St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-06-21
GRoCERs on A PICNIC.
FIVE THOUSAND ExcU2SiONSTS VISIT
LAKE MINNETONKA.
TWAS A GREAT EVENT.

Roswell Park Is Where the Pie
nIckers Gathered and Enjoyed
Themselves - Interesting aud
Unique Games-Vigorous Coz
tests and Valuable Prizes-TFe
Big Licycle Race.
Five thousand excursiOnists - all of
them either grocers. friends OF grocefs.
or families of grocers-spent the day at
Roswell Park, Lake Mipnetonka, yes
terday on the annual picnic OF the Re-
tail Grocers' Association of MinneaPo7
lis. In every way the day was COM
plete success. and the sports in the
afternoon, the dances held afternoon
and evening in the two paviliOns and
the trip around the lower lake on the
big City of st. Louis, especially char .
tered for the occasion, were all given
withou: experiencing siugle disagree
able feature.
During the afternoon the programme
of sports proved the chief magnet for
the crowds, and pleasure seekers seemed
to realize that they were witnessing
some events, at least, which were not to
be seen every day in the week. Among
the attractions offered were a tea-tast-
Ing contest, bean guessing contest. a
dougnnut-eating trial. speed and not
capacity being the desideratum: baby
show and a rooster chase participated in
by the judges only. This latter event
proved quite the star performance OF
the list, though the rooster was not
quite UP on the part expected from him.
Before the contest began long lane
was formed by the crowd, and it was
fondly hoped that the noble bird would
rundown this, but he failed. purposely;
or otherwise. to understand the arrange
ments. and when thrown up in the
air for the start-otf very promptly flew
over the heads of the crowd and off to-
one SIDE. This made no difference with;
the judges, and they started after him
with degree OF speed controlled only
by the number of people they had to
trample down in their efforts. But the
bird was too willy for them, and was only
caught when one of the members of the
city council joined in the chase. Another
heat was run as soon as the judges had
been rubbed down, but with no better
success than before. as after leading the
Judges chase through the crowd and
over drunken man. the rooster again
a lowed himself ITO be captured by
rank outsider" to whom he ran for pro-
lection. After this discouraging issue
the event was abandoned.
The handicap road race, also IN the
programme of sports under l.. A. w.
rules, was started from in front of the
Times office. the finish being at the
hotel There were about fifty entries.
but not ali of them started. The ride
was hot aud dusty "scorch," but was
made in good time first place, and a
gold medal worth $50 going to John
Nilsson, and first place on time to Tom
Bird. of st. Paul. a victory which gave
him SIS gold watch. The prizes in
all the games were very generOus;fa
number of them being worth from SIS
to SIS each.
During the afternoon "a push" from
the Boo gang attempted to pick mans
pocket at the Hotel st. Louis, but they
them arrested by the police under In
spector Stavalo and Sergeant Rankin.
detailed on the picnic by Chief Smith.
Previous to this a crap game started by
seven of them had been broken up, and
the prompt action of the police i'll this
and the arrest so discouraged them that
they attempted no further lawlessneSs.
The robbed mans name could not he
learned, but he very clearly identified
one of the arrested men as the thief. =
Today Manager Hall, of the Hotel St
Louis, will entertain an excursion from
points along the l. Il NJ. division OF the
Milwaukee road. Tomorrow the Royal
Arcanum will picnic at Lake Park.
From 1000 to 1900 excursionists are
expected i'll the party.
The Wisconsin crew have arrived at
the lake, and are now Quartered in the
boat house at Hotel Lafayette. Their
boat has come. and also that Of tile
Minnesotas, but the latter crew have not
yet left st. Paul. On account OF the
heavy weather yesterday the Wisconsin
men did not 70 on the water at all, but
this morning they expect to get out for
n row over the course