St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-09-30
SAINT PAUL.
LOCAL LACONICS.

The Y. NJ. c. A. building stands a
sentry to the ignomnious failure of the
society to carry out the things that had
been planned. Indeed, it is not build
Ing, it Is only the groundwork. In the
fall of 1889 the corner stone was laid.
This was when the Pan-American dele
gates were in the city. The delegates
from South America laid the corner
stone in pretty speech, predicting
great future for the structure, but right
there the work stopped. Not stone
has baen put in place since. The
foundation stands opposite the high
school building, an eyeSore to the citi-
Lens and to people who have occasion
to pass the spot.
Last Sundays picnic boat excursion
mp the Minnesota river was productive
of good many anomalous incidents.
One of the prominent members of the
party was Col. Upton Bowser. He en-
gagged in the competitive sports. First
came target shooting. Col. Upton en-
tered with Dan O'Connor. jim Goodhne
and Billy Murnane. They used Flobert
rifle, and shot on fifty-eight-yard
range. ". X. Cochrane was referee.
The colonel was the last to shoot. All
the others had made good records, and
had come mighty close TO the mark.
The result was when he tOed the mark
and offered to wager 5000 that he would
win. he was called without ceremony.
In fact, there Was in the neighbOrhOod
of 5000 Wagered on the contest. The
doughty colonel plugged the bulls eye
suuarely III the center,an carried away
Bill the money.
ooh. that was easy" he exclaimed.
''Do you know, boys. | used to belong
to a club in which the man who missed
the mark forfeited his membership.
The target was the bunghole of bar
rel, and the barrel was rolled down a
hill. See? 1t was quick work. but L
held my membership fifteen years"
II
''But that is nothing" pursued the
iouuaciOus colonel. Il was with party
once riding in stage coach out West.
There was big bury passenger, ana
he was exceedingly obnoxious. But he
was the only man in the party that was
armed. He had a 42-caliber revolver.
We waited 10 get rid of him, but every
time we said word this big fellows
right hand stole to this gun. We didn't
know how to get rid of him, but l was
not discouraged.
"'Do.you know | think can beat you
shooting at mark suggested.
Beat me? Not in thousand years.
he returned.
".Ill just bet you $40 that l cam for
/ was willing TO surrender this amount
to rid us of him. for the coach was
q crush, and we had hundred miles
yet to travel. One less passenger would
make the party comfortable. insisted
that could beat him, and we posted
the money. 1t was a fiye-shOoter, and
we stopped the coach and shot at
piece of paper pinned TO tree. The
gun was soon emptied and the man said
he had no more cartridges, and it was
then we told him that his journey was
at an end | don't remember who won
the $40, but | do remember that we
kicked him out, and that we proceeded
in more comfortable way. My only
scheme was to get the bullets out of
that gun, and | succeeded"
One of the events of the day was
foot race. The contestants were the
same as those who participated in the
shooting. The distance was 100 yards
to fence and the runner who hoped
the fence first was to be declared the
winner. The signal was given and
Col. BowSer started off at the top of his
speed. All the others sat down ON the
grass and laughed. The colonel went
tearing along at break-neck speed until
he encountered a depression in the
road. and then be fell PROSTATE. In an
instant he was on his feet again, how
ever, and he renewed the mad race, inn
agining that the others were close at
his heels. He encountered the fence
and went tumbling over in the most
erotesque way imaginable. 1t was then
that it dawned upon him that it was all a
guy. However. he won the $40 stakes,
but the fall midway i'll his run fractured
& bone in his right leg and the member
is now encased in plaster of Paris
east