The sun., 1905-08-28
HAMMER DUEL FOR FRAULEIN.
LENA'S FRANKFURTER HELPED
4 JOHN BUST THE MACHINE.

Incident Of PIattdeutsche Festival In Ho'
boken-The Girl wanted to Be Fair. but
She Really Preferred John to August
Il Big Crowd Appiauds Contestants.
A Young woman, ruddy checked and
With fire in her eyes, elbowed her way man
fully through the crowd that stood around
tho sledgehammer strength testing ma
chine In Sohuet1en Park Hoboken, yes
terclay afternoon. She was ono Of thou
sands who were there attending the closing
day Of the Plattdeutscbe 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 a blow. The young woman
touched him on the arm.
-sir," said she, won't you please wait .
minutef'
There was just the slightest trace Of tears
In her voice as she hurriedly added:
Il have an awfully important matter to
settle here and the sooner it's over the
better, for I'm certainly having a 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 scenting 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
quick about it; the crowds getting bigger
al The time Yon 60 ad rI ths teets s.t hard
and looked none too pleasantly at each
other. 1t was evident that they were in
grim earnest. August peeled OH his coat,
slipped his suspenders from his shoulders,
spat on his hands and, taking good aim,
that sent the indicator up to l,7S0 pounds:
Tho crowd yelled its praise, but the girl,
who had drawn back little out OF full
view, edged over closer to John:
John was equally careful In his prepare
tions for the test. even in the matter OF his
pounds lighter than his rivals. On his
second attempt, though, he drove the
marker UP to the 200 pound notch. August
in his two tries went this twenty pounds bet
ter. The highest mark on the Indicator
final blow. On 1t depended whether he was
to have the girl or not;
Tho young woman In several ways had
indicated pretty clearly that although she
intended to be fair she would little rather
have John than August. Nobody doubted
this when, as John was raising the hammer,
she called for him to stop. She hurriedly
left the ring. reappearing = few seconds
later with q steaming frankfurter and .
brimming stein Of beer.
stake this, she said simply.
John did take 1t. and when the hammer
came down this time, the indicator not only
hit the top notch. but knocked the cover
Of the machine and landed 1t In the crowd.
As John and his girl hurried away, arm In
arm, she found time to say that her name
was Lena Kohlhagen; that she lived in East
New York; that, through dreadful mistake
she had promised to 60 to the festival with
John, after she had made date with August;
that both insisted on taking her and that
there was going to be fight between them
whom she made them 90 to tho strength
test instead.
.But, oh, dear said she joyfuliy to John
Il wanted you, and I'm glad thought Of
that frankfurter.'