Document text
Mail Tribune 100, Sept. 16, 1922 By Alissa Corman Sep 16, 2022 12:00 AM A A News from 100 years ago The following news items were drawn from the archives of the Mail Tribune 100 years ago Sept. 16, 1922 MEDFORD DAY AT COUNTY FAIR IS RECORD BREAKER Thursday was Medford Day at the Jackson County Fair, and there was a great outpouring of the citizenry. They poured out from the marble topped knolls and the cool creek bottoms, the far flung ranges and the sticky districts, from the silent places, and semi-silent spots, and all seemed to enjoy their respective selves most unrighteously. There was plenty of everything for everybody, including the recently created office of traffic director. There was 1,100 people in the grandstand, close pack, and three times that many on the ground endeavoring to get on the fences, in spite of the efforts of traffic directors to shoo them from their perilous perches. Finally the T. D.’s became interested in events, and let nature take her course. Early arrivals in the grandstand were treated to a sample of efficiency and engineering acumen. A pure-white Fordson tractor, duly labeled as such, snorted up and down in front, pulling a homemade drag, upon which was stationed Councilman J. W. Dressler, in the full glory of his 119 pounds with all his clothes on. A 225-pound dignitary of higher rank viewed the smoothing out process with a critical eye. Thanks to Mr. Dressler’s role as a weight, and knowledge of the real estate business the dirt was speedily put in shape for mussing up. The judge’s stand was full of judges, colonels, public officials and more or less prominent citizens and they dished up a poor brand of oratory for half the afternoon. The first half-dozen gents at the little end of a megaphone timed themselves to deliver an announcement with the opening blare of the D. O. K. K. band. Finally a leatherlunged professional announced from Seattle heralded a prizefight in stentorian tones, after which Mr. Edison C. Jerome of this city did the official yelling in a creditable manner. The opening number of the afternoon was motorcycle polo. This is a good game. Then came a horse race, followed be a motorcycle race against time, followed by another horse race, and then another motorcycle race. Two of these speeding vehicles came nigh to entangling hind wheels near the grandstand, by a hair, and a red one. Some of the womenfolks and girls gasped, as they do when Rudolph Valentino strolls in a moonlit garden, on the screen. Then the crowd was entertained by a relay face which will be run in serial form till Saturday afternoon. — Alissa Corman; [email protected]