. There
were also numerous other exhibitors OF
various lines, gasoline engines figuring
largely, while there was one complete
electric lighting plant, and water sup
ply system.
OF course the merry go-round was
there. What would fair be without
IL? And the Ferris wheel. And that
uausea producer, the OceanlWave. And
sideshows and takers by the score. II
they are an evil, they are necessary
one. They are part of the fair.
Regular meals were served by the Co
ngregationlists, Universalists and Metho-
dists of South Paris and the Congrega.
tioulists of Norway, at there respective
restaurants, aud by number OF private
individuals, and their were many lunch
counters and refreshmept stands. APP
parently all had good run Of custom.
PICKPocKETs AT WORK
As is apt to be the case in dense
crowd, pick pockets got in some Of their
fine work op Wednesday. There were a
plumber of victims, though only about
half a dozen reported to the officers.
Some estimate that a thousand dollars
was included in the harvest, but that
may be grossly exaggerated.
The largest loss that seems to be au-
thentic was that suffered by Alva Curtis
Of West Peru, who had a pocketbook
coutaiug somewhere from sos to SLOT
taken on the street car while going to
the grounds. Oscar Tiksnder Of Paris
lost about $50, and Oscar Bowker OF
South Paris about IS. George Miller Of
Waterford lost about $50. 1t was ru-
mored that another Waterford man lost
Sl75, but no name is given and the ru-
NOR cannot be verified.
The thieves worked apparently not so
much at the ticket Office crowd as on
the cars and in the hall. One man who
lost his money in the hall was satisfied
as he recalled the circumstances when he
discovered the loss, that man and
woman were working together. Officers
were looking for suspicious characters
| for a considerable portion of the day,
but nothing was discovered that would
justify the detention of any person.
BABY SHOW.
Mothers and infants gathered in num-
bers for the baby show Tuesday after
noon, and the babies in general stood the
ordeal better than did the judges. The
entries and awards were as given below.
The Judges were Louise Page Cole and
Sarah B. Parlin and Miriam D. Russell
Of Wilton
BABIES EIGHT MONTHS AND UNDER.
Mrs. S. S. Maxim, South Paris, Louise
A, 6 months, IS.
Mrs. W. C. Thayer, South Paris, Cor
don S., 81.
Mrs. Addie Thurston, Norway, Doro-
thy, 8 months, So
Mrs. Birdie Swan, West Paris, Maurice
R., 8 mouths, 81.
Mrs. Ida Etberidge, Norway, Donald,
2 months, 81.
Mrs. Elmer Aldricb, South Paris, Is
may E., 6 months.
Mrs. James S. Record, South Paris,
-, 5 months.
Mrs. Cleveland Goodwin, Norway,
-, 8 months.
Mrs. Mary Fogg, South Paris, Albert
E., A months.
Mrs. Mary Felt, Bryant's Pond, Lester
Albert.
Mrs. Arthur Holman, Otisfeld Gore,
Elizabeth.
Mrs. Laura Stevens, Norway, Douglas
Roman, 9 months.
Mrs. Ira NJ. Bsarce, Hebron, Barbara,
Z months.
Mrs. John P. Judkins, Norway, Mar.
jorie, 8 weeks.
Mrs. Ira HickfoId, South Paris, Mar.