Jasper County Democrat, Volume 11, Number 35, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 August 1908 — BIG CROWD AT FOUNTAIN PARK. [ARTICLE]

BIG CROWD AT FOUNTAIN PARK.

Democratic Day Attendance OneThird Larger Than Republican Day. Notwithstanding the false statement of the Republican regarding Democartic Day at Fountain Park, the attendance was one-third larger than that of Republican Day. This assertion is based on the word of two of the stockholders of the association, Mr. W. S. Rowe, a republican, and W. I. McCullough, the president of the association. Mr. Rowe told the writer that about 4 o’clock p. m., there had been 400 more tickets sold at the main entrance than were sold Tuesday, and Mr. McCullough said at 5:30 the sales were about 500 more than Tuesday. [As we understand, this was 500 ! greater than the entire ticket sales of Tuesday, both day and night, as Mr. McCullough said, “there will be quite a number more tickets sold | this evening which go in with this day's sales.” On Tuesday 937 tickets were sold at the main entrance, and those sold at the automobile entrance were about the same, no doubt, each of the above days. In estimating the crowd both days, however, tickets to cottagers on the grounds and the season, complimentary tickets, etc., which are several hundred, should be added to the above. On this showing it is safe to say that the attendance Thursday was fully one-third greater than Tuesday. The attendance front Lafayette on the special train was not as large as expected, but from neighboring towns and the surrounding country the attendance was fully up to expectations. Hon. John W. Kern, Hon. Thomas R. Marshall, Hon. Henry Warrum, Judge M. B. Lairy, Judge Darroch and other prominent candidates and democrats were present, and the four former spoke. Hons. Kern and Marshall speaking longest. The principal address was by Mr. Marshall and was well received. We have not the time nor space to refer to these addresses now, but will do so in our next issue, when we hope to have Mr. Warrum’s remarks in full on guarantee bank deposits. The roads are probably the most dusty at present ever seen, and even on the grounds the dust lies deep and is as fine as flour. Had a good rain come the attendance all along would have been better, yet the Chautauqua is not only going to pay out—in fact had paid out with the end of the first week—but will pay all expenses of every kind and the association will be SI,OOO to $2,000 to the good. The grounds will probably be purchased from Trustee Cheadle of the Parker estate, by an association to be formed among the present stockholders, and the Assembly will be continued and made a permanent thing. Mr. Parker never made any report of the receipts nor expenditures heretofore and nobody knows anything about how -it had been running. But judging from the excellent financial returns this year he either paid a great deal more for talent than has been paid this year or there was a profit that evidently went into his own private account at his bank. ,