The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-08-02
CAUSED AMUSEMENT FOR ALL
THREE THOUSAND PEOPLE FIND
PLENTY OF ENJOYMENT AT
HARRIS PARK.
Creased Pole Helped Out the
Sport.


annual outing of the Retail Liquor
Dealers association at Fort Smelling
yesterday the most successful picnic
in the history of the organization. Ev-
cry one who was looking for a good
time went out to the grounds, and
none was disappointed. From early
morning to midnight a good-natured,
rollicking crowd held possession of
Harris park, indulging in dancing,
athletic games and whatever pastime
appealed to the Individual inclination.
The pleasure seekers were out for all
of the amusement which could be
crowded into the day. and congeniality
everywhere prevailed. Men grew red
in the face throwing mushy base balls
at the head of an agile negro, in the
hope Of winning a bad cigar by hit
ting the elusive African, and shot away
enough ammunition in FlObert rifles at
impossible targets to equip the United
States army for war, while buttered
popcorn was consumed by the buShel
and other forms of refreshment in
immeaSura bic quantities. Apparently
sensible men laid aside all claims TO
the appellation and rushed madly after
a creased pig, running their Sunday
clothes and wasting enough energy 20
run pork packing establishment a
year, for the sake of showing their
friends how cleverly they could head
off a bedaubed and badly frightened
piglet, while neatly attired women
knocked their hats aWry trying to
throw a ball into a barrel, or sacrificed
white kid slippers in running races.
However, it was to witness and take
part in diversions of this kind that the
picnickers visited the park, and con-
testants and spectators alike hugely
enjoyed the fun. 1t was thoroughly
democratic gathering, without regard
to social distinction or preferment Of
any kind.
The different committees having the
picnic in charge performed their re-
spective duties admirably, and every
thing went off as smoothly as could be
wished. The street car service was ade-
Quate. and once on the grounds the
hosts of the occasion did all in their
power for the entertainment of their
guests. The programme Of athletic
games occupied the afternoon and
proved prolific of amusement. The
features were easily the fat mems race
between Bob Grady and Harry Miller
the slippery pole climbing contest and
the final event in which several hum
dred men and boys chased in and out
among the trees after closely shaver
pig smeared with grease. The sprint
for the fat men was an. exhibition or
two very much Winded heavyWeightS
tearing wildly through the sand of a
100-yard course, only to leave the race
as undecided as it was before the start
1t was whispered that both Grady and
Miller each unknown to the other, had
been praCticing for the event for sew
eral weeks. Friends of each had Sc
cretly held the watch on the other, 1t
is said, and carried the time Of each
of the rivals to his opponent. 1t was
learned that Miller could cover the 100
wards in about 500 seconds and Brady 5
training was devoted to eQualing this
mark How we'll he StrOVe was evil
denced by the race, for it was neck
and neck from the pistol to the tape.
across which both heavyweig'hts STUN
bled with as much grace as possible in
a dead heat. Each eyed the other sus-
piciously as friends carried them from
the arena. but several hours later,
when able to converse in jerky gaspS,
Grady and Miller decided to settle the
sprinting supremacy by throwing five
little cubes out of leather box.
The efforts of innumerable small
boys and some larger ones to shin up a
column OF cells, produced much
amusement. 1t looked easy. and every
youngster who had ever looked
at ball game from tel
egraph pole imagined that all
that was necessary to win the prize
was an opportunity to grasp the pole.
Some managed to get four or five feet
e
in the soft wood, but there they chung
for moment only to slide back to
earth again with less conceit than they
previously possessed. Long lean men,
short stubby ones and wiry youths,
each under the impression that his par
ticular physique was modelled on pole
climbing lines, made frantic efforts to
ascend the slippery staff, but not even
the sand which some of them carried
in their pockets and covered their
hands with when part way up gave
any more success to the trials. Ten
feet was the highest anyone could get,
but the bantering remarks of the
crowd made the fun good as long as it
lated Finally, after twenty-five
other aspirants had worn the slippery
substance from the pole, Henry Allen
by dint of desperate struggling and
kicking managed, amid the cheers and
braves of the spectators, to reach the
ropes at the top. r'
The pell-mell race after creased pig
was extremely ludicrous. When the
porker was turned loose he made a bee
line for a bevy of women reclining
upon the grass. A hundred men and
boys followed in close pursuit. The
women screamed and sought the safety
Of the grand stand, while the frighten-
ed pig doubled on his course and took
madly after them. The women reach
f1a Gr~-t
squealer lodged under the steps and
tore off to another part of the ground.
Frantic grabs were made at his slip
perry body as he passed the picnickers
but the best anyone got for nearly
half an hour was begrimed hands and
huge grease spots on different portions
of his wearing apparel. Occasionally
small boy would stop the pigs fight
for moment and grovel with the ami
NAL in the sand, only to have his
smooth body slip from his grasp as
he imagined the prize won Finally
the terrified porker was surrounded
and one ambitious boar hunter threw
himself flat on top of him. Ear split
ting squeals escaped the little pig. but
when his captor had held him e three re
minutes the contest was decided
settled and the young porker will now
grace his captor's table The winners
in the other events were as follows:
Lean mems race. T. Smith, first F. NJ
Mcclure, second.
Married women's race-Mrs. Sullivan, first;
Mrs. Johnson, second.
Young women's race-Miss A. Neubaurer,
hrst; Miss Harris second; Miss Clara Con-
nelly. third.
Womens ball throwing contest-Miss Har-
ris, first; Mrs Sullivan, second; Mrs. John
son, third; Mrs. Miller, fourth.
Three-legged raee-Burt Kortayx and E.
Jones, first; j. Kelly and John Taylor, sec
ond.
Broad iump-H. Grunan, first; P. Smith,
second.