Arizona republican., 1903-06-08
FIREnAN'S PICNIC
The Most Largely Attended One Yet
 Held.

The annual picnic of the Phoenix Fire department, held yesterday, like all it's predecessors, was a great sue cess. The only way in which it differed from picnics previously held was that there was a larger attendance than ever before and the gate receipts ex- ceeded the financial returns of any pre- vious similar enterprise of the fire men.
 The attendance in the forenoon was not large and no great crowd was ex- pected then. But the afternoon and evening were devoted to jollity by a large part of the population of the city. Men, women and children throng- ed the grounds after the manner of a Fourth oi July picnic and there were various diversions for their entertain ment.
 The Pioneer band occupied the stage in the theater and all afternoon the auditorium was crowded with merry dancers who writhed in festive sinuos~ ity, keeping time with the waltz and quickstep. In the evening there was more dancing and more festivity.
 The lake boats were in great demand and all day long were filled with those who love life on the dancing waves. while those who prefer to get under the waves spent their time in the nata- torium playing sea serpent
 On the athletic field in the southern part of the grounds a couple of base ball teams were struggling with stick and sphere all afternoon, while kids and kidlets were engaged in youthful sports and contests. In the evening the grand stand sheltered cooing cou- pies whose love had not yet grown strong enough to stand the full force of the glimmerIng moonlight which in- quisitively peeped through the cracks of the rustic and weather beaten rooi Though the swains and swanlets thus employed were not vast army it is curious to observe how few couples can be accommodated in one grand stand without crowding. under such condi- lions.
 On the lawns around the auditorium were various booths where the people were separated from their money with facility and dispatch. That was what they went there for and they giggled with glee as the uniformed spiders en-
  tons. They were enabled to get as good a cigar for a dime perhaps as they could dcwn town and had for nothing all the fun of throwing at rag baby and missing it. The only error in this statement is that if they missed the baby they didn't get the cigar. But it made no difference. the money was for the Phoenix iiremen ,lar to save everybCdy's house from de- struction and the few nickels they get out Oi the public as an advance pav- ment is good bread cast upon waters whose current runs round the circle and right back again
 There were all sorts Of soft drinks on hand for those who wished them and some that smeIled of hons for those who needed q stronger stfnulant. Orangeade was a particularly popular beverage with the ladies for it tasted better and looked as good as stronger medicine.
 Probably the most sport was furn- ished by Mohammed Kruger. who ar rived here Saturday from Arabia with a company of howlIng dervishes who were imported for the purpose of filling up the midway at the Kyrene Fourth 1f July celebration after which they -.ill go into training for some new oriental sports to be exhibited at the St. Louis exposition. The company was headed by Tewfik Ruprert anC. among its members were Pasha Hi FL dred. Alladiu Jake Miller and Omar khayam Bennett. Their hangout was probably the most sumptuOusIy furr- lShed booth on the grounds If was rich in oriental splendor brought all the way from the Navajo reserV atior, and they had historical collection of hand organs under the keeping of Giuseppe $. Seip. For monkeys Guis- cope used anybody that happered to come along.
 The best of order prevailed all day and the only incident. that required the intervention of the fire police was when Tewf1k Ruppert and AlIadin Mill Ter insisted .On having q match waltz to the music of hand organ played by Pasha Hf Eidred. Rather than or- fend these good natured dervishes the dancers gave the floor for a few min utes, knowing they must have little fun now and then or bust.
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 He-YOu are the queen of my heart She-Not much. It's ace or nothing