The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-09-11
THOUSANDS COME
FROM over STATE
TO ENJOY EXHIBIT
Short Drizzling Rain Last
Night Frightened Up Fair.
Sunshine From Now Until Rest
of Week for Exposition.
NOTHING OMITTED TO PLEASE
At Least $4,000 Visitors Ex-
pected at Grounds Thursday.
Night Show and Races for the
Spectacular Events.
Sunshine From Now Until Rest
of Week for Exposition.
NOTHING OMITTED TO PLEASE

This afternoon dense mass u
visitors jammed the grandstand ana
bleachers, the exhibits and the
grounds at the Kansas Free Far.
The crowd at the races today was the
largest so far this week.
Motor cars from many sections OF
the country were lined up in the
driveways and the parking spaces IN
the grounds and the city streets 1of
blocks each way from the fairgrounds
entrance were packed with the convey
ances of the race lovers.
More than 10000 persons entered
the grounds today before the first race
was sent away from the wire at
O'Clock. A crowd of sixty or seventy
thousand persons is expected at the
Free Fair tomorrow. and full prepara-
tions have been made for handling
this number.
ALWAYS before in the history or the
fair In Topeka Thursday has been the
day evidently set aside by the great
mass of people for attendance at the
big show, and it is thought tnat ms
wear is to prove no exception to the
rule.
Rain Freshened Up Grounds.
After a day of clouds and a night
of drizzling, discouraging rain, the
Kansas Free Fair came out or the
slight fog this morning with a srnliing
and cheerful face turned to the sunny
skies. The rain was just enough to
freshen~ things up a bit, and the
grounds and exhibits today are in the
finest possible shape. The rain Tues
day night merely served to WASH the
dust from the buildings and the tents,
and today the whole grounds smile
welcome to the visitor.
Settling the dust on the roads lead
ing into the city, as the rain dld Iues-
day night. those same thorofares
were literally lined with automobiles
and buggies and wagons bringing the
farmers to town today for an all-day
visit at the fair. Family after family
was seen coming into the grounds
this morning laden with generous
sized lunch basket, and many more
families were noticed entering the
grounds and inspecting the various
eating house concessions apparently
with a view to picking out the best
one for the noon and the evening
meals today.
Crowd Despite Rain.
In spite of the threatening skies the
second day of the Kansas Free Far
Tuesday the crowds in the grandstand
at both the afternoon races and the
night show were good. 1t is esti-
mated that fully twenty thousand per-
sons were entertained at the grounds
Tuesday in spite of the clouds. and
fair officials announced today that in
their opinion the large majority of this
crowd was farmers who had come to
make a day of it and refused to be
downcast over the mere threat of a
cloudy day.
The crowd out for the World al
War" fireworks spectacle Tuesday
night was fully as large as the crowd
the opening night Round after round
of applause was accorded the pro-
ducer and the originator of the spec
tacle as the big war pageant unfolded
in front of the grandstand. The Kan
sas State Guard battalion and band
take the parts of the allied and Hun
armies in the big pageant which leads
up to the battle scene at the climax.
The Parker carnival shows on the
midway at the Free Fair were deluged
under the assault of the amusement
hungry crowd on the ticket stands all
day Tuesday. The midway from IL
o'clock in the morning until tfter 10
o'clock in the evening was just seeth-
ing. surging mass of humanity OF
pleasure bent The people were there
to take in the fair and to the best OF
their sever abilities they were carry
ing out the intention.
Big Attendance Today.
The crowds today are expected te
fill the grounds nearly to the limit II
has been so in previous years and II
is thought that this year is to prove nc
exception. Wednesday and THURSDAY
are always the big days at the Kansa:
Free Fair for the reason that for some
unknown cause the people intendins
to visit the fair seem to harbor the
idea that everything is not set anC
ready for inspection before those days
Early this morning the roads ant
streets leading to the fair ground en-.
trance were lined for blocks with
parked automobiles of visitors In
side the grounds the checking stand
for cars was rapidly filling by II
o'clock and the drivevays were al
ready Uttered with their freight O.
rubber tired conveyances. In the fire,
parking spaces just south of ma
chinery field. the cars were lined il
three deep and still they Gar .e.
BY the time the races start thi.
afternoon at 2 o'clock it is thought b,
their fair officials that the grandstanC
ticket offices will be literally inun
dated under the demands of one of tn,
biggest crowds in years. The card fol
the day is especially good and man,
OF the best horses on the entry list ar,
- billed for performance on the card
Two bands furnishing the music a
Do.~