Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1896-08-11
FAT MEMS CLUB.
Have an Outing at Aaron Sheets
Picnic Grounds.

Friday morning, Aug. 7th, about 40
members of the above named club met
at the Aaron Sheets picnic grounds
for an all days outing. Every men,
Der tipped the beam at 200 pounds or
over. AdvOirdupOis was at premium
and weighty results were sure to follow.
The eXpanse of shirt fronts and waist
coats would have sufficed to clothe
half the "kids" in Decorah, and never
in the history of Iowa has their been
such an aggregation of heavy weights
as met at the grounds mentioned.
Henry Elvidge and John Stoskoff
acted las official weighmasters and
weighed the various members whose
pockets were carefully searched for
concealed bricks or anything calculated
to increase the chances of the aspirants
for club honors. Tony Bernatz was in-
defatigable in his efforts to prevent
false weights and Misrepresentation
and waXed eloquent over the axiom
that honesty used to be the best
policy" and he believed it was yet.
Certainly, more rollicking good
natured ponderous humanity never
met on Iowa soil. With hearts in
keeping with their generous physical
proportions they drank to the health
of one another and the world in general
in spirit that has made the fat man
the fitting type of those that look upon
the brightest side of life, and whose
smile gives evidence of conscience at
ease and that good digestion has waited
upon appetites and health ON both.
Athletic sports were the order of the
day. Sheriff Christen bore off the
prize for high jumps from all fOurs.
Joe Shema for catch-as-eatch-can
wrestling; in fact so many satisfactory
points were made that it was resolved
that general challenge be issued open
to all comers that the Decorah Fat
Mems Club is nowhere outweighed or
Outrivaled in any particular. A repast
was served that would have completely
discouraged the prOprietors of the Win
neshiek House and sent them hustling
after the caterers receipt book. The
question of organizing bicycle club
was discussed, but decided action was
postponed until the next regular meet
ing. The following officers were
elected: K. B. Morss, Pres, G. A.
Neufert, V. Pres, b. Anundsen, Sec,
J. Bradish, Treas, G. Christen and j.
Stoskotf, Stewards.
After day of good hearty fun, the
club wound up its second annual meet
in blaze of glory and good cheer.
= How'es this? The sheriff of Black
hawk county who arrested Scott, the
Waterloo minister, while In fndf-
ana noticed a sign in cigar store win
dow which read thus: "Every pur-
chaser of fifty cents worth of goods and
presenting paper dollar will receive
the amount of their purchase and sill
yer dollar in change" He went into
the store and after buying fifty cents
worth of cigars handed the proprietor
q paper dollar. He was given the
cigars and brand new silver dollar as
change. The only wrong was that it
was Mexican dollar. The storekeep-
er said that his banker procured the
dollars from Mexico at cost of fifty
five cents to him, and that this scheme
brought him good run of trade.
Isn't this pretty good lesson of the re-
suit in the United States if Bryan and
free silver should happen to be success
full?