The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-06-28
Mr.. FRA-A.AWLEY'S PICNIC.
TIE SENATOR MAKES rs 900
CHILDREN HAPPY.

They FIJI the North Meadow OF Central
Park and Rcyel In leo Cream ana
Lemonade--Smali Riots to Get the Pre-
cion Stun-FrawIey Reviews Parade.
James j. Frawley, Tammany leader
in the Thirty second Assembly district.
Is a bachelor Wherefore. when countless
admirers and friends encountered him on
the North Meadow Of Central Park yester-
day In the midst Of the picnic he was giving
to 10000 children Of the district, and in
quired: All these yours, Senator3" the
Senator blushed and murmured his denials
But Senator Frawley's Spring Walk as
they call 1t up on the lower edge Of Harlem.
was the biggest thing OF It's kind that New
York ever saw.
The picnic was a vivid illustration OF
what organization will accomplish. The
Tarnmany organization Of the district
simply turned itself over to the task Of
giving that picnic The Miami Club. the
organization headquarters, bought $1,000
lemons and had squeezing bees for three
nights until eighty-one buckets OF lemon
juice had been produced.
The district captains took the 5000
tickets and distributed them until they
were all gone and then invited everybody
else to come along without tickets. There
was not child between four and thirteen In
the district who wasn't asked to 60. and
there we're mighty few who did not accept
the invitation.
Each election district captain had the
duty OF assembling his own delegation
at designated place on Lexington avenue
at Q O'Clock. Promptly at that hour the
first district began to move. Every other
district fell in behind. Every small boy
and girl had red white and blue baseball
cap. They marched two abreast, hand In
hand, and anxious parents and big sisters
marched alongside.
At the head Of each district procession
was group Of children in costume. Some
times they were Indians, sometimes they
were Uncle Sans, sometimes they were
fairies. They carried tinsel and mosquito
netting, four-cornered canopies. which
we're apparently int nded to be screens
OF honor for the gayly apparelled election
district queen. but which later came into
use as excellent bowers for the district
lemonade barrel.
There were bands for nearly every eiec-
ton district. They kept the small feet
trudging forward toward the park. Up
and down the Inns trotted Leader Fraw-
ley's lieutenants. always ready to encourage
the faltering and to repress disorder. At
Fifth avenue and Ninety-seventh street
Mr.. Frawley reviewed the procession. Great
was the cheering whe n his broad smile broke
upon the advancing line.
From Fifth avenue the line went through
a n yvh
there was an easy cut across to the meadow.
Here stood Miss Frawley, the school prin-
cipal, and the leaders sister. whose pupils
threatened to strike the other day because
she wouldn't get all Of them tickets to the
walk
In great horseshoe almost a mile long
trees had been labelled with the numbers
Of the Assembly districts. Under each
tree was a barrel Of lemonade, with two
buckets Of lemon juice in reserve to make
more. A host Of water and ice carts were
detailed to make the rounds and refill the
barrels as they were emptied.
John Sicily. acting as Mr.. Frawley's
master OF ceremonies, scurried up and
down the big field, keeping an eagle eye
on the lemonade barrels and the small
boys he had set to guard them until the
arrival q the sections Of the parade, for
stray arrivals whore their districts were
to be quartered, explaining to frantic
parents that all lost children would be
brought to the tent In the middle OF the
meadow at once. promising the small boys
that the ice cream would really be dis
tr1buted at 4 O'Clock, and shaking hands
with everybody in sight.
Senator Frawley came upon the field at
about half past II, when most Of his guests
had arrived. He was escorted about by
squ6d OF idolatrous small boys, who
never said a word, but kept their eyes
49, md hail he
minute. Everywhere he went little girls
and big girls ran out from the crowds.
which were dense all around the edge OF
the big meadow, and called:
'Aw, Mister ,Fra-a-awleyl Hello. Mis-
ter F IA, and sisgling: ran back
who was dressed ike Mister Fra-a-awley'
was highly embarrassed by having three
girls who were not as small as most of those
present leap at him from behind and, get
ting strangle hold. cry out:
Fra-a-awley!"
The young man managed to gurgle that
he would bet they couldn't guess who he
was. The way they vanished when they
heard his voice was not the least wonderful
occurrence Of the day.
Thirty-hve thousand sandwiches had been
cream bought. Past experience with ice
cream distribution had convinced Mr..
Skelly that the only way to make sure. as
he said, that the kids would not break over
and renege on the next district was to have
the distribution begin in all the district
headquarters at the same time. A signal
was given by the beating Of tattoo on
big bass drum.
The scramble that followed defied all de-
scription. There were twenty -seven distinct
and separate riots, out Of which emerged
small boys with their faces smeared,
small girls with empty plates and tear
stained faces and hundreds OF both who
had actually rescued plateful Of the pre-
cious stun to he consumed at leisure in some
secluded spot far from the greedy throng.
No casualties worse than bumped noses
or skinned knees were reported. The pro-
oession started for home long before dark
It was not as lively as 1t had been In the
Even Mr.. Frawley smile seemed
a little wan; Mr.. Shelly was human wilt.
But "a, 000 children las many mind, as there
are inhabitants In many proud city of this
land) had been made happy for one long
day, and their only woe In life was that they
were not going to be old enough to vote for
Mister Fra-a-awley next election.
<1N-r, ATFyT A1'E KTNH DRTER