The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1904-05-27
Woodmen Day Promises to Bring a
Multitude TO Mankato.
South Dakota Will Be represented BY
Large Delegation.
Committee Is Putting in Much Time
Advertising the Event.
Not Less Than 10000 People Will
Be Here June 8.

100 much credit cannot be given the
efforts of the committee that has been
working hard in preparation for the
Woodmen's picnic, ever since, the South
ern Minnesota Woodlands Picnic associ-
alton held the convention at Mankato
last February, and decided to hold the
big picnic at Mankato.
This committee on picnic, appointed
by the local camp of Modern Woodmen,
consists of W. R. Olmstead, chairman;
D. G. Davies, secretary and treasurer;
Walter Daniels, T. ]. Jones and j. R.
Snow. The committee has held meetings
nearly every day since it was first organ
lied. The time and pains that the mem
bers have given to the work has not
been recorded, but certainly they have
accomplished great things.
This picnic has been advertised
throughout southern Minnesota as no
southern Minnesota picnic ever was be-
fore. Men have been sent out to visit
every town along the lines of all four
railroads that enter Mankato, these men
going as far south as Iowa, as far north
as the Twin Cities, as far east as the
Mississippi river, and as far west as
South Dakota and farther. More than
a thousand letters have been sent out
to camps of Modern Woodmen in all parts
of Southern Minnesota, and to the sta
ton agents along all the lines of rail-
road, entering Mankato, as far as such
lines are included in southern Minnesota.
Posters booming the picnic are being
put up in conspicuous places in all towns
that are at all likely to send visitors
to. Mankat on June s, the day of the
great affair. Over 5000 posters are
to be sent out this week alone.
The committee has been hard at work
too with the railroad officials, to get
the four companies operating in Man
kato to give reduced rates. The re-
suits are most gratifying. Mr.. Davies
has received notice that the round trip
fare from Mortified, Mimi, on that
day on the Great Western will be ST.;
on the Great Western the fare from
Red Wing to Mankato and back will be
$l.75; on the North Western line the
round trip fare from Watertown will be
So. Other reductions, equally sweeping,
have been and are being arranged for.
The railroads have caught the spirit of
the affair and are doing all that could
be expected of them by the most san
guine.
The collections of funds to carry on
the work and arrange for the entertain
ment of the guests has been of course a
matter involving a vast deal of labor
About 5000 has been gotten together.
The committee would like to get about
$500 more. Revenue will undoubtedly
be realized from the receipts at the grand
stand and from the sale of street and
park privileges, as the council has grant
ed to the local camp of Woodmen these
means of raising money.
The replies that the Woodmen camps
and officers of the surrounding towns
have been sending in are most crafty
ing. The committee is perfectly conf
dent of having at the very least, 10000
people in the city on June s, besides
the city's own population. Indications
are even more promising than they were
four years ago, when the city seemed
absolutely packed with visitors.
Modern Woodmen in towns in South
Dakota are making arrangements to come
here on the picnic day, and northern
Iowa will send contingent.
Bands galore will be here and forest
ers' drill teams will be in evidence