The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1905-02-24
Annual Convention Held atWelIs
During Yesterday.
Mankato Delegates Stranded in
That Little City.
Officers Were Elected for The
Ensuing Year.
From FRIDAYS Daily.

IF the mountain will not come tC
Mahomet, Mahomet must go to the
mountain" The Mankato delegates
could not get to the convention of the
association, so the convention came to
the Mankato delegates.
Stranded at the town of Wells, Will
lam r. Olmstead, DC. Davies, Fred Day
and j. r. Snow, together with William
Fordyce and A. o. Allen of Wells, all
gazed wistfully yesterday morning at
train that was speeding off from Wells
to Fairmont leaving them behind. The
Mankato quartette had risen from bed
long before daylight and had taken the
$40 Milwaukee train to Wells. On ar
irving there they We're informed that
the train for Fairmont, where the con-
vention was to be held, was an hour and
half late. So they took walk about
an hour later they returned to the depot
and arrived there just in time to see
their train pull away.
Truly it was an embarrassing situa-
tion. Here were the president of the
association, Mr.. Olmstead; the. secre-
tary, Mr.. Davies; three directors,
Messrs Snow, Fordyce and Allen; and
another delegate, Mr.. Day, all of whom
should be at the convention that day at
Fairmont, missed by the only convey
ance that could take them there in
time. Without these officers, the conven-
ton could not be held. 1t was true that
a freight train would bring them to
Fairmont at three o'clock in the after
noon, but that would necessitate stay
ing at Fairmont over night, and even
then, it was uncertain how many of the
other delegates could accommodate
themselves to that situation.
The stranded officers at length began
to telephone and telegraph to Fairmont,
and thus succeeded in reaching the dele
gates who were there. The latter were
made to understand the situation, and
finally a plan was hit upon. The dele
gates at Fairmont agreed to call the
convention to order there, then adj
journ to meet again at Wells. This
they did and took a freight train on
which they arrived at about two o'clock
in the afternoon.
The railroad people at Wells treated
the delegates royalty, giving over to
their use the mems waiting room at the
railroad station, and even furnishing
them with the key. The Woodmen lock-
ed themselves in and proceeded to hold
their convention.
When the fight came for the next
summers picnic, only two cities, Fair
mont and Waseca, showed up as candi-
dates. There were in the entire con-
vention fortytwo votes to cast. Of
these Fairmont received thirty five and
Waseca seven. Accordingly, Fairmont
will be the place for the next annual
picnic of the Southern Minnesota Wood
mems Picnic association. Waseca had
entered the race at the eleventh hour.
The camp at Fairmont has long
been planning to win the prize and great
preparations for the proper entertain
ment of the visitors are being made
bo hu- lou Of no
changed in one respect for the sake OF
the smaller communities, which cannot
hope ever to secure the picnic on ac.
count of their inability to handle the
crowds. Heretofore the expense of the
picnic as far as the association is con
cerned have been betrayed from a two
cents per capita per annum tax lev
led on the members of all the camps
affiliated with the association. Here
whole expense of each years picni,
must be borne by the camp of that
town in which the picnic is held. This
relieves the smaller communities of any
STARE In the burden of the expense.
Officers were elected as follows fo
the ensuing year: President, ]. G. Nit
chell of Fairmont; vice president, d. D
Devine of Waseca; secretary and treas
urer, c. H. Patche of Fairmont; direc
tor for one year, p. c. Jensen of ALDER
Lea; director for five years, William
Fordyce of Wells. The three director
who hold over are j. r. Snow of Man
kato; A. o. Allen of Wells; and L. A
,N, Sweet of Fairmont
The treasurer's report showed tn
finances of the association to be in frs
class shape.
The picnic will be held at Fairmon
some time next June. The exact da
will be determined by the Fairmon
camp of Modern Woodmen.