The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-08-27
THE GRE,tT yOIkS FEST.
The Auspicious beginning Of the sports OF
EortN.Rvc Gcrmnn socIctIcs.

the Plat Dcutsch brought over ton thou
sand persons yesterday to the Schuctzen
Park at Union Hill They filed the
winding walks and thronged tho large open
space at the further end OF the grounds. and the
confused sound ofthcir laughter and voices and
OF numerous bands Of music was borne to dis
tancc Tho Plat Deutsch voks Fest Associa-
ton is composed OF forty five societies number
ing $500 members. resident in New York aud
surrounding cities. Their first festival two
years ago was attended 10y over 10000 persons.
Tho multitulcs were so great that they sur
i.sscd all expectation. and exceeded all accom-
mOdatiOns that could be provided The trains
could not carry them and the gntes could not
admit them. They broke down the fences. and
thousands entered without paying for thoir adj
mission. II would not even have been possible
to have taken their money and nevertheless
the amount that WIS received was SO large that
it had to be packed in barrels to he counted after
the festival was over. That of last year was
hurt by the rainy weather; but the present fest
il expected to be very successful and ycster-
day opening gave excellent promise OF such "a
result.
The sports began shortly after noon with n
concert and with sack and whccbarrow racing.
donkey ruling, pole climbing. and bowling.
For the boys. two particularly amusing games
wcr" PROVIDED In one. plates were hlled with
mollsses. and at the bottom silver quarter dol
lars were placed. which the boys. having their
hands tied behind them. had TO get at with their
tooth. The coins were then placed ia plates
filed with -four. and the boys had to nose their
way to them through that obstacle too. TO be-
funny spectacle before they were through.
a., match at putting on shoes was the
row with their shoes at an cqunl distance be-
fore them. and ut Il signal jumping for them.
John Ackrr received prize for the greatest
celebrity IN this useful ACCOMPLISHMENT. Prizes
Of the value of 500 ars to be given for climbing
the creased pole, hut nobody reached the top
yesterday. though many attempts were made.
every day Of the fest for the hest bowling. This
aport was continued until late in the evening
The host scores being made 10y \. ) ,hrutmlllrr.
+ fhlcn, John Flinchn. John hoffman, and
- k"geh"hn. The most entertaining rnmc Of
the iny WAS the ladies' tournament. in which n
wooden eagle. with sharp metal bcak. and
hung tp cross lean overhead wnS swung
Tor thus iournam I have been given out each
member Of the "a -ocintiOn rec.lNns one and
giving it 10 a lady friend, Each contestant
to all who make n score of over II out of pos
sihc 3G. The prizes are divided int two class
-. on. for scores between Is and 2f and the
other for those above %. The scene Of this
tournament was SURROUNDED by "A large nun b"r
81 merry mli.- and ny l'ss msrry, men; amt
applause. About 100 took part ia the tourney
yesterday. and many Won ,priT-. The best
scores r.re mad" 10y Mrs. VI. / Rutru-rhan.
~ Mr.. ". f. S"humann y; Mr. lah US I'm.
-; and Mr. Brcdthorn, u. For thu highest
sror" mad. nt this game during the whole 'rsi "a
| iurih.r pr1" ~ a silver pi, her - o. w." : ven.
| Mrs. Buieu- hon. who has made tne best 5. ore
| thus far. Is the wife of the ex-Collector Of As
| scssmo MIS- a. gentleman who is also known as a
| Plnit D"uts ~ poet.
Another lnisre-iine game was he ring
riding in which horsemrn az full gAllop try Ia
carry of iron rings with short foils Inis game
is sop,n TO all upon payment oi small entry fccs,
| nnd pres are given To the winners. Good
| horses were provided yesterday by H"Nam"r. the
| Hobok'n riding master. and the spectacle was
handsome as w,l ~ en-, rtaininS. Ih" first
| prilc WAS taken hv Mr. Hanson. who took i've
rings out oi a possible SIX the second ny Mr.;
Quirck. and the third by Mr.. kohler Five II
the CONTESTANTS had taken four rings each. and
Craving Tor the prizes vavc them to Ouirck and
k9hler
tho rio-' OF the. TEST, which j. 10 Inst through
" Wednesday,. Pun 'hin"llo. fireworks. aero
bnios. strr"opti on views. and nriderou- sid
shows give SUM- irnt variety to the spectacular
| entertainment 10 satisfy all tastes. The -t"rc.
| optirun Views are expected to be good
| feature of the fest and are 70 incud" portraits
| OF German celebrities. familiar landscapes from
| the FatherlHnd. scenes upon Its famous rivers.
| and glinpses of its great cities historic build
| ings. and notable monuments.
Toward evening. after tn" games were fully
| under way and the good -naiured people had
| scene WIS the very lIkon, ss 81 porulnr gath
| erlng i'm the Fathcrand. Tho young men in
| their IA IT sleeves. bowling AMI qnaiilng lager
| beer a." iauEhing crowds before IN" miniature
| stage of Punch nnd Judy: the booths round
about with their Germun notto"s and NV lions
| In easy doEgrrrl lnSm"s 10 enter ana make
merry, and with their stores OF hrOilrd sausage
| and rye bread and German pastry the unnum-
hcrrd lager beer booths, whore loNinl groups
drank and sang snatchcs II song learned years
| ago in their mother country; on every hand
| Kidding and band playing. and here and there
| II soldier in the lrussian helmet and uni.
with lighthcaitrd lass ; nothing but
| German seen or spoken. and not quarrel
| some tongue or noisy word with all this. IT
| needed lttle Imagination in "A spectator t. Feel
| himself transported bodily to the land Of the
| Rhine.
| To-day the societies forming the Volks Fest
| Association will lr formally welcomed by "N-
| Alderman Claus4n. the President 81 the assoc
| citation. In IN" afternoon there II To- hr n cHr-
| niNal procession. IN which, among other things
| Henry Ward B"-nher !, expected To- supply the
| work nsmrn with bread and water 1o-mnr-
| row there Is To- be golden Wedding ~ they
have it IN the PlW' Deutsrh farm house
| \ procession II to start from 100 BpWcry
| NJ noon. aud AZ Barclay street ferry il to be re-
| ceived hy tho Honuken Riding club and "-cort-
| ed to the S.hntz-n Park. Twelve youths and
| maid'ns AZ" Ia accompany IT in th" costume oi
the old country "Wednesday there IS 10 be-
| another humorous procession, IN which Judge
! Hilton will be mounted on high horse, and
| the Jews will max" an exodus from Saratoga
| II IA an interesting fact that the coupl" who
| were really married in Plat Dcut-ch styl" AT
tho festival last year, are in daily eNper cation o
| b-lHg blessed with "a child; an event that L. e
be followed. II II occurs. by "A real christening IA
| the present test.
| Tie siis,r=s of the festival is largely duo &
| the energy. tempered with courtesy. Of tn oil
| Gers Of the association. Mr. Crusu- the thulr
! man If the Executive Committee was uniirlnl
| in his Efforts To keep everything IN good run
| ming order.