Los Angeles herald., 1906-08-10

with their faces beaming with joy
and capering and dancing like school
boys with the prospect Of an outing,
fully 1000 members of the Southern
California Retail Grocers' association,
with their wives and children and
guests, assembled at the Fourth street
station of the Los Angeles-Pacific
Railroad company yesterday morning
to start on their eighth annual outing
to the beach.
For the last two years the grounds
picked for these annual celebrations
were at Venice or Ocean Park, but
contrary to this rule the committee for
1906 made arrangements for the days
outing at Playa del Rey.
Some picknickers, carrying boxes,
others baskets and still others Moth
ing at all, men and families, delighted
at the prospect of a day of pleasure
and enjoyment gathered, slapplng each
other on the back and telling of old
time experiences. Friends and fellow
workmen Of many years met and spent
a merry day.
Take In All Amusements
The large and beautiful skating rink,
the bath house and all other places of
amusement were open to the picnick-
ers, who spent an enjoyable day, some
of them bathing and others using the
rink that was open free Of charge to
them, and old friends united with the
joy of other days showing In their
eyes.
quite unique program Of amateur
sports was made out in advance, open
to all that cared to join in the swim
ming, running and other races. In
addition to this prizes ranging in value
r nf
mated to stir things up and enliven in
terest in the competition for the
premiums.
w. G. Longstreth, chairman of the
committee for the arrangement of
games, had no trouble in pulling off
some of the best events that have hap
pened in the amateur line for quite a
while.
Grocers Win at Baseball
In the morning a, baseball game had
been arranged between the grocers and
statesmen, in which the grocers proved
the victors by a score of 6 to g.
To add to this scene of gay festivity,
the Hollywood Christian Sunday
school held it's annual picnic at the
same place and the crowds of children
and young folk mingled with the older
ones, skating, swimming and taking as
much If not more interest in the sport
than the older ones.
At 8 in the morning the big doors of
the rink were thrown open. The people
poured in and soon filled the floor to an
almost overcrowded point.
Clerks Capture Rich Prizes
During the afternoon the contests for
the prizes offered by prominent Los
Angeles business men were competed
for and many interesting and laugh
a hla feate wore nPrfOrnpd
The highest prizes offered were $500
and 5000 cash for clerks who could
make the best time in a rowing race.
They were taken by Sederberg and
Reed, respectively.
Later in the afternoon after the
sporting events were over the crowd re-
turned to the beach, where a small
part of Coney Island had been set up.
In one place a large canvas had been
stretched with hole in the center
large enough for man to put his head
through. Standing behind and with
his head through the aperture was a
negro of giant build.
About twenty feet in front of this
was a railing, and another negro in
vited anyone to try and hit his COM
panion on the head with two eggs, for
which he charged 25 cents. For an
hour the crowd stood around this show,
watching different people endeavoring
to "hit the Niger baby"
In the evening a display of fireworks
was given from the northern side of
the lagoon, showing clearly against the
black sky. This was done under the
direction of w. A. Pierce.
Until late hour the crowd stayed
and continued to amuse themselves
with the pleasures that they have but
so few opportunities to enjoy.
The only occurrence that marred the
pleasure of the day was difficulty be-
tween rival trading stamp concerns,
and trouble only was averted by the
Playa del Rey authorities.
Grocers VS.. Statesmen
The first contest on the program was
the baseball game played between the
grocers and the statesmen. The game