The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-08-28
HAMMER DUEL FOR PRAULEIN.
LENA'S FRANKFURTER HELPED
JOHN BUST THE MACHINE.

Incident OF Plattdeutsche Festival In Ho
bOken-The Girl wanted to BE Fair, bu
She Really Preferred John to August
Big Crowd Applauds Contestants
A young woman, ruddy checked and
with fire in her eyes, elbowed her way man
fully through the crowd that stood around
the sledgehammer strength testing ma
chine In Schuetzen Park, Hoboken. yes
terday afternoon. She was one Of thou
sands who were there attending the closing
day Of the Plattdeutsche .Volkfest Verein
festival.
Close behind her as she pushed her way
up to the machine came two strapping
young fellows whom she addressed as John
and August. A big. perspiring German,
with his sleeves rolled above his elbows,
stood beside the. machine with the hammer
poised for blow. The young woman
touched him on the arm.
Sir" said she, won't you please wait a
minute?"
There was just the slightest trace Of tears
in her voice as che hurriedly added:
Il have an awfully important matter to
settle here and the sooner it's over the
better. for I'm certainly having horrid
time Of it,
The man at the machine dropped the
hammer and retired. The two young
Germans with the girl stepped up and
the crowd, seeming something interesting
began to take closer notice.
Now" said the girl quickly, addressing
the two young fellows, remember, only
three tries, and the best one gets me. Be
all the time. You go first, August"
The young men had their teeth set hard
and looked none too pleasantly at each
other 1t was evident that they were in
grim earnest August peeled of his coat.
slipped his suspenders from his shoulders,
spat on his hands and, taking good aim,
brought the hammer down with bang
that sent the indicator up to $50 pounds
The crowd yelled it's praise. but the girl
who had drawn back a little out Of full
view, edged over closer to John.
John was equally careful in his prepare
tons for the test even In the matter OF his
suspenders, and his first crack was 100
second attempt. though, he drove the
marker UP to the 100 pound notch. August
in his two tries went this twenty pounds bet
ter. Tho highest mark on the indicator
was 1000 pounds. John got ready for the
final blow. On It depended whether he was
to have the girl OF not.
The young woman In several ways had
indicated pretty clearly that although she
intended to be fair she would a little rather
have John than August. Nobody doubted
this when az John was raising the hammer.
she called for him to stop. She hurriedly
left the ring. reappearing q few seconds
later with a steaming frankfurter and
brimming stein Of beer
take this, she said simply.
John did take it. and when the hammer
came down this time the indicator not only
hit tho top notch, but knocked the cover
Oh the machine and landed 1t In the crowd.
As John and his girl hurried away, arm In
arm, she found time to cay that her name
was Lena Kohlhagen; that she lived in East
New York; that, through dreadful mistake
she had promised to 80 to the festival with
j ohm, after she had made date with August;
that both insisted on taking her and that
there was going to be fight between them
when she made them go to the strength
test instead.
sBut, oh, dear said she ioyfully to John
y wanted you, and I'm glad thought Of
that frankfurter."