Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-07-21
ST. PAUL'S PICNIC.


Seminary Grove Contains the Largest
Party in Its History-Catholio Congre-
cations Unite to Raise Funds for tho
Tannehin Street Orphan Asylum
The English speaking Catholic churches
of Pittsburg yesterday united in picnic
for the benefit of St. Paul's Orphan Asy-
lum on Tannehill street. The picnic was
in Seminary Grove at Glenwood, and was
the most successful one ever held. An ad-
mission fee was charged. and handsome re-
turns were secured by the sale Of edibles at
booths attended by the ladies of the various
churches
The grounds opened at 9 o'clock in the
forenoon, when the prominent citizens who
were on the Committee of Arrangements
entered the grounds and gazed around. Tho
day looked bad, as the sky was cloudy, but
the committee had hopes that the sun would
soon come out clear of clouds The sun
came out, but it came out beyond the
ssnguine hopes of the learned committee
men. 1t came out on a scorching expedi-
tion, and during the greater part of the day
the open grounds about the entrance were
decidedly too warm for comfort.
Ex-Postmaster J. B. Larkin took his seat
in the ticket Office, two men were placed at
the gate to take up the tickets, and Patrick
Foley stood behind them to give them
counsel and assistance. The people soon
began to come, and they kept coming all
dav long, to such an extent that the cars of
the Second avenue line were unequal to the
strain. After the people got up into the
beautiful glen, where the trees touch hands
all the way across the cool chasm, they did
not feel the suns heat.
To appreciate cool hooks it is necessary
that the sun shall beat hot on the open road
ways and unprotected fields. This was the
situation yesterday and those who rode in
crowded cars along Q dusty thoroughfare
felt when they reached the shady precincts
of the leafy glen that they had found
a place where picnics ought always to be
held.
The orphans themselves were not there
1t was too thronged a place for them, but
theirs will be the benefit from the generous
contributions of the day. By o'clock
there were 5000 people in the grove, and
their number swelled until 6, when there
were about 5000 Running up the shaded
valley there were prettily decorated
stands, where the ladies of the
several churches sold cakes, confec-
tions, lemonade, ice cream, watermelon
and other delicacies and concoctions These
booths in their order represented the La
Pau's branch, and the following churches:
st. James, West End, Holy Cross, St.
PauPs, Sacred Heart, St. Johns, St.
Stephens and St. Agnes. Last of all was
a booth managed by the Cathedral Sodality.
The most beautifully decorated of all these
booths was that of the Holy Cross
There were amusements for the youth and
grown people in the way of dancing, hit
ting the strength machine, throwing rubber
balls at the colored gentleman, chasing the
elusive cane with rings, etc, while the
little ones laughed at the bagpipe player
and at the two gentlemen of African ex-
traction who played tunes on Is instru-
ments at the SAME time. At 4 o'clock
Squire Herman Handel mounted the dane
ing platform and made . pretty speech
about the orphans and the duty of the peo-
pie to care for them, to which Mr.. O'Leary
made touching response on behalf of the
absent orphans.