The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-11-15
Foresters Of the City Receive
Substantial Aid in Their En-
deavor to Raise Money for a
Home
ALL COURTS UNITE IN
A MONSTER FESTIVAL
Mechanics Hall Crowded with
Good Natured, Liberal PersL
Who Made Trade at All the
Booths Brisk - Distinguished
Guests Present

The big festival for which the For
esters of Worcester have been pre-
pairing for several months was opened
in Mechanics Hall, last night, and it
promises to be a winner in every way.
It is the biggest affair of the kind
ever undertaken by the organization
in the city, if not in the state, and the
members of the energetic committee
of arrangements can feel assured that
their work has not been in vain. A
big pile of money is already in sight
for the building fund for which the
festival has been arranged, and the
bevy of bright and pretty young cam
vassers among the lady friends of the
several courts did a thriving business
in their particular line last night when
the big hall was thronged until nearly
midnight by crowd that seemed to
have plenty Of money and was willing
to spend 1t for the Foresters.
The presence of the highest officer of
the Organization in the country, T. J.
Donahue Of Providence, supreme grand
chief ranger, sshd the chief executive
of Worcester, Mayor Philip ]. O'Con
nell, with several members of the city
government, shows that the Foresters
of Worcester are deserving of the best
and the kind words of encouragement
given by their distinguished visitors
made the members of the several
courts feel that they are engaged in
good work. There were Foresters
enough of themselves to fill the nall
last night, and during the early part
of the evening 1t was not an easy
matter to move around to see the
pretty booths and their loads of useful
and ornamental articles.
In spite of the great crowd, the ut
most good nature everywhere pre-
vailed, and the money-making devices
were very well patronized while the
canvassers did "a fine business in en-
ticing dimes and quarters from the
pockets Of the crowd. There was only
one thing that marred the success Of
the opening and that was the way
the crowd thronged around the cleats
on which the tugs-of-war took place
Under the circumstances 1t could not
be helped, because there was no place
in which the people could crowd.
They made a gallant effort to give
the tuggers enough room, but the best
that could be done was to open mar
row lane not more than six feet wide,
where nobody but those in the front
row could see the struggle of the
brawny men on the ropes.
This was the condition during the
first tug between the Knights of Sher-
wood Forest and Court Harmony, but
when the second tug was pulled off be-
tween Court Englebrecht and Court B.
Began the crowd had thined out con-
siderably and there was better oppor-
tunity to see the Sport. Lieut. w. e.
Sayles of Battery was the referee of
the contests and in the first round the
contest was won by the Knights OF
Sherwood Forest by ~ inches. Court
n cd fn
against a team from Court Frederic t.
IGreenhalge but the latter did not show
up and a team was selected from the
members of Court b. Began and they
gave the brawny members of the
Swedish court a go, but the later were
too strong for them and Court Engel-
brecht won by four inches. 1t was
originally intended to have the two
winning teams pull for five gold Fores-
ters' medals but the Knights of Sher-
wood Forest allowed the Court Engle-
brecht team to take the badges while
they took second prize. The men who
will wear the new badges as a result
of the game struggle are Englebrecht
Moo, Albert Gulberg, NJ Dahl, John
Pearson and John Boquist.
The tug of war and a concert by Bat
terry Band and the opening speeches
by John Hannigan, chairman of the
general committee of arrangements,
Mayor Philip J. O'ConneIl and Supreme
Grand Chief Ranger T. j. Donahue
were the only special attractions last
night but tonight and tomorrow night
there will be dancing and the voting
contest will be in full swing.
The festival was opened with a
big parade of the Worcester Courts in
honor of the visiting members of the
order. They were assembled in Salem
Square at 730 and marched to the
Union Station where they met their
out of town guests and escorted them
to Mechanics Hall in the following
order
Battery B Band, 20 pieces.
Chief Marshal James F. Reidy.
Worcester Conclave, Knights of
sherwood Forest, 20 men, Captain Pat
rick ]. Judge in command.
Court City Of Worcester, Is men.
Marshal Michael J. Rourke.
Court Quinsigamond. Marshal Robert
S. Holloway.
Court Thomas f. Cunningham, 233
men. Marshal John ]. Counting.
Court Harmony, s. men, Marshal
Henry McQuillian.
Court Heart of the Commonwealth
GA men. Marshal James c. Lang.
Court Thomas O'Neil 30 men, Mar
shall L. A. Scale.
Court Egelbrecht, los men, Marshal
Charles z. Carlson.
Courtr Damascus. $40 men, Marshal
Joseph L. Mayo.
Court Fred B. Began. 800 men, Mar
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