The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-08-20
Unique Contests Made Hilarious Fun
and Furnished Unusual Picnic
Feature for the Day.
wOMEN'S AMUSING CONTESTS
SOME OF THEM WON ENOUGH GRO
CERES TO LAST A MONTH.
Racing Events Well Contested and
Delivery Horses Stepped Like Grand
Circuit Campaigners.


and their friends enjoyed themselves yes
terday at the fair grounds in their annual
picnic. The celebration was not confined to
the grocers or their clerks, but several
thousands of their patrons took advantage
of the picnic and joined in the celebration.
Few of the retail grocers opened their stores
yesterday and only for the first hour or two.
Then doors were locked and the grocer and
his family in their best clothes FASTENED
to the fair grounds. The roads leading
from the city to the picnic grounds were
kept dusty by continuous procession Of
wagons and buggies.
The exercises of the day were to begin at
10 o'clock. but some delay was occasioned
in not getting together those who had en-
tered for the various contests. The base
ball game scheduled for the opening num-
Der was called off. The committee on ar
rangements busted itself in getting the
place in shape for the big crowd that be-
gan making its appearance shortly before
noon. Many of those who came out early
had taken the precaution to bring along
their dinners.
One of the big surprises of the day was
in horse race. One of these events was
run by delivery horses. driven by clerks.
In this event the winning horse managed
to pace a mile in 2:4O. When the crowd
in the grand stand heard the announce
ment there were cries from many of the
women. They said they could not under
stand how those horses could go so fast
in race, when a rush order for groceries
often required several telephone calls to the
groceryman and his clerk to get the goods
home. The delivery horses on the track
yesterday, however, displayed lots of gin
ger.
wOMEN's CONTESTS.
Although the races were interesting the
humorous part of the programme came
when the women's contests were given.
In these events several young housewives
saved money for their husbands by enter
ing the events and winning enough gro
ceries to stock their larders for a month.
One little woman living in West Indian
apolis managed to carry away several
loayes of bread, fifty cakes of soap, sew
eral boxes Of cereals and other articles.
OF these events the string chewing con-
test was the funniest. The women were
lined up in the race track facing the grand
stand and each woman was given a string
three feet long to which was attached a
large gum drop. One end o. the string
was placed in the mouth OF each contest
ant. AT the word ''go" each woman began
working her teeth. trying to get the gum
hands. This proved very tiresome for some
of the younger women, who were inclined
to keep their eyes on some of their friends
in the crowd. When they smiled they would
lose their hold on the string.
Following this contest the girls were at
home when they were given pans of water
and a cake of soap and started on a lather-
hnnSQwifp
INJURED from starting, saying that hard
water was being used and she could not
make lather with it. After she started,
however, she soon found she was mistaken
and after one and a half minutes work she
was awarded first prize. She got fifty
cakes of soap for the best lather maker.
The women worked hardest when they
attempted to kick football. When most
of them ran toward the rubber sphere and
tried to Kick 1t they almost invariably
missed. There were eight entries in this
event and il required twenty-five minutes
TO decide the winner.
THE HORSE RACES.
The horse races were last of the days
events, and these excited much good-na-
tured rivalry among the different grocery
men and their clerks. In the free-for-all
race there were nine starters-eight PAGERS
and one trotter. This event proved a race
from the time the horses left the wire until
they covered the mile. Charles Cook won
the race in 2:S3. He was close pressed for
honors by George Steegman and William
Buschman.
Another race of interest was the city
saleSmenS pacing race. This was won by
George Edwards, who captured the same
event last year. He made the circuit in
2:43.
A mile race between a motor cycle and
horse had been arranged, but the man
who had entered his motor cycle failed to
put in an appearance anc the event was
called of.
While the horse races were being run a
strong wind from the west began blowing
across the grounds and every one ran for
shelter. The dark, menacing clouds that
hove in sight gave promise of drenching
the picnic crowd. People ran helter-skelter
about the grounds and sought refuge in the
exposition buildings. The greater number
swarmed into the dancing pavilion. Rain
began to fall, and it was thought for a
time that the picnic would have 10 be called
off without the dancing events scheduled
rain the sky cleared and the grounds again
became alive with people. The evening was
spent in dancing. which was discontinued
at IL o'clock.
PRIZE WINNERS.
The following were the winners in the
different contests:
Climbing greasy pole: J. Corners. 25s5
Northumberland foot race: John Con-
ners.
Girls foot race: fifty yards: Edna East
erday, 1886 Park avenue.
The childrens race had six starters and
each was given a box OF mixed candy.
Running race for clerks: r. Joseph
Waddington's grocery.
Married womens foot race; seventy-five
yards: Mrs. +. Keller. 23i Laura street.
Manageable women's foot race, at 100
yards: Maude Berkman, 3510 East Mich
igan street.
Fat mems race: seventy-five yards: A. r.
Michaels, 500 West Thirtieth street
Potato race for city statesmen: Russell
Troy, of Hoosier -four mills.
Women throwing BASEBALL: Margaret
Mason. leo feet.
Women kicking football: Mrs, Anna Col
Inns. thirty feet
String chewing contest: Mrs. Anna Will
ler 1921 Silver avenue.
Suds-making contest: Mrs. Anna Willer,
1927 Silver avenue.
Tug OF war: North and South Side clerks:
Won by North Side clerks.
City salesmen's pacing race: G. A. Ed
wards.
City salesmen's trotting race: Thomas
Van Cleave.
Grocers' delivery horse trotting race: c.
W. Squires 1902 Martindale avenue.
Business mems free-for-all: Charles
Cook. Time, 2:33.
Grocers' delivery pacing race: George
Steegman. 1412 East Ohio street.
Heel-and-toe walking match: William
Buschman. Fort Wayne avenue and Tenth
street.