New-York tribune., 1901-07-14
SvooNMuY 8 oMa g SITS.
THE GREAT GRUBER PICNIC
INCIDENTS OF THE DAY ABOUT WHICH
THE UPPER WEST SIDE is
STILL TALKING.

The upper West Side is stin talking about the
excursion which ABE" Gruber and the Republican
organization of the XxIst Assembly District gave
the wives and families of the of the dis
trtct last week Wives telling their husbands
that II Is the best thing In the world to be Re
publican. The Democratic wives-weil they In
sackcloth and ashes. and there win be fewer Dem
ocratic votes cast in the XxIs next fall than ever
before.
lives the West Side can tell you all about it;
how there two big steamboats, and three
bands and grove most big Central Park,
with no Tanlmany cops and no Spate chairs and
three ball games going at once, and rowboats and
about hundred other things.
The West Side girls have a story. too. 'It was
the most perfectly lovely, absolutely grand
ston that was ever given. There dear Mr..
GTCber and handsome Alderman Mathews. There
was dancing in the pavilion-reaI ragtime music
the two-steps and dreamy. pass-away tunes for the
waltzes. There grove with benches that
would just make you spoons to look at them"
1t was typical Republican picnic. with much
good cheer. which did not come from spirits There
were none of the disgraceful rows which mar the
outings OF Tammany associations. The AFFAIR af-
forded fine chance to study the human nature of
the masses of the city-the American masses which
have been neglected by the foreign types
Of the Bowery and lower East Side.
THE RIGHT KIND OF FUN
This is the proper way run an excursion"
said one of the precinct captains before the boat
started Make the meu pay 80 cents. Then they
think IL is their own excursion and enjoy IL
cordngly. IL is nothing like Of those church
picnics. One persons as good another and
there's not a sign of patronage"
why don't the band play?" asked Mr.. Gruber
as ne stood at the edge of the pier at West One
hundred -and-twenty- -ninth-st. the morning OF the
excursion. welcoming the people as they ap-
preached with smile. handshake and a word of
greeting. THE hardest thing about this excursion
business is getting the band TO play. They prom
ise many pieces. but there's something In this
o'clock air that gets into their pipes
At this point the band appeared with their in
struments under their arms and their eyes steadily
fixed on beer sign up the street.
Drink enough to last you all day." shouted
Gruher. We VIII want you to play all the rest of
the time
It's impossible drink enough at one time to
last a band a day." the leader shouted back
At last the steamers are ready to start. Then a
lone woman with big luncheon basket appears
three blocks up the street.
There comes ma with the Iunch," shouts small
boy. Wait! Mr.. Gruber. waltz
OF the excursion waits
One can have no idea OF how many water ex-
cursions out of this city every day until
one goes on excursion. You pass slow boats
loaded to the guards every few minutes. and per-
haps swifter boats. equally well loaded, pass you.
There are scores of them. and they head in every
direction. Bedlam breaks loose both boats
when excursions pass on the water. There is a
cloud Of handkerchiets in the air and the greetings
mingle In one unintelligible howl
FEARED TURNING BACK.
The steamer Sirius on which the Gruber com
mittee travelled, got away first last Wednesday
and made her way slowly down the North River.
around the Battery and up the East River. All
we'll until the Brooklyn Bridge ioomed up
ahead. Then a little girl began to cry,
What's the matter my dear?" asked sympa-
thetIc Mr.. Gruber.
Use afraid this big boat won't fit under de
Brooklyn Bridge" sobbed the child
"Oh. yes, IT WILL" the leader assured her. There
goes a boat under II now"
But that's little boat an this ones great
big one
safely passed, but the steamer mt the bridge. and
all was well.
Get off that rail- youngsterr' shouted Abe at
n boy of ten who was trying to touch the water.
We want you to grow up and vote lot of
down at the bottom of the East River
DO, you want him TO vote all those ticket AZ
EVIL to those that like t." replied MIR. tiruber
hadn't beSn fsg Tammany conpeT OF 'n"' you
Here are lot Of our opponents" said one.
in the garden on Backwelis Island "''' O'N"S
Poor fellows: they are over there for raising
hell. and now they are raising hills of potatoes"
TROUBLES OF THE CAPTAIN
The captain of the Sirius had his troubles.
He found youngster astride of the walking beam,
and shouted:
Here. you. boy. down from that walking
beamr
Tain't no walking insisted the boy: Its a
The captain finally rescued the boy and on his
way back 10 the pilot house pulled another out of
one or the ventilators. No attempt made 10
prevent them from using the capstan bars for ball
pats and the steel deck braces for gymnasium ap-
playhouses at Will
Above He'll Gate the Columbia passed the Sirius
and there was something doing" 1t seems that
several families had become separated the mothers
lumbia. The mothers had been congratuatng
themselves that they would reach the park frst
AS the columbia slowly forged ahead they began
TO shout Instructions across the water.
You Jimmie, don't you go into the water till
get there!' cried one woman.
Frederick Heinrich II you don't wait for me on
the wharf I'll paddle your yelled a German mother
There were other orders of a like kind none of
which We're obeyed I'm the end
There was tragedy at the park Two loving
swains got the old fashioned mitten for decidedly
new reasons 1T Is said that State Senator s. s
slater was the cause OF II. He found that there
were TWO young Tammanyites on the excursion and
decided that they must be converted There
Know which to choose for the missionary work so
he turned the matter to ArmitaSe Mathews
VINO hau peen doing great stunts" In the dancing
pavtlion-ereat enough 20 assure his election as
greater New-York.
TWO LOVERS NEGLECTED.
I've got two Tammany boys that I want YOU to
convert" he said TO two pretty girls
Excuse US Tor minute boys" said the girls to
the stanch Republicans who escorted them
Then they went TO work on the TIGER cubs. Mis-