The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-11-18
Field Day on a Steamship
Funny Stunts of Passengers Crossing the Pacific on the
Minnesota. Fighting Fire at Sea-
BY S. Glen Andrus.
Correspondence of The Journal.

Correspondence of The Journal 81.
On Board the Steamship Minnesota
Oct. 25.-Some athletic records have
been broken during the most remark
able field sports l have ever witnessed
the events having been "run off" on
the most surprising track I have ever
sofa, the track was the broad prom
enade deck of the ship and the con
testants We're college graduates associa:
ton athletes, staid business men and
women and children. The field being
at the time more than 5000 miles out
from Seattle on the Pacific ocean, there
was little opportunity for the police
to interfere and the contestants were
privileged to kick over the decisions
pleased.
On two weeks journey at sea it
Is necessary to do something beside
read and pace the decks like physical
culture graduates trying to show off.
Accordingly Captain Rinder suggested
series of athletic events on the prom
enade deck, which is wide enough to
run dashes in heats of four and twelve
times around, which makes one mile.
If the runner objects to the short turns
he can go down on the main deck and
slide around six times with the assur-
ance that he has ''done his mile. -
Of course, the committee appointed to
get up and "operate' the affair did
not know hundred-yard dash from a
potato race, but that made the affair
all the more enjoyable. Out of the
many suggestions that came free gratis
to the committee, they determined to
ask for entries to the following events:
Pillow. fight, cock fight, 50-yard dash,
. no VI
a an MIL race, three-legged race,
and others. Upon the assurance
be purchased at Yokohama NV VIZ Dr.
Draper, who "spoke Japanese and
could get reduced prices,n everyone
paid his dollar gold and got into the
game 1t is remarkable what sane
and sensible people will do when they
get to sea, away from newspapers and
the observation of the general public.
college pins bear date of twenty and
even thirty years ago, but whose rheu-
matte legs were galvanized into action
Ply. the return of the old college ath-
lletlc spirit of bygone days. And how
they did run and wheeze and blow in
contest with their younger antagonists
and how they did groan the next
day. I am not going to tell you of
The records made, because the sporting
editors would not believe them any
way, as the meet was unauthorized by
The association. A description of one
Or two of the contests will suffice.
The Funny Pillow Fight.
The pillow fight is peculiar, think,
TO steamship life. In the center of
one side of the deck a pole nearly
twelve inches in diameter is strung
across from the rail to the cabins and
securely dashed. Underneath the pole
are placed mattresses to break the fall
of the unsuccessful contestants. The
fighting is done in pairs, the contest
ants facing each other while sitting
Rstrlde the pole. With pillow in
hand they await the word, whereupon
they begin pounding each other over
ME head with the pillows. 1t is
against the rules to clinch the feet to-
gether or to touch the pole or to do
anything to prevent falling, except to
balance yourself like an aerial juggler.
The grotesque gyrations, the awful
which the contestant makes in his eff
forts to keep from being knocked from
the pole and finally his sudden plunge
downward, often clinging to the pole
by both feet, is the funniest thing i'm
aginable, especially if the contestant
chances to be a man old enough to
know better
The cock fight is almost as funny.
On the brood expanse Of the prom
enade deck forward a circle is drawn,
twelve feet in diameter. The contest
ants are seated on the rim of the
circle facing each other. A pole is
run underneath the knees of each, the
arms being placed underneath the pole
and the wrists trussed in front of the
Bonded knees. Thus helplessly har-
messed. the contestants bunch along
toward each other, and to win one
must force the other out Of the ring
with his feet. The sight of a man
thus trussed up and rolling helplessly
about the deck, propelled by the
stockinged feet of another similarly
trussed, but in q sitting position, is
sufficient to arouse shouts of laughter.
The Obstruction Race.
The obstruction race consists of
most anything that the imagination of
the first officer can "frame up.n In
this case it consisted of ffty-yard
race with circular life preservers
the DECK 4'' Once P fbru f the sma
hole in the preserver, the contestants
raced for a set of windsa Us stretched
the entire length of the deck forward.
These Windsa Is are long canvas bags,
used to convey air to the hold of the
vessel. They were plentifully
sprinkled with flour inside and thru
these the contestants were compelled
to crawl, opening their way by raising
hoops on which the windsa Is were
strung every five feet. By the time
the contestant emerged he resembled
a ghost smothered in a flour barrel.
Then he had to race for the center of
the deck and plunge into a wide rope
net and there founder about until his
shlns were barked and his joints sore,
trying to get out on the other side.
Successful in this, he was compelled
to vault over a high pole stretched
across the deck, and then if he had
any breath left he was supposed to
race half way around the deck and
climb knotted rope, like a trained
monkey. The first man to reach the
crossbar above the deck fifteen feet
and sit astride Of that was declared the