The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-10-21
THE FORESTERS' WASH0UT
MEETING OF THE
AMALGAMATED COMMITTEE.
They Ascertain the Loss the Joint
Picnic and Levy an Equal Assessment
The Prizes Divided Notes About
Other Societies.

Other Societies.
"Rain, rain, go away"
Brother James O'Melia, with Lam a.
boy-again expression, hummed the favor
ite vocal selection of his youth when he
had an engagement to spear apples and
potatoes or gather fuel for the election
night bonfire.
Brother Flynn told a thrilling story of
q great and disastrous washout-the
most appalling that was ever chronicled
for the Foresters, for it had washed out
all the profit and left deficiency large
enough to start modest savings bank.
The Committee on the Joint Picnic met
at Roche's Hall last night. They gath
cred to wind up the affair and report
back to the courts the assessment to
cover the loss. The Foresters were pecu-
harly unfortunate this year in selecting
days for their parade and festival. 1t
rained ON the first day designated and
the picnic was postponed.
The next day 1t poured Immediately
after the parade started. OF course the
Scheutzen Park. which was expected to
be crowded, and would have been had the
day been pleasant, was deserted. There
was another hitch. Louis Wendell, the
lessee, had been crippled financially by
the bad season, and his creditors had
squeezed him.
The Sheriff was in charge of the park.
The few who were dancing had to leave
the park at dusk as there was no light to
be had.
The Amalgamated Committee have
met regularly since The attendance has
not been as large as it would have been
had the affair been a success, and there
was no ''divvy'' in it. Some were sad and
not deeply interested in reaching set
tlement.
A dozen or more were eager to get
through with the unpleasant task and
have fought to have the final reports pre-
sented as early as practicable.
The reports were not ready last night
when the chairman, John Wagner, called
tionS for postponement but the major
ity concluded to stay there to the wind
up, and they did it. 1t was after mid
night when the meeting adjourned.
The Committee on Games had been in
structed at the previous meeting to bring
been offered to the winners at the games
that did not take place. They did not
bring them and were sent over TO Brother
Harris home to get them.
The prizes consisted of six gold handled
umbrellas, twelve gold headed canes,
four gold and two silver badges.
Each court gets one of the prizes, and
fit and realize as much as possible to
meet the deficiency. The prizes were dis
posed OF by lottery. Each was numbered
and corresponding numbers were placed
in hat.
The delegate from each court drew
slip from the hat and received the prize
corresponding with the number he had
drawn.
All were anxious to get an umbrella or
q cane, as badges, which were to have
been given to the successful runners or
jumpers, will not be got rid of so readily
as the other and useful prizes.
A singular streak of luck was that the
badges went to the Courts with the small
est membership. Court Pride of Bayonne
and Court Hoboken were among the
badge winners. There were twenty-five
Courts and the conclave interested. This
left one prize over.
1t was decided to present the odd prize
to Chairman Wagner The last one left
was the badge that was to have gone to
the Forester''s son who won the one
hundred yard race, and was the smallest
and least expensive of the prizes.
The meeting was marked by debate
which was quite warm at times but there
was plenty of fun as the witty delegates
had their inning.
Nothing of Importance was done until
Brother John T. Kelly offered motion
that the Finance Committee submit
statement of the loss. This was agreed
to. A hitch, however, occurred. The
Committee did not refer to it in their re-
port but it came out. The hotel receipts
two courts and conclave who were each
assessed IS at the start.
1t was presumed that this assessment
had been paid. 1t should have been col
lected. That made $115 from this source.
Then $50 was received from the pro-
= Il H. 49,
of receipts $l45. The treasurer had re-
ceived only $135. He had been absent
from several meetings, and the money
may have been received and used without
an accounting having been made to him.
This will be Strengthened outs the secre-
tary's minutes will show the receipts.
1t would have occupied too much time
to have gone over the minutes last night
to ascertain when the money was received
and how it was expended
The Finance Committee concluded to
act only on the unpaid bills, deducting
the amount the treasurer had on hand
and leaving the treasurer to make the
explanation.
The Finance Committee reported de-
ficiency of $252.92. The shortage was
divided and 81. .49 was the amount each
Court was to pay.
An appeal was made by Brother John
j. Cutler for the weak Courts. His mo-
tion was not popular, as the delegates
decided that had the affair been success
the weaker Courts would have demanded
their full share of the dividend and ac-
cepted every penny. A motion did pre-
vail that every Court be assessed equally.
Then followed a discussion as to the
full report, and it was the sense of the
meeting that every item be read. The
treasurer and Finance Committee read
detailed statements. The allowance of
$25 10 the Reception. Committee provoked
a debate, as an itemized bill was de-
manded by several delegates. The alb
surdity of the committee in trying to keep
such record was shown. The majority
were satisfied the appropriation had been
honestly expended, and the item was
passed.
The difference of $40 referred to was in
cluded in the receipts, as Brother Kelly
contended that it should be put in the
statement, as the fault, If the money was
not received, belonged to one of the Off
GERS of the committee, whose duty it was
to see that the money was paid in.
The report this time showed q defici-
ency OF $1SS.7S. To this was added forty
three cents for postage, as the reports
must be sent to every court and the Con-
clave. The deficiency, divided by twenty
three, makes the share that each must
pay 1928, or a total loss for each of S13.2S
on the picnic.
The bills of the two bands who were to
furnish the dancing music were not en-
braced in the shortage, as they were en-
ployed by Mr.. Wendell, who informed a
committee that he would make satisfac-
tory arrangements with them. AS he has
evidently forfeited the lease of the park,