The Cairo daily bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1870-1872, 1870-05-05
YESTERDAY.
DAY or UNINTERRUPTED PLEAS.
CRE. 90
THE SILVER coRNET Rand PICNIC.

eau rhs oI lheir plchic yesteruay, Ms the
! Wisconsin steamboatman said Of his bust
ness that if they ''didnt make much mon
ey, they bad lots of fun
About nine o'clock the little steamer
Odd Fellow. with a decorated barge on
either side, left the wharf with about four
hundred men, women and children on
| board for the grounds at Fort Jefferson.
An hour later her precious freight was
landed, without a mshap or disagreeable
occurrence of any kind. and the whole
party had distributed itself through the
! woods.
There l. not, within fifty miles 81 Cairo,
more romantic place for a picnic than
Fort Jefferson. On one hand is valley,
spread out as level as a floor, shaded by
grand old beech, gum and white oak trees,
and entirely free fepm underground while
on the other hand rise grand old hills, on
the sunny slope Of which the visitor can
loll upon carpet Of grass from the crest
OF which he can view the rspid-rolling
river the island, the broad plain below,
dotted here and there by farm houses and
cultivated fields, and a thousand beauties
and glories which we have no space 10
dwell upon. Upon the top. Of this hill
bloom in profusion the beautiful dogwood
while on the shaded slope grow the fern,
the wild larkspur, the Indian slipper, the
modest violet the fragrant "Sweet- Will
liam, and many other wild flowers for
which we have no name.
Out into the valley, where the shade was
deepest and the ground the smoo,hest, the
greater portion Of the party bent their
steps, and there found attractions that de-
tanned them until the boat whistled them
away in the evening. The chief attrac-
ton was the music of Eichenbergers fine
cotillion band. To It's delightful music,
and In obedience to Charley Hardy's
prompting, hundred or more danced and
waltzod, schottisched and maxourkied the
live long day.
At half-past l o'clock the Odd Fellow
left our wharf on her second trip, with a
respectable crowd on board, which, in less
than an hour, were added to the number
on the grounds, swelling 1t, probably, to
five hundred souls. How this large num-
Der enjoyed themselves; how nice 1t was
to enjoy midday repast in the woods;
how everybody wanted everybody else to
eat with them; how nobody was selfish at
the expense Of anybody, and how the
sounds Of merriment and song made the
grand old woods ring again, we need not
enlarge upon. Everybody has participated
in picnic and, consequently, knows how
even the atmosphere Of the country in
spires good will, and that "fellow feeling
that 'rnakes us wondcrous kind.
The crowd was whistled on board the
boat at half past five, and when IL was AS
certained that, beyond doubt, NIL were
aboard, tho lines were east OF. Eichen-
burgers band struck up, and the deck Of
one Of the bargcs was Immediately hllcd
with dancers. On the other barge a re-
treatment stand was erected, and ice cream
lemonade, fruits, cakes and cigars, found
sale n fast ms three or four expert
salesmen could parcel them out. And
thus, with feasting and dancing, the trip
was made memorably pleasant.
We must not forget, in passing, that the
Coruet band discoursed splendid music
during the day, and Us individuals did all
they could to make everything pass of as
II dill pleasantly and happily.
At an early bed time the boa, moored
again ut our wharf, and discharged her
large crowd Of passengers. The officers
had been watchful and attentive during
the day, determined, most evidently that
no mishap or unpleasant occurrence should
be charged to II want of caution on their
part.
The affair was not that success, In a Pc
cuniary point of view, that the members
Of the band expected il would DO, but they
will survive that disappointment, and per
hnps take comfort In the thought that they
engineered the largest and pleasantest pie
ME of the season.