Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1899-07-27
Picnic is A SUCCESS.
Closing Festivities of Woodmen's
Annual at Black Hawks
Watch Tower.
OUTCOME OF THE SPORTING EVENTS.

Speeches by Mai. c. w. Halves, C. j.
searie and NJ. j. McEniry-P. j. Cary
sional observation-disclosures Gathering
of People-supper and Entertainment.
All who attended the second annual
picnic of the Tenth Congressional Dis
trict Woodmen association seem to
have had splendid time and got their
moneys worth. The out of town
folks who returned to their homes in
special trains last night appeared
pretty well tired, but none the less
happy, and all said they would be
with US next year, and would noise
it among their friends, that it took
the Woodmen of the Tenth district to
arrange picnic and provide for the
accommodation and entertainment of
a large crowd of people. The Watch
Tower during yesterday afternoon
was sea of faces. 1t was estimated
that there were 10, 600 people there.
l. was all that Manager Charles Nc
Hugh and his increased force of as
sistants could do to handle the pat
ronage at the inn, which was damned
gathering, however, the day passing
off without an unpleasant incident to
mar the enjoyment of the occasion.
Altogether the picnic was great sue
cess, attracting one of the largest
gatherings of people ever seen in the
city. To q. I'll. McKown, the retiring
president of the association, is due
the credit therefor, for he has labored
necessarily and untiringly since the
date was decided on.
Additional Addresses.
In addition to those mentioned in
last nights ARGUS, there were ad-
dresses by several which could not be
given on account of the lateness of
their delivery.
NJ. j. McEnirv, of Moline, after hui
morous introductory remarks, praised
the successful manner in which the
Woodmen order was being conducted
by its present officers. Mr.. McEniry
stated. that the reason fraternal insur-
ance societies are so successful is be-
cause all but small percentage of
their collections ale paid out in death
claims, there being no enormous sala-
ries or stockholders dividends.
States Attorney G. j. Searle amused
the audience immensely with his de-
scription of the lodge room goat.
He said:
This might be aptly termed the
age of secret societies. Most of these
secret societies are great civilizers. L
have myself felt and keenly felt, their
civilizing influence. l remem Der we'll
the first one l ever joined. As soon
as my application went in began to
realize that my prospective brothers
were greatly interested in me. Many
of them quietly gave me tips on what
1 would have to go through and what
should do to be saved. Indeed,
when initiation night finally came
around | knew so much that / confess
was i triile nervous. l had taken
bath and was properly dressed for the
occasion, although it wasn't Saturday
night or Sunday, as Mark Twain said,
regardless of whether l needed it or
not. Quite number of US went in
that same night. We were all there
promptly on time. As my particular
friends filed through the ante-room
each of them took particular pains to
extend a sympathizing hand. This,
of course, tended to allay my nervous
ness. l talked as brave as a Spartacus
to the gladiators. We could hear dim
and muffled sounds and mysterious
Finally after what seemed
to me several hours, n man came out
of the hall dressed in strange and i'm
pressive garb. He rugged out and
took all the other applicants in but
me. l saw that | had been overlooked
and told him that l was an appli-
cant. He only nodded his head. L
didn't know what was up. / thought
maybe | had been rejected and won
dered if / could get my money back.
1t didn't take the other fellows long
to get through. l then knew it was
easy. L was to be specially honcred.
/ was to be initiated alone and not
with the common herd. For some
reason or other, every lodge 1 have
Joined has honored me in the same
way. / don't think have ever miss
ed a number on the program Well,
| was blindfolded. / didn't like that
very well. When | was boy and
played blindman's buff | never liked
to be it, And then that bandage
would prevent my looking into the
kind ewes of my dear friends. Well
then we-but l mustn't reveal the Sc
crets of the lodge room. After while |
the bandage was removed. l looked |
around for my friends. They were
cowed and didn't dare to recognize
me.
He Was In For 1t. |
Il knew 1 was in for it. / resolved |
at least to go through with dignity. |
| had undertaken the hardest job OF
nv l;fo had lDoap cautioned IN do
everything l was told to do. Here 1
got my foot into it bad. can re-
about everything that hap
pens in a law suit that lasts for |
weeks, but some way or other l |
remember anything at all |
that night. Finally crisis came. |