The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-06-24
RETAIL MERCHANTS PICNIC.
Races on the Track-Ga milling De-
vices on the Ground.

The fourth annual picnic of the Retail
Merchants Association (grocers and butch
ers) was held at the fair grounds yester-
day, and was by far the most successful
event of the kind yet had All day until
late in the afternoon the cars going to the
grounds were crowded, for the sports and
festivities continued from morning until
late into the night. There We're guessing
and voting contests, athletic sports of all
kinds, horse races and bicycle races The
sporting events were run off with consid-
cradle confusion There seemed to be a
lack of management and order People
crowded upon the track in spite of the eff
forts of q number of policemen and thus
interfered somewhat with the pleasure of
others. During the bicycle races two or
three persons who had horses which had
to be worked OUT regardless of the oc-
casion got their Skates in front of the
riders when the latter were coming down
the stretch. This compelled some Of the
riders to slow up to avoid a collision. 9th
ers may have feared the possibility of a
collision and lost time by the interference.
There seemed to be no one in authority
except the starter and the man who issued
checks to the winners Tor prizes. There
were no timers and no official scorers. 1t
was impossible to get a satisfactory ac-
count of the results. The following shows
the results as far as obtained:
| Climbing creased pole: r. Miller first.
Throwing baseball Qor ladies': Mrs. c. M.
Holland first.
Flower-pot breaking for ladies only:
Grocers and butchers delivery horse trot-
| ting race: Louis Tulle first.
Grocers and butchers delivery horse pac-
| ing race: e. l.. Doughty first.
One-mile bicycle race (for retail grocers'
clerks): George Buschman first.
One-mile bicycle race Cor grocerS and
butchers): Jacob SteinmetZ first.
One-mile bicycle race Gor fat men weigh
ing upwards of 200 pounds)-Harry Busch
mann first.
one mile. open, bicycle race-L. o. Wat
son first, George Buschman second, c. F.
one mile bicycle race (for boys under six
| teen years of age)-Harry Deputy first,
Fosdick third. a
Two mile, open, bicycle race-L. o. Wat
son first, Ed Raymond second c. F. Snapp
| third.
butchers)-F. b. Baker first E. L. Simon
second.
onsjeghth- foot 5 race 9for fat men
Buschmann first, Edward Rankin second.
IT is estimated by the management of the
affair that there were on the grounds dur
ing the entire day no less than nine thou
sand persons. This estimate includes those
who were there during the morning and
those who came during the afternoon and
evening. 1t is probably much too high. but
there were thousands there. The retail gro
Gerry stores and meat markets all closed
at noon to give all the employees a holiday
After the bicycle races We're off the young
people assembled about one of the large eX-
hibltion floors on the west side of the
grounds and there was dancing until late
at night.
A thing which caused considerable COM
znent at the picnic was the presence of
gamblers and gambling devices During a
part of the day they operated openly and
In fun view of everybody who entered the
grand stand. There was a wheel of fortune
and another device or two rugged up Just
south of the grand stand, in the open air
Currency and coin was used and the gam
blers did some business, Later they moved
to the space under the grand stand