The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1880-08-04


frequency met the eye as the crowd
Of children passed to and fro in rest
less motion over the decks of the
boat. No very small children with
out protectors or care takers were
permitted to embark, as a sufficient
force was not available to convert
the boat into nursery, so several
eager littls chaps who had COTTON
hold of the coveted piece of blue cafd
board had to be turned away with
faces. The police who
had the giving out of the tickets ex-
ercised all the care they could that
they should 90 into proper hands,
but in spite of them there was a
lively traffic done in the tickets, which
could be bought ut from five to ten
cents from the young vagabOnds,
who wanted cigarettes or candy more
than a trip down the river. Well
worth seeing was the comfortable
which came over some OF
the mothers as they saw the hot and
too familiar city fade from their view,
and began to inhale the fresh river
breeze.
A plentiful supply of provisions
had been laid in under the super
vision of Mr.. Abner and the citizens
committee.
In addition Mr.. +. X. Ward, con
tributed, unasked, but by no means
unwelcome, sixty gallons of Alderny
milk. This and the bread sliced
from some 400 loaves forming the
stock Of the staff of life constituted
the lunch which was served out on
the boat going down. With all the
care possible, many children and
mothers went unserved, while the
more active and INSCRIPTIONS gam
ms had double and even quadruplt
helpings, each of bountiful dimen-
sions, at this distribution. To obviatt
this, it was resolved to issue tickets
for the next and more substantial
meal, These We're eXtemporiZed
from reporters notebook, and is
sued to every individual as he pass
ed off the boat at Mount Vernon
Springs. In this way it was hoped
many who did not understand thai
they were entitled to anything tc
eat or were too proud to come fore
ward and ask for it, would be placed
at their ease and the too forward
ones kept from encrOaehing.
The landing was soon effected anC
half an hour later dinner was serv
ed. This consisted of a substantial
ham sandwich, cup of coffee or mill
and peaches. The tickets had al
excellent influence on the turbulenr
spirits. and none Of the backward
ones failed to come to the front witt
their provision passports. Calls fol
more were made by boys who haC
eaten so much that their eyes fairly
stood out and when they got theii
fresh supplies found it impossibl,
to dispose of it except by giving it tc
less pushing companions.
Everybody seemed to have ac
quaintances on board except two in
dividuals, one an old Irish woman
dressed in a faded brown silk.gown
white muslin saque and old-tim,
bonnet. She was recognized by tn,
police as Irish Mary, a cow-keepe,
of South Washington, but how sh,
got ticket no one knew, and sh,
spoke to no one except to claim
her dinner ticket and what it called
for. Whenever the boys, in playing
ran near her, she would raise he
tattered umbraella in vengeful me
mace, as if accustomed to annoyance
from the street Arab class, so largely
represented on the boat. The othe,
solitary figure was a middle ageC
man dressed in a gray linen suit anC
straw hat. He did not even com
municate his desire for something t.
eat, and every body was too busy t
run after those whoneglected the OBJ
vious channels to get fed. So he sa
and hungered for all the others coulC
know. Some one hinted that h,
was preparing to run fast with DR.
Tanner by practicing self-restraint
On the boat also were the children
from st. Vincent's orphanage, ac
companied by the white-hooded anC
black draped Sisters. They were
kept severely by themselves, anC
even when on shore were not allow
ed to leave the pavilion where tn,
dinner was served. The poor vaga
bonds had great deal better tim,
of it, The latter had no sooner land
ed than a dozen or so made for tn,
water and were soon engaged IL
pelting each other with the sea-weed
Cries from the boat for them to 9,
round the projecting bank to BATH
were seves4y ignored, and not unit
an officer who had accompanied
them from the city had aEed hi
pistol over their heads could they b,
got to attend. Then there was ;
perfect stampede for the other sid,
of the point where they could bath
in safety and decency.
The start home was made at fiv,
O'CLOCK AID al were got on board il
safety and comiort Another luncl
was served out when abopp ha!f wa,
back, consisting Of milk SSahdbiche
an.i peaches. lp distributing th'
latter Mr.. Ai3aef got fairly mobbeC
by the little folks. Finding that hi
free hand was not sufficient TO dea
them out with, he, after tossing
plentiful supply to those outside tn,
crowd which so tightly environeC
him turned the last box over ant
let the boys scramble for the fruit
Sqdlt < s,oepe is seldom witnessed
Suddenly Chs poys who had beer
standing GA tip,6es dad Silh arm.
and hands extended wefe se6i. t.
fall flat on the deck, and then fof
few minutes nothing but confused
mass of heads and legs was visable
Then the mass uprose and not {
peach vas visible. Every boy haC
stowtGhts pSi,eg away and wa:
looking fqr laSiqfes Ahea hey founc
all wefein their posses si9p ilfe eyeem
menced their fruit feast. peltiHg eaef
other with the stones until the los.
of ammunition in the river deprived
the sport of interest With ali fhl