The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-10-09
Coin Collectors
on Midway Reap
Golden Harvest

Richmond day broke all attend
arCe RECORDS OF tho virginia state
fair. Fair employees who have seen
The human tide ebb and flow for four
teen years vcntured the widest OF
guesscs when asked for an estimate.
ranging, in the majority OF cases,
from 10000 to 100 600. One dazed
tickettaker insisted that no less than
100000 people had applied to him
alone for admission.
The size of the crowd was limited
courier from the gates ran into the
office under the grandstand at 3
o'clock to tell Manager Saunders that
several thousand people were clamor-
ing for admission and that the force
selling and taking tickets was un-
able to handle the situation A
hurry call was sent out, every extra
man rounded up and all doors and
gates thrown open. Hundreds OF
people thinking II impossible to gain
entrance. turned away disappointed,
Although the grandstand was over
flowing. there have been more peo-
betting ring" People could stand
In there on their own feet This was
Impossible anywhere else on the
grounds The midway was unbe-
lievably crowded Thousands Of dol
lars were saved by careless spenders
because OF the imposslhillrv of get
ting within speaking distance Of the
careful collectors
II all the shows and games OF
chance on the midway open again
today. Il s because the proprietors
have an Unsuitable greed for gold.
They got enough yesterday TO satisfy
anyone Every show was packed to
. sufToration at every Performance
after ! o'clock and every blanket
doll bacon or fruit wheel had Gus
toners waiting in limo for their
chance to contribute.
It was Impossible TO walk, and
hardly necessary. Several ladies tried
| hard 10 faint, but had 10 finish the
Job standing up. on such occasions
the word would spread. willing hus-
! kics would batter lane to the near
est opening. the crying. hysterica1
woman lcd off the gan close with a
rush and the business of milling re-
summed
| The milling Of a herd OF fear cd
| cattle Is the nearest approach to an
/ adequate description of the midway
/ at 3 o'clock only a few in the thou
/ sands had any definite idea of where
/ they were going These only sus-
| pected IT, The keep TO the right
/ Of American traffic was adhered tf
largely. the only insurgents being
| occasional groups of youths who were
| proba bly, crazed by over-indulgence
in hot dogs. These mavericks would
/ form phalanxes. utter shrtll cries and
/ charge straight into mass 81
| squirmins men, women and children
! None of them were killed, probably
! because Of the fact that none Of their
/ victims could raise their arms from
/ their sides.
! The grandstand- and the midway
were not the only popular sections
/ Bored cattle, surir hogs, prout
! horses and stupid sheen were sub
/ .ected TO the searching gaze of thou
sands from early morning until night
fall The big Administration build
| ing was hned all day with slow
| moving throng Thia was also true
! Of the ladies' exhibit. the Y. T. |
j building, the poultry and pet stocf
! display and the Farm Products
| building
Thousar1 IT people inspected thu
vast number Of labor saving devices
! and implements which are on exhi'
hition in the open and kept the dem
constructors OF the model machines busy
all day.
After 5 o'clock. when the maximum
attendance was reached, Thousands
began the weary journey home. Thet
| places were taken by night vteitor'
who continued to arrive until
O'Clock