St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-07-28
GROCERS IN ARCADIA.
They Close Their City Shops
and Take Their Annual
Outing.
The Picnic Was a Big Success,
Over 5000 People At
tending.
Rev. j. H. Bowker Seems
Likely to Be Asked to
Resign.
Company rs Ball--Further
Details Of Storm-Made
Havoc.

usI. IL Was nelQ OH the Deautitul
grounds overlooking Bay St. Louis.
The grocers' picnic is all event in the
lives OF the men who sell greens and
sugar. 1t comes but once year, and
then every grocery establishment in the
city bars its doors, and for period of
twenty-four hours not a gill of vinegar,
not a pound OF oleomargerine, or a
WiSp of green goods is sold over the
counter. 1t is considered almost a
sacrIlege for grocer to keep open his
shop on the day of the annual
picnic. Between 5000 and 5000 people
took part i'll yesterdays outing. Proba-
ably more would have done so had the
railroad facilities been better. AS it
was, it took nearly two hours to make
the trip from the city to the bay. The
day was an ideal one, and, contrary to
expectation, the grounds were dry. Ehe
sun absorbed the heavy moisture on the
| trees, leaving trOpic shade hanging in
| deep green clusters. The grocerS and
| their families gave themselves up to
| the delighlfulness of the occasion. The
| dull routine of sanding sugar
and drawing molasses through faucets
choked with sweet crystals, was
forgotten. The prosaic life of trade was
| for the moment thing of the past and
| arcadian pasttimes held full sway. The
| first train of cars bearing its load of
| jolly picnickers left the city at o'clock
| and after that trains sped out from the
dusty, dirty depot and burrowed their
way into the green woods bordering the
lake every hour during the day.
The picnic grounds themselves pre-
| Sented a picture when all the crowd had
reached them and scattered through
the woods. Impromptu dinner parties
were formed and lunch baskets piled
themselves into pyramids whose sides
were enbellslled with strips of ham
and perforated ginger snaps. Nobody
went hungry at the grocers' picnic. for
the best the establishments could afford
was spread around with prodigal hand.
One thing noticeable at the picnic was
the great number of babies present.
1t seemed as though every infant horn
within the corporate limits of the Flour
City had felt called upon to lend the
charm of its presence. Still, In justice
to these babies, it is only fair to say that
they were well behaved. although pos
SeSsed of powerful lungs. When the
dancing was in progress they were
handed around and snapped like so
many articles of culinary Importance.
You hold my baby while | dance and
I'll do the same for you" was the laud-
able sentiment pervading the female
portion of the crowd.
The dancing began in the afternoon
and continued until late i'll the evening.
In spite of the heat. the Intoxicating
waltz was INDUCED in to a large extent,
and many a fair damsel left the pavil-
ions with the marks of fevered fingers
around her waist. the dancing was
conducted in two pavilions. picturesque
ly situated under Overhanging branches,
whose leaves kept away the glare or
the sun. Had it not been for this kindly
shade, the participants in the Waiting
contest would surely have found their
too solid flesh melting beneath them.
The main feature OF the picnic con-
sisted in the program of athletics. The
contests were conducted near the main
pavilion and drew such large crowd
that the ropes were broken down like
cotton string. The contestants were
not all grocers, by any means, for some
of the best amateur athletes in the twin
cities had entered for the prizes. The
Judges of the occasion were a. ii.
Knight, Newton Higbie, j. G. Young.
George l.. Dingman, John Meagher
and Nicholas B. Smith, James
Mcintosh and j. p. Hammerberg
The contests began at . o'clock. and
continued, owing to the length of the
programme, until late in the afternoon.
While the athletes were displaying their
proves, the little toy steamboats, were
plying up and down the lake, stopping
at the interesting and picturesque points
Several thousands of picnlckers took
advantage of the cheap excursion fares.
In the evening they were treated to
pyrotechnic display. Taking it all in
all, the grocers' picnic was big
success, and those who attended
have no cause to regret their outing.
Many came in on the early evening
trains. and among them was police
officer who had in charge pickpOcket.
This light-frgered gentleman had been
operating in the crowds and gobbled up
a half-dozen pocketbooks. OFFICER Ran
kin caught him in the act and arrested
him. He was brought to the city and
locked up at the central station, where
he gave the name of Joseph Kennedy.
The result of the athletic contests is
given below.
Base ball game-Won by grocery
clerks.
Hop, skip and jump-First, A. S.
Conains; second, Michael Spillane:
third, f. II. Gleoson.
WreStling-S. 5. How.
uS OF W3r-ddTStOW. lLllu. SlllltI,
Grotte, Homer.
Standing high iump-First, Charles
Cragie; second, Asa rutherford: third,
q. Puacua.
Running high hitch kicking-L. But
| Ter.
Tug of war-Sheehan, Ryan, Waters,
| Croft. SeverSOn.
Standing high jump-First, Charles
| Craigie; second, l.. Butler; third. A. E.
| Stevens.
Running high jump-First, L. Butler:
| second, Michael Spillane; third, E..
| Burns.
Potato race for ladieS-FirSt, Grace
| Cora Calder.
Board race-First. Gust Tonnerson
| second, John TutZ; third, A. j. RomneS
fourth, H. j. Leland.
Barrelrolling race--FirSt, Henry John
son: second, L.. AckersOn; third, S. NJ.
Nichols.
Sack race-FIrst, E. T. Burns: sec.
ond, Walter Meister; third, John
Craigie.
Fat mems race-First, John Kehoe
second. S. G. Neldor; third, Ii. Halmar;
fourth, q. w. Foster.
Running race, lf-miIe-First, A. w.
Shaw: second, z. e. Johnson; third,
H. Branaid.
Running race, quarter mile-First,
l.. Mold; second, Ii. D. Doran; third,
Ii. Nj. Strand; fourth, A. w. Shaw.
Old mems running race-FirSt, NJ. J.
Fellows; second, William Ray; third,
L. b. Donaldson.
Boys running race-First, William
| Parkpy. second A lex Thomson. third