Waterbury Democrat., 1902-08-08
ELKS AT THE PARK.
Meriden and Middletown Carried Of
the Prizes in the Sports.

Meriden and Middletown Carried Off
the Prizes in the Sports.
The long looked for Elks field day
has come and gone and although
everybody who was there may be
tired to-day, they will all tell you that
they had corking good time. Every
thing was run off as advertised with
one exception and that was the tug
of-war match. The Middletown ath-
letes had been preparing more for
this event than for any other on the
program and when the athletes from
the other lodges got one look at the
big fellows who We're tic compete
against them, they all took to the high
brush and they have not been heard
from since. The Middletown chaps
were headed by Perry Hale, the IA
nous Yale football player and he look
ed big enough and strong enough to
pull all the other teams put together.
Tt was secretly whispered that DR. R.
G. DOwney, one of the members of the
team and the physical director of ath-
letics in the Middletown lodge had
secretly fnoculated his team with a
newly discovered virus and they were
prepared to pull any or all the teams
together, even If they were hitched to
the dancing pavilion.> In fact SO
confident was the doctor that he Offer
ed to pull any team on the grounds
with one man on the rope and another
on the anchor. When this offer was,
made the other teams were still slum-
bering in the brush and even a Harry
Tracy posse could not discover them,
until the Middletown champions had
left for home. However there is a
standing challenge from the Middle
town boys to pull any team in any
lodge in the state and perhaps some Of
them may be induced to try them later
in the season.
The day was an excellent one and
an ideal one also for field day.
About noon time the visiting Elks be-
gan to arrive by train and bus. They
were met at the depots and out on the
country roads by the reception COM.
mitteer and escorted at once to j. w.
Hodson's cafe where an excellent din
ner was served to them. About 80
the parade started from in front of
the Elks quarters on East Main street.
Members of the committee of arrange
ments headed the parade and the
American band followed. Next In line
came the whiting E1ks and they were
followed by the members Of the Wa
terbury lodge In uniforrns AFTER a
short street parade all took cars at the
center and were taken to the Driving
park where the real fun ofktIe day
took place.
The first event on the program was.
the ball game between Meriden and
Middletown lodges. The regular um-
pire, NE. ]. Thompson, was not on
hand, and E. La Maloney ives pressed
into service. He had his troubles too
for before the first inning was over
Perry Hale wanted to take him out on
the rush line and use him for flying
wedge and Gilshannen on second base
said If he ever came oyer to Middle
town he would be provided with
room in a certain institution over
there. The short stop wanted to eat
him up and surrounded by those three
he had a hard time holding down his
job The Meriden players too became
obstreperous when pretty two base
hit over the third bag was called foul
by them but was called fair by the
umpire. OF course 1t might haVefgone
three or four feet foul but tile umpire
thought the foul Tine ought to have
been extended outward several feet
and thus the hit The Merideu short
stop intimated that the umpire had
been bought and that the dance
pr0mpter was the buyer In fact it
was a pretty ticlzlish position for the
man holding the, indicator and he
was glad when it was all over. Meri-
den won after a very close contest and
it was one Of the most exciting con-
tests seen on the Driving park in some
days. The score was as follows:
R.H.E.
Meriden 10 10 550-a p 2
Middletown Ito O O 8 0-5 Y 5
Batteries Hickey and Virgins;
Mountain and Dempsey.
There Were four starters In the 100
yard DASH James Veitch of Middle
town, Philip Leroux of Meriden, Perry
Hale of Middletowns and Luke Staple
ton of Waterbury,: Veitch was the.
winner, making grand finish in 10 As.
seconds. Leroux was second and Hale
third. Luke sStap1eton has not vet
been heard from, but it is believed he.
will be around for the next field day.
I'll. NJ Rigney was the starter and a.
kick was registered against him, that
he was a ringer and tried to and did
fire Lerof1x off the mark The old
handicap king at once lost his job
and he said he would like to take a
round out of the man who protested
him until he got one look at Hale and
"Hube" thought he wouldn't.
The fat mems race brought out p.
J.. Griffin of Meriden, the old time ath-
lete, and the donor of the handsome
cup which is being contested for by
the state policemen, DR. r.. G. Downey
of Middletown and Tom Finnegan Of
Waterbury. This was 50-yard dash
and was won by Griffin very easily.
Downey wis second and Tom Finne-
gan could not help but lose because
Luke Stapleton was behind him as
coach.
The half-mile open brought out two
starters, G. H. O'Brien Of Seymour
and James Veitch of Middletown.
O'Brien was an easy winner in 2 "a,
Veitch getting tired on the back
stretch.
The judges of the events were G.
I. Allen of Middletown, postmaster in
that town, J. A. Thompson and =. T..
Ma1oney of Waterbury. Last night
big crowds were in attendance at the
picnic and the fireworks display was
well enjoyed Dancing was INDUCED
in until the picnic broke up at il