The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1870-05-20
THAT PICNIC.

~
MEssRs. BBIToRs: Snouing along
Commercial street, one day stsweek, !
ran bolt upright almost into<tbe out
stretched arms of that prince of good
fellows and excellent caterer in the dry
goods line, merchant Bancroft. "Look
here, "says he sold crusty cRrmudgeon,
Il have heard you growl so often about
our people and State, l want you to at
tend a picnic at Patty's mill, six miles
west of here, upon the banks of the Cot
-tonwood river, andssif you don't alter
your opinion of bothspeople and State,
mp Here he broke down with a
Slang that foot" as severe pain, caus-
ed by high eating of grahann bread
soaked in lager, caused him to hop
around on one of his pedal extremities.
In consequence of the above urgent
request, and hearing that our social and
worthy Mayor accompanied by some
of the other dignitaries of the city,
would for the nonce lay aside their Off
cial robes and mix with the common
people, l, as in duty bound, concluded
to do the same, and went, and, Messrs.
Editors, caves Use conqHered Is gin
in. ''I' fully endorse Major Bancroft's
USUALLY attributed to Pierepont) motto,
"a loVlier country God never made"
1t was a beautiful day not cloud to
be seen; light, balmy and most de-
lightfnI breeze came from the southwest.
The roads could not have been better.
After a ride of about four miles over a
lovely prairie, dotted with as numerous
and beautiful flowers as the eye would
wish to behold, we came to the banks of
the Cottonwood. Beautiful, most
beautiful" simultaneously broke from
the lips of all our crowd, and we'll they
might say so. / have wandered over
quite an extent of our country in my
time, and never did look ona more love-
would be farce unless stimulated with
some of merchants BIS lager, and then
where he, from habitual use, would sue
coed, my ideas (never brilliantly would
in all probability become clOuded. All
/ can say is, go and see it, and if you
don't say you are amply repaid, send
your livery bill to me, and 1 will give
my note for it.
Our road followed the meandering
bank of this lovely river for. about a
mile. We then ford the stream, and af-
ter ride of another mile, reach our
destination on the bank of said stream,
which takes circuit of, ] don't know
how many miles, before it gets there.
And now commences the. fun. Here
Mr.. Patty has built very strong, sub
stantial stone Touring mill. Our party,
old, young and middle aged, have as
sembled to dedicate it, and they did it
with a will. Waite's string band dis
coursed excellent music. The dancers
took the floor. lon the road to. B0s-
ton, sings out the dry goods prince,
and to Boston they went. Merchant b.
and Mrs. D. led off, followed by large
number of (pardon me, Messrs, Editors,
1 was going to say lesser lights,) when
:, no should follow. but our staid and
worthy DIR. L. and Miss r. Immedi-
ately behind him. was another genial
dry goods dealer, Mr.. w. and Mrs. H.
Following him, we godsl would you
believe it, came the Chief Magistrate of
our city, with HE beautifuE Miss A.
hanging on his arm, to whom he was all
attention. After him came Councilman
w. with Mrs.F b. af the ';Episcopal
bank" Not knowing the rest, and their
names were legion, can particularize
no farther. The music has commenced +;
away they go. As soon as they reached
Boston, merchant B., who is. The life and
soul of such gathering, shouted out,
sit is time for rationsl" and broke and
ran for the grove of timber, followed by
| the whole alimentiye crew. The writer
sauntered slowly after, admiring the
scenery ON each side 1of the stream.
When he reached the dining hall, beau
tifully situated under the branches OF
the large elms, sycamores, oaks and wal
nuts that line the banks 5nd extend for
some distance each side of the. stream,
and looked upon the immense quantity
of fixinf spread out on table cloths oil
the green grass, he mentally Gin the
language of Sam Weller) exclaimed
"Vere vas ven all desc tiRgs vas build
ed?" Sitting around the first cloth wa:
the portly and manly looking form OF
ex-Sheriff B., his child and two ladies
upon the. cloth was food enough for s
regiment. One of the ladies cordially
q hope Common Council will allow this
word to stand3 invited the writer to {
place at their table, The ,ex-Sherif
looked. daggers. "My DEAR" said he
perhaps the gentleman is otherwise en-
gagged, and you know we barely pro
yided eaDpglH to stay o,lr stoIptehsqHti
. we reached fiofne..s4 1 lbowed my &c
: acknowledgements, and declined, but coult
not help taking asidelingg glance at wha
was, IA Kansas, considered enough t,
stay the stoihaehsaof two delicate look
ing women, a two-ycar old child and Al
] syria HpUT tn Gous NAsFxh
whole of large boiled ham, a quartz
of mutton, a large roast of beeE, a suck
ing pig, roasted whole, a six-quart mill
tpsh Aof baked beaus,S q huge loaf Q
bread, pickles, canned fruit.s plea cake.
and everything else that could be though