The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-09-06
HAD A GOOD TIME
Labor Day Celebration In Topeka
Success.
Two Thousand People Have Old
Fashioned Picnic.
MANYIN THE CONTESTS
Prizes Awarded Except in One
Contest.
None Could Be Found to Climb
Creased Pole.

1t is safe bet that the people who
stayed in their own town and attended
their own picnic at Garfield park en-
joyed themselves more, and fell better
today than did those VINO went to the
foreign seaport of Lawrence.
The two thousand or more people who
celebrated Labor day at Garfield park
were not squeezed breathless in excur-
sion coaches, lost in the dense Jungles
of Lawrence or held up for the fare to
the village down the creek. The people
who stayed in their own town had q
good time ,and are willing to admit it.
the celebration at Garfield park in
cluded all the features of a good old
fashioned picnic. Peanuts and water
melon, pink pop and lemonade were
plentiful. and anyone desiring to sep
arate himself from a few small coins
found no difficulty in doing so, although
he could enter into the wild delights OF
the slippery pig chase, the creased pole
event, the pie devouring contest and
numerous other affairs, without giving
up cent. The knights of Pytnias
band struggled against the frenzied
yells of the banana hawkers and the
fortune teHers, shooting gallery and
''one- baby one-ci-gah' institutions did
a thriving business.
strongest drinks in the park. A negro
named Frank Thomas did attempt to
open keg party, but a posse of COM
mitteemen swooped down on him and
after taking the keg away from him,
cast MIN forth into the street. Later
they gave back the keg of refreshment
on condition that he go back to the city
with it, The negro promised, but failed
to live up to his agreement, and hardly
lit in the brush near the Kansas ave-
nue. bridge over Soldier creek, when he
was chased out of view by a deputy
sheriff. Near the old stone barn in the
east edge of the park a North Topeka
jointist did a rushing business in Ro-
chester hop tea, but the bottles were
plainly labeled, and there was no mis-
taking the dead. sloppy beverage for
beer.
A squad of athletes from the Turner's
society gave exhibition of parallel
bar and horizontal bar, gymnastics in,
addition to the features advertised by
the committee.
The Building Trades Union is respon-
sible to a great extent for the home
celebration. and members of the union
are incensed al the faction which decid-
ed on Lawrence as the proper place for
the celebration. 1t is claimed by mem
bers of the committee that persons in
terested in the Lawrence scheme Sc
cured money from Topeka business men
who were under the impression when
they contributed that it was to be
used in the Garfield park celebration.
arrive early in the forenoon, all the
contests and amusements were delayed
about an hour and half by the COM
mittee This punched the amusementS
during the afternoon, and contests,
such as bricklaying, creased pole climb
ing, pig chasing and baseball, were all
going on at the same time in different
parts of the grounds. 1t was impossi-
BILE for one person to keep cases on all
the amusements. All the prizes. with
the exception of the ham Hhich was to
go to the climber of the creased pole,
were delivered to the winners. There
was no winner in the pole climbing af-
smeared axle grease on themselves
reached an altitude of more than six
feet.
The following awards were made:
Rricklayers' contest: Charles Fitz-
gibbons, first prize, a pair of pantss
George Fisher, second prize, a brick
hammer.
first prize, Iathers' hatchet; William
Drake, second prize. so pound sack OF
Plasterers' contest: G. w. Bickle.
first prize, plasterers' trowel: F. Haag-
ar, second prize, sack of flour.
Painters contest: F. A. Warren, first
prize, SO hat: George Laws. second
prize, stepladder.
Running broad jump: Charles Fitz-
gibbons, first prize; Fred Codes, sec
ond.
Running high jump: P. w. Funchess,
first prize. Standing broad jump, Carl
first prize; Charles Fitzgfb-
bons, second prize.
Mechanics race: Charles Fitzgibbonss
first prize; G. w. Lave, second prizes
Bert Clompton, third; w. A. Carter
fourth.