Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-10-04
SPIRIT Of TRIUMPH
IN AIR AS STATES
GREAT FAIR OPENS
Preparations Completed
for First Time in His
tory of Show.
GOOD WEATHER EXPECTED
TO SMASH ALL RECORDS
Sightseeing Crowds Gave IS
Police Plenty of Work
Yesterday.
$50 RACE HORSES ARE HERE
Old Dominion's Fifteenth EXPOSE
tion Is All Set for Most
Auspicious Start.
GOOD WEATHER EXPECTED
TO SMASH ALL RECORDS
40 RACE HORSES ARE HERE
Old Dominion's Fifteenth Exposi-
tion Is All Set for Most
Auspicious Start.

nc spirit OIL thc greatest fair IN
NirGinia's history was in the air yes
tcrday ut the grounds on the corner
Of tho boulevard and Hermitage
Road. penetrating everywhere and
hliin5 every ono who had anything
10 do In preparing for tho opening
today with unboundcd energy.
Work went on until almost dawn
today under the grim determination
OF all hands to carry out General
Manager w. G. Saunders promise
that when the grounds open at s
o'clock this morning every hammer
and saw Will have been put away.
This will be the first year that such
an achievement has been attempted.
Thirty-Ftvc Police ON Duty.
The Fair Grounds and all roads
leading to IL presented bustling
scenes yesterday under the fairest OF
autumn skies. Wind and sun were
nicely tempered and the throngs OF
sightsecrs were out TO take all the
advantages that Mother Nature was
giving them. as we'll as some that
the State Fair Association was not
so glad to see them take. for II re-
Guirod the combined efforts Of tho
grounds under Captain Charles
Samuels TO keep the gates barred
and the fences free Of the grow
ing army OF curious folk, young and
old. momcntary furry was caused
at the cattle gate near the railroad
Fidings when prize, bull got out OF
tho control OF tho man In charge OF
'he herd ana made n dead set -forAthe
gate, where large crowd was coll
1ccted. containing many women and
children. a bad stampede was mar
rowly avoided. but not by the aid OF
police, mono of whom could be found
anywhere In the nciEhborhood at
the time. Director Henry Schwarz-
schild and Manager Saunders later
found Captain Snmuels and insisted
that the police give the service they
were put there to render. Though
the fences were broken in some
places. a force ofrepair men soon had
things put to rights and the grounds
were cleared OF autois,s who had
violated the order permitting only
Conccssionnaircs and exhibitors to
bring their machines inside. Several
speedy" motorists had to he d.
vested OF their idea that the race
track had been put in shape specially
for them, whereas II had been work.
ell over for weeks at a large daily
cost TO get It in the proper condition
for the horses. $50 Of which are here
for this meeting.
450 Race Horses Here.
Racing Secretary James p. Ross
said last night that nc had all the
.,
be hired at the last moment to house
all tho horsefesh which the $4,000
in purses has attracted here from
every section of the continent Among
the last stables to arrive will be that
Of w. v. Thraves. OF Lexington. KY.
who is donating purses Of $1,000 and
$500 for tho Richmond and Virginia
trophy races. respectively.
There are upwards OF 1000 head Of
cattle in the stalls this morning and
the chances are that before nightfall
there will be on exhibition fully three
times as many as have been seen at
the average fairs Of the past. The
highest number ever before reached
was between five and six hundred. Di-
rector r. w. Spilman, OF the live
stock division has been put to it to
know where to accommodate all the
entries that have poured in upon him
and every department is in about the
same fix.
Tho Polack shows pulled out Of
Washington for this city a littlo after
noon yesterday. Their representa-
tives already on the ground said that
nothing would prevent their being
ready to open for tho fpll ten-day run
of the fair at noon today.
GAL" Wilson's Latest Escape.
"A" Wilson came out to the
grounds yesterday afternoon and re-
lated to an interested group the mar
row escape he had from death at one
OF his latest engagements in Des
Moines, Iowa. He is tho last aviator
who can successfully change from
plano to plano in midair. without
the aid of anything put his hands. Ho
had performed this stunt for the
Iowa crowd one day during his en-
gagement and decided to give them
an added thrill by having his pilot
fly at top speed, while no dangled
from the end Of n twenty-five foot
rope with life belt about his waist.
All went we'll, Wilson said, until he
was ready to haul himself up hand
over hand and rejoin his companion.
lie had drawn himself up rs far as he
could and with one hand had seized
the side Of the compartment in which
the pilot sat, when inadvertently he
brought himself into contact with the
terrific wind created by the propeller
blades and his hold was broken. He
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