The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-08-18
PLATYDEUTSCH FUN.
Thousand People
Attend the Great Festi-
val at Union Hill.

lyn. journeyed to the monster Union Hill
Schuetzen Park yesterday and attended
the opening of the great four days Platt-
deutsche Volksfest. The weather was all
that could be desired, and If it continues,
there is no doubt that this years festival
will eclipse all previous records in point
of attendance and success. When the
saIoonkeepers in the northern part of the
county arose from their slumber yester-
day morning and looked at the cloud1ess
skies, they chuckled long and audibly
and began to make preparations to re-
ceive the crowd which can always be
looked forward to on the opening day of
the great festival. Walters and bartend-
ers were in demand, and in great many
instances the saloonkeeperS posted their
wives and daughters behind the bar to
receive the rush.
The Sunday closing law, which had so
seriously interfered with the business on
the opening day few years ago, was a
dead letter, and the average rollicking
German seemed as well pleased that such
was the case as the saloonkeeper. Wagons
were dispatched to the breWeries, which
abound in North Hudson, and an extra
supply of the amber fluid secured, and in
nine cases out of ten every one had sold
BILE in some places to purchase a glass of
beer. Flags, streamers and bunting were
purchased without stint and each saloon
keeper seemed to vie with his neigh
Dor i'm making his place the most at
tractive Every conceivable motto and
design was placarded in front Of the sa-
looms, but the old familiar German mot
toes of "WilKommen" and "GraaG vie
in Deutschland" which translated means
Welcome" and 'just the same as in
Germany" seemed not to have lost their
popularity. AT eleven O'Clock the gates
of the park, which will not close for four
days, were thrown open and the first
man to enter its portals after paying adj
mission was a colored man. This the
committee thought might prove Jonah
for the success of the festival, 5ut it de-
veloped that they were mistaken and
they now believe that he was a yeritable
mascot.
AT noon the rush started. The scenes
about the ferries were unusual. Each
boat which arrived via the Christopher,
Barclay, Fourteenth. Jay and Forty
second street ferries from one o'clock till
late in the evening was jammed, and in
some cases on the Christopher street line
the deckhands were compelled to leave
several persons behind But the means
of transportation from the ferries to the
park were execrable. At the Jay and
Forty second street ferries the North
Hudson County Railroad runs a stage
line. Yesterday it had all of its stages
out, but they were utterly unable to
transport half of the picnickers. AS
consequence those who wanted to go to
the park were either compelled to pay an
exorbitant fare to cabbies or walk.
DIFFICULTIES IN REACHING THE PARK
At the ferries in Hobokeu the rush was
greatest The North Hudson County
Railroad authorities, whose lines are the
only ones which run to the park, had all
of their cars out and extra drivers and
conductors employed. Superintendent
Goelz was about the ferry personally in
specting the transportation of the pas
sengers. Although the company ran cars
on a half minute headway they could not
successfully handle the crowds 1t is an
i'll wind that blows nobody good, how
ever,and the cabbies made comparatively
small fortunes. In some cases SO was
paid for cab to the park. l counted
thirty cabbies in line at the ferry at one
o'clock and at two o'clock there was not
one of them left,
Notwithstanding the difficulties attend
ing trip to the park the crowd was, as
all German crowds are, extremely good
was generally replete with amusing in
cidents. The car which | boarded left
ferry shortly after two O'Clock.
1t was an open car, and the register in
dicated 10l passengers. Among the pas
sengers, at least she was termed q passen-
ger, and she was charged as such, was a
young German girl She stood on the
iron coupling which projects at the rear
of the car, and chung on tothe dashboard
Her rather ludicrous appearance
and inelegant position created gen.
eral utter throught the car. Some
young fellows made some remark and
she said that she had been waiting for q
fra,. %6,-no o,.fa r,f l., \
that she intended to reach the lark. The
conductor found her more graceful
position. The place where the crowd dis
embarked was at Bergenline avenue and
the Hackensack Plank Road From this
corner to the entrance of the park there
seems to be nothing else but saloon keep
ers and fakirs. They did thriving bust
ness yesterday. The entrance to the
park is beneath two elegant arches of
flowers. On both arches the word "Wilk-
ommen" is worked in roses.
When the vast crowd reached the park
it branched off Some went direct to the
main dancing PLATFORM where a band of
sixty pieces gave concert. Others went
to the antiquated farm house, and there
sitting in the shade of trees slipped cold
lager beer. This was a great family spot.
Others went to the CASTLE where they paid
five cents for an extra small glass of beer.
Still there was little tone at the castle,
which was not to be found in the other
places in the park, and this, no doubt, ac-
counted for the diminutiye glasses. The
majority of the crowd, however, jour
neyed to the strip of land known at this
festival as Little Coney lsland.o A
more appropriate name for this place
could not be given. AT one time it was
intimated that 10000 persons were con-
gregated here.
LITTLE CoNEY ISLAND.
'Little Coney Island" as it is called, is
a stretch OF the park comprising about
three city blocks. On both sides of this
plot of land booths of every description
have been erected. Fakirs Of every kind
abound and yell their inducements to try
and ring cane, win a gold watch, etc.
The man who is willing to test your lungs
for nickel is there, and so is the electric
battery and lemonade fiend. One novel
game which was very well patronlzed
was operated by three young men. 1t was
called duck race" Six figures of min
iature ducks reclined in tank of water
about two feet square. Each duck was
numbered and pools were sold on the
race at ten cents apiece The holder of
the ticket on the duck first past the fin
ishing line received fifty cents. and
the three young men pocketed the
other 10 cents. The race was real life
like and was watched by big crowd. At
Little Coney Island are also located the
headquarters of the different societies.
These were crowded all day. Right out
side of the headquarters monster stage
was erected and also several flying ira
pezes.
An exhibition of athletics was given
there yesterday afternoon.
II.A-