Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-05-19
L DAY IN THE MOUNTAINS.
COMPANY B ENJOYS A PICNIC NEAR
PLACERvILLE.
Seven Hours on the Road, But a Joyous
Time After-Incidents
of the Day.

There were exactly 307 people on the ex-
cursion train which left the city at o'clock
yesterday morning for Placerville. A num-
Der of friends of the excursionists were at
the depot to see them off. Company B
First Artillery Regiment), under whose
auspices the affair was given, occupied the
first car with the Artillery Band. Not a
person on the train slept for moment dur
ing the trip to Placerville, for there was a
choir of singers in every car, and they
made things lively. down Went Nc
Ginty," Little Annie Rooney" white
Wings "Razzle Dazzle, Where Did You
Get That Hat" with variations as to the
text, "In the Sweet Bye and Bye" and
"Gabriels Trumpet" were sung exclusively
by the merry-makers, but "Pickanniny, the
colored mascot of Company B, rendered
several other songs in his own inimitable
style.
The trip was without incident until the
train reached the heavy grade above Fol-
som, where the engine was frequently
forced to stop to make steam.
After leaving Latrobe the grade was so
steep that even with full head of steam
the locomotive could not bulge the train,
and had 10 run up to the nearest sidetrack
with three cars and then return for the
others. The train also had to be broken
again before Shingle Springs was reached,
all of which caused such delay that Placer
vile was not reached until O'Clock, max
ing the trip of sixty miles of seven hours
duration.
Hundreds of Placerville's big-hearted
people were at the depot to meet the ex-
cursionists, and cheer after cheer went I'D
as the train pulled in The Sacramentaps
made grand rush for the nearest hotels
and restaurants to stay their pangs of hun.
ger. The company, headed by the band,
marched up the street to the Carey House,
where the members had breakfast.
Everybody in town was out to hear the
band play, and more than dozen wagons
stood in readiness to convey the picnickers
to the grounds, about a mile distant. The
generous town-people showed them every
attention and made the visitors feel quite
at home.
About o'clock the people began to flock
to the grounds, and half an hour later the
military and band went out No better
place could have been found for picnic.
There was plenty of shade, and the place
was clean and inviting.
There was large dancing platform in
the grove, and during the day the floor was
filled with dancers. Baseball and other
games were played, and the day was de-
lightfully spent. Com any B prepared
shooting range on the ground and held its
annual target practice. The shooting was
watched with considerable interest by
many and some fair scores were made.
The highest score was 40, and the others
ranged from that all the way down to zero
1t is thought, however, that the percentage
of the company, for the number of men
who shot, will be about 55 per cent.
The company left the grove about half
past o'clock. Nearly all Placerville was
at the depot to see the visitors off, the fair
sex in particular. The young ladies of the
little mountain town were dressed in their
best, and seemed to outnumber the young
men about five to one. At 5 o'clock, amid
general waving of handkerchiefs, the ex-
cursionists departed for home, thoroughly
convinced that Placerville was a charm
ing place.
On the way up, George Franz and Frank
Flanagan, members of the band, left the
train at Single Springs and started TO
walk towards Placerville, believing that
they could catch the train wher it neared
them, on account of the heavy grade.
They had walked abort two miles out OF
town when the train caught up with them,
and it was moving with such speed that
they were unable to board it. The result
was that they had to walk about six miles
farther to farm. house, hire team and be
driven to Placerville. They arrived more
dead than alive and though in no humor
to be Joked, they were numerically guyed