New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-07-18
Lusitanos Benevolent Association.

The picnic of the Lusitanos Portuguese
Benevolent Association, which took place
at the Fair Grounds on Sunday, was at
tended by from eighteen hundred to two
thousand persons. The slight shower in the
morning had no other effect than to
cool the air and render the Fair Grounds
all the more fit for the occasion. There was
the usual provision of creature comforts,
edible, bibulant and fumigatOry. There
were shooting arrangements, with powder
less guns, at misshapen caricatures OF men,
with noses as big as their legs. There was
the instrument to test your wind, an appa-
ratus TO test the purity of the blood, of
which latter it may be remarked that all
who paid the proprietor his picayune fee
found, on trying the apparatus, that their
blood was remarkably pure. There was
the ubiquitous gift lottery, where every one
draws prize, which lottery. if it made no
body's fortune, at any rate made series of
children supremacy happy at the prizes
they got.
Dancing, of course. From an early hour
in the day until far into the night the swell
ing notes of superior band of music was
responded to by the tripping of tastastic
toes, supporting fantastic figures in many
cases, the whole presenting scene OF un-
alleged enjoyment and undisturbed har-
mOny.
The games in the programme were all
carried out except the buggy race, which
did not take place in consequence OF one
of the two parties entering having with
drawn.
The first sport was a foot race of one
quarter of mile, for firemen only. The
The entries were William Stevenson, Jack
Taylor and Adolphe Washington. Steven
son seemed to take it very easy, keeping
with the others the greater part of the heat;
but he was evidently only fooling, for when
within a hundred yards, he started ahead,
and won easily. Prize, SIS; time, 1:3O.
Stevenson has run several mile races, MAX
ing time in 5:4.
A hose carriage race next took place, for
trot of one mile, with five hundred feet of
gum hose Prize. splendid water cooler;
open to all the fire department. Entries
Protection 9, Hope and Eagle 7. The
race was won by Eagle 7; time, 3;56-being
the best time on record ever made by hose
carriage.
Next followed an engine race for
quarter of a mile and force water, one
horse and ten members to each engine.
The race was contested by Philadelphia No.
IA and Eagle No Z, Philadelphia winning
in one minute and thirty-fve seconds.
Prize, half dozen silver gOblets.
Next came quarter of mile race be
tween Home No. and Protector No. =, to
run, 90 to work and throw water in the
shortest time, with fifty feet of hose. Prize,
a silver butter bowl and waiter. The only
entries in this race were Home No. and
Protector No. q The race was awarded to
Protector. but Home entered protest on
the ground that Protector had some men
who were not members. The case was re-
ferred for decision. Protectors time was
LOB.
trotting race between the horses of
Hope No. 3 and Philadelphia No. la was
won by Hope No. 3 in 3:l4.
Inc sports concluded WIFI iaoo aS"inoO
time by Protector No. 2, half mile, with
horse and ten members, to force water
through fifty feet of hose. Time l:4o.
This last was not in the programme.
AS the games drew near close semi
large balloon doomed up in front of the
Judges stand, evidently bent on taking a
voyage to the upper regions. But many an
aspiring spirit is prevented from soaring
for want of means. So it was with the bal
loon, for there not being competent
means of imitation on hand it did not go up.
The day passed and ended merrily.