The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1899-06-09
WOODMEN PICNIC.
An Immense Crowd Coming Next
Week.
The Milwaukee Road Will Run Four Spec
ial Trains, and Six Bands
are Coming.

Arrangements LOT GAo Sledu w
picnic next Tuesday are progressing
rapidly, and the event promises to De
the greatest in the history of Mankato.
The Milwaukee road alone expects to
bring 5000 people to the city, and will
run four special trains, one from Mason
CITY, Iowa, one from Calmar, Iowa, one
from Lacrosse, Wis, and one from
jackson, MINI. The other roads are
also arranging to bring several thous-
and people to Mankato. If the weather
should be favorable, the city will be
overlooking with people.
The first of the Milwaukee special
trains will arrive at $50 a. M, and the
others will arrive half hour apart A
big parade will be formed on Front
street to march to the picnic grounds.
The officers of the head camp will ar
rive Monday and will be in session all
the week, transacting the business OF
the order.
The soliciting committee has only
succeeded in raising 1910, while $500 is
needed to properly entertain the strang-
ers. Our business men cannot afford to
do otherwise than deal literally on such
an occasion as this. The city will OBJ
tain the greatest advertising that it has
had for many years, and things must
not be done by halves. There should
be more hearty and generous response
to the call of the Woodmen camp. This
camp numbers 200 members, all of
whom are good citizens, and our bust
ness men will find that they will lose
nothing by doing the right thing.
Front street and business houses
should be decorated for the occasion.
At Austin last year, logs. branches, and
the implements of the wood chopper
figured prominently in the decorations
and were not only appropriate to the
occasion, but looked very attractive.
Arches of green branches should be put
across the street and the store fronts
made attractive. We believe that the
merchants generally will cooperate in
this if the committee on decorations
from the camp will explain to them
personally what is wanted.
Weeds should be cut on the back
streets and vacant lots and our city
made as presentable as possible, in or
der that the visitors may take away a
good impression.
The famous boys band of the Red
Wing state training school, thirty-si
pieces, is coming, as are also the bands
of Austin, Winnebago City, Fairmont
Albert Lea and Welcome. These will
join in the band tournament. which
will be feature of the day. Other in
teresting features will be the bicycle
and horse races, balloon ascension,
sports of all kinds, etc,
The churches would do well to serve
meals on Front street, as every place
where eatables can be had will be taxed
to its capacity.
The L. Patterson Mercantile Co. will
entertain the visiting grocers from all
around.
Let everybody put his best foot for
ward and help to have everything so
successful that the visitors will take
away with them the very best impress
sions of Mankato,
The Citizens Telephone Co. has strung
a wire to Sibley Park, setting a dozen
polls for the purpose, in order to have
an instrument on the grounds during
the picnic. The company has done this
of its own accord and ''free gratis, :" and
the act will be much appreciated as a
phone at the park will save many steps.
Mrs. D. G. Davies and children went
to Tracy yesterday to visit her sister
for a month.
Miss Iva Patterson returned yester-
day from Minneapolis, having gradual
ed from the university last week.
A B. Moffatt arrived last night from
st. Joe, Mich to remain couple of
weeks on business connected with as
signment matters. ri