The morning call., 1892-05-22
MERCHANTS PICNIC.
A Thousand Merry. Makers As.
semble at Petaluma.
The Most Orderly Gathering Ever Recorded
on the Road-A Hot Day, but
Most Enjoyable Time

When the Tiburon steamer left the North
Pacific ferry at $50 o'clock yesterday she
had on board as nearly as possible thou
sand of as merry a party Of picnickers as
ever left the city. The irrepressible hood
lum was. however. conspicuous by his alb
sence, for this was the fifth annual mer-
chants picnic, big family gathering in
fact, in which employers and employees
were to meet and enjoy days common
respite from dull carking care under the
greenwood tree"
The destination was Starke's Park, Pet
aluma, and when the steamer arrived at
Point TiburOn big train of Is cars with an
engine in front and behind awaited them
Each car could easily hold 60 persons, and
each was packed. 1t took two hours to
cover the 40 miles, but no one complained
of anything but the heat. That was pro-
nounced and aggravated, and when the ex-
cursionSts stepped off the cars at the en-
trance to the park, about half mile beyond
Petaluma, the general verdict was that the
lid had been accidentally lifted from Tophet
This verdict was not in every case so class
ically or euphemstically expressed aud a
plain Anglo Saxon monosylable was fire.
QueDtly heard. But once inside the park
and under the shade of the trees the pic
nickers laid themselves out for great time.
And great time they had.
SPLENDID APPETITEs.
Lunch was included In the round-trip
fare. and the long row of benches were
speedily occupied. Cold beef, ham, tongue,
cold mutton, crab salad and the inevitable
cold pie disappeared as quickly as if Senna-
cherib's host had materializel on the spot
in hungry mood. In 10 minutes after the
park was filled there was nothing left of the
edible sort but few scraps and fragments
that would not have afforded a square meal
TO bali dozen healthy dogs. The way the
yiands went was something wonderful
The high range Of the thermometer did
not prevent the young people from hurrying
TO the dancing pavilion as soon as the 10
pieces from the Park band struck up a
schottlSche. There were some cOmlcal
scenes in this pavilion. The ladies' had
come lin light marching OrdeT,' and the
angelic figure in white lawn was not
rarity, but the gentlemen had only the
choice between shirtsleeves and broad
CLOTH They choose the shirtsleeYes and the
ladies did not complain. Off went the coats
and vests. and on went the dance.
At intervals during the afternoon there
were adjournments TO the open space on
the north side, and long programme of
athletic sports and games was successfully
carried out The prize fund was liberal,
and there were plenty OF entries in all the
departments.
THE DAYS SPORTS.
The first item, race for young men under
% years, brought out about dozen COM
petitors. The course was 800 yards: three
rounds of 10O-yard track. The first prize,
a diamond pin, was won by Henry Nc
Intyre; the second, $40 pair of pants. by
j. +. Hendman; the third, q siX-pOund box
Of tobacco, by r. Cabrera. In the finish
Howard Tay lOr, an Olympic athlete, dropped
IN falnting condition within dozen yards
Of the tape when be looked sure winner.
He had hard spell and was revived with
great difficulty.
The next event. brothers race, In which
each competitor carried boy on his back.
cost the leading man the loss OF the race
through tripping his foot within 20 yards of
the goal. The little fellow who bestrode his
back shot over the falling mans head like
an arrow, but fortunately escaped injury.
The first prize. a ease Of champagne cider,
was won by c. Herbert; the second, box
Of Pasiime tobacco. by Ii. R0eseT; the third,
a case of table fruits, by f. Sanford.
Next about doZen girls, Of ages from IL
to Is years. sprnted 100 yards. The winner,
Gertrude Herring, proved a veritable Alta
lanta, and won loud encomiums Tor her free
and elegant style OF running. She was re-
warded with musical silver pitcher. The
second in the race was Annie Lawlor. to
whom was awarded box Of XXX per-
fumes. Jessie Turner won the third prize,
dU UNDERGRADUATES QuoteTs
FUN AND FRoLIC.
The married wOmen's spoon and egg race,
leo yards, was very amusing affair.
There were eight entries, but One-halt of
these dropped the egg out Of the spoon
be fore they had gone 90 yards. OF the re-
manning Tour two came in literally neck and
ueck, for their heads we're outstretched in
the most comical way for fear Of dropping
the precious egg at the last critical mo-
ment A toss Of coin decided the first
prize, silver cotfee-pot In favor OF Lizzie
Schumacher. The second, case Of extra
table fruits, fell to Lizzie Bell, and the
third, box Of toilet soap, 10 Mabel
Holmes.
The little girls now had their turn. and
dozen started in for the 100 yards race.
Lizzie Turner won the first prize, cologne
set; Maggie Vine the second. picture
stand; Grace LawlOr the third, mirror
hairbrush. and Bertha Mohr the fourth, a
pcture-fTame.
Then Greek met Greek-in other words,
the tug-of-war was announced. 1t was
originally designed 10 have the employers
and EN- ployes determine which was en-
titled TO claim the pull. but at the eleventh
hour the plan was altered to the selection
of two teams OF nine men each. w. w.
SanderSOn captaned one team and Percy
GOldstone the other Captain Sanderson's
team, which won easily in five minutes. con-
sisted OF Blake, Stevens. Root, Pisani, Jack
'on, ferguSSon, hemingway, Gray aud
Kincaid, anchor. GOIdStone's team included
Tyler. Roesel, McAllister, Lamb. MeCord,
SchoenhOrst, Ecker, OConnell and Smith,
anchor. II was hard tug, but the result
was never in doubt for a moment The
prizes consisted of groceries and Sundries.
parlor broom was d favored specimen.
BALL GAME.
During the afternoon a prize baseball
game was played between the Wellman-
Pecks and picked nine. Peck's boys
proved to be as bad as the traditional one,
and were whipped by a score of to Q The
mines were as follows: Welman- Pecks-
Mcintyre, Gormley, Murphy, English,
Chad bourne, Lehman, Clark, Dchls. Cole
man. Picked nine-Hugh Johns Wilson,
Russ, Smith, 7. McCord. Smith, Lamb,
Taylor, Laughran. III. Kammerer was the
mascot of the winning team. In the races NJ.
A. Greenbaum Offciated ne starter, and Ed
Hoffman as referee. Judge Lawlor was an
interested spectator of ali the events.
Two races for boys not set down on the
programme, we're run at the conclusion, but
the spectators bad by this time returned 10
the pavilion.
THE MERRY DANCE.
Inside the pavilion the scene was an ami
mated one indeed. AS an instance of the
excellent behavior Of the party may be men,