San Francisco Call, Miners’ day at the fair (1898)
Crowds come from all sections of the state.
Governor Budd and staff watch a drilling contest.
Cornish wrestlers give entertainment to large assemblages.
MINERS’ days at the fair opened yesterday under the most auspicious circumstances. In addition to the large excursions that came from Tuolumne, Nevada and Calaveras Counties, there was one from Butte, and this crowd was augmented by an extremely large attendance from the city. W. C. Ralston superintended the drilling and wrestling contests and much of the success is due to his ability. The Governor and staff, Mayor Phelan and many prominent guests were present and made addresses. To-day and to-morrow will be miners’ days, and the management have provided the best attraction of the fair for their benefit.
Judge John R. Davis of Amador County, the speaker for the evening, delivered one of the ablest and most exhaustive addresses upon the mining history of California that have ever been heard in this city. He spoke in part as follows:
“The fiftieth anniversary of any event is its golden jubilee. On the 24th of last month we celebrated, by a grand pageant in the streets of this city, the golden jubilee of the discovery of gold on the Pacific slope. This magnificent mining fair is but a continued celebration of that event, and to-day, set apart by your committee as miners’ day, is reserved for an exclusive mining celebration of the wonderful discovery of gold that ultimately gave to the world a new commonwealth, and to the flag of the Union its thirty-first star.
“To-day, which under ordinary circumstances we would devote exclusively to a celebration of the birthday of the ‘Father of His Country’, to-day, while our eyes are still moist with sorrow for the fate of the brave men of the pride of our navy, and while we are yet patiently waiting to know what it means; to-day, we celebrate an event that finally gave to our country its most valued and largest territorial acquisition. We feel that America must still yield to the manifest destiny that makes her great. No hostile threat of any foreign power, and no grasping insolence of any domestic trust shall dispel our hope, that the stars and stripes will yet float triumphant from Newport News to Pearl Harbor, from Washington to Havana, first of all the States in the Union. (Great applause.)”
Cornish wrestling and scientific rock-drilling interests the spectators.
“The Cornish wrestling contest for heavy and light weights were next upon the programme and proved most interesting. The judges were J. Polkinhorn and E. S. Van Court, while the referee was George Michlig of the Olympic Club. The first contest was between J. W. Jaffaud, 197 pounds, and Fred Webster, 185 pounds. Jaffaud was an easy winner in the first bout, Webster being in no condition.
The second contest, between James Rodda, 156 pounds, and Charles Haskins, 160 pounds, was a lively one, and lasted for six bouts. Haskins won. Thomas Whalen, 171 pounds, and Ollie Phillips, 148 pounds, put up a lively four bouts. The contest was won by Whalen. The terms of the wrestling were for two hips and a shoulder or two shoulders and a hip to constitute a fall. The other wrestling and rock drilling contests come off to day and to-morrow.”
The San Francisco Call. (1898, 23 February). Miners’ day at the fair: Cornish wrestling and scientific rock-drilling interests the spectators, p. 12.