CRESCEUS, 2:02 ^4 



The space enclosed on the track was fihed with bug- 

 gies, victorias, carriages, automobiles, vehicles of all 

 possible description. It was a beautiful picture. As 

 Ketcham stood there waiting for Cresceus, who was 

 being led down the stretch by attendants. Mayor Jones 

 came through the gate, walked up to Ketcham, grasped 

 him warmly by the hand and said : ''Mr. Ketcham, I 

 wired my congratulations to you, but I want to take 

 this first opportunity of greeting you in person and 

 congratulating you on the wonderful performance of 

 your noble horse." Mr. Ketcham thanked him and 

 then his face grew serious. "Mr. Mayor," he said, 

 ''this is my mother's birthday. She is eighty years 

 old to-day. When she came here in 1835 all this coun- 

 try was a wilderness. Her father was the first mayor 

 of Toledo. My efiforts to-day are her contribution to 

 charity on her eightieth birthday as a manifestation 

 of her appreciation of the good health and prosperity 

 she has enjoyed in this community. I am only sorry 

 that her health is such to-day that she can not grace 

 the occasion with her presence." 



Then it was that the members of the Cresceus Day 

 committee knew for the first time why Mr. Ketcham 

 made it a condition early in the season that Cresceus 

 Day should be on the eleventh day of October. So 

 when the charities of Toledo received their share of 

 the proceeds of Cresceus Day, they understood that it 

 was the result of a son's tribute to his mother. 



Twenty thousand or more were present on Cresceus 



161 



