The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-09-06
5000 AT HHE M'MANUS PICNIC.
CLANS, OF COURSE, BUT TEE FAT
MEMS RACE WAS IT.

The good ship Cygnus, laden almost up
10 the soles Of The McManus's shoes, pulled
into the landing at Witzel's Grove. College
Point. yesterday noon. and Marshal BIZ
Kelly leaped ashore and superintended theI
laying Of the gAngplAnk with great care.
he explained TO the deckhands that
not only was the biggest crowd Of chowder-
men ever let loose from the upper West
Side about to land, but likewise Fred Richter,
tho latest Alderman; Col. Sam Ash and Al
derman Jim Fallon had to be got ashore
10 take part in the fat mems race.
b three Competitors gave Marshal
Kelly trouble all the way up. II was found
that IL any Of them sat on the same side
Of tho boat their unusual w~eight-they
had trained up for the racN-and that Of
their admirers tipped the boat OF the
v Q keel and made Il hard steering.
Finally, after various attempts were made
TO remedy the trouble, Sam Richter was put
IN the port side. Jim Fsllon on the star
board. and Col. Sam goodnaturedly con-
sented 10 stay put in the barroom, the
exact centre OF the vessel.
With due care the fat man were got ashore
after all the thin folks had walked the plank.
The band blew the salt out Of their horns
and the 5000 loyal ones Of the upper West
Side fell in behind, in a uniform Of white
chowder gear and rattan sticks, and marched
up the gresn slope. At the summit q meal
awaited them. There were CLAIMS on the
half shell for weddings and for those who
preferred CLANS in the whole shell baked,
30 that strong men could pull the shells
apart. For the young there were olams
without any shell at all, and for the eocen-
tries there were clam cocktails.
, noe Moss. who acted as manage for feet
Fred Richter. the A~ldermanic racer, in.
sisted h a the fat race entries should weigh
in before dinner. The matter was laid be-
fore a committee consisting Of Magistrates
q w~neetser. Finelite and Battery Dan Finn
andCol, Mike Padden. After the commits
sion had been puzxling over the question
a while Alderman Dolan came into the pri-
waite room with the disconoerting news that
the fat men were already half through
dinner.
They've eaten several dozens Of CLAIMS
each way already he said. with shells.
several dozens without and several dozen
with no shells at oil" explained Dolan.
Why, they must be half through
dinner the Magistrates exclaimed hur-
riedIy.
The committee decided that a. the fat
race was 10 be held at swelter weight, and
a. the contestants were allowed to run
at any figure over the prescribed 800, q
dinner or so would not make any difference.
After the feast the 1900 swarmed out
on the field and lined up to watch the games.
Two baseball games were started, one
between the Doolans and the Boyles and
one between the Curries and the McManuses
themselves. The Doolans ran up % runs
TO their opponents one, and would have
made more II it had been easier to tell the
diamonds apart. The runners in ex-
citing moments made for the nearest base
visible, which was generally a stone doing
service on the diamond adjacent. The
McManuses had a harder time with the Cur
ries, but finally combed them to the tune
of 8 TO 8.
The athletic games then started. The
blew a new air n the celebrities
prominent positions. Timothy ID. and
Little Tim stood hand in hand. Larry
Delmour, still In his yachting cap, and
blOesoming in a smile that he has been i'm
proving in the course Of his travels, held
one end OF the tape. Percy Maggie, Frank
Goodwin, Tom Hendricks and Commits
sioner O'Br1en lent their encouraging
glancee 70 the competitors. Senator Fraw-
lev held the pistol at the starting line, and
Assemblyman Bohan yelled at any merry
makers who felt disposed to sit down on
the track.
After the usual running events, all holly
OF the meet, the special events. A sack
race led on and whetted the appetite OF the
5000 for greater things. Then followed
the gimpy race. Six gimpies or three
legged couples competed. All but two
the tape. The two remaining couples
struggled on to a dead heat. "Laf"
Mclaughlin proposed that they toss up a
coin for 1t: Senator Frawley provided
the coin, and it came down in favor of De-
that they refused to be uncoupled, and
that they would parade home
three legged fashion.
The shoelese rice turned out to be a foot
less race as well, The men were well
when somebody stole the shoes Of
Glory McGill. He was in the lead at the
time, but he started of to get next to his
shoes. Soon the boys were shyihg all the
sboes over the field at great
risk to heads, while the racers we're trying
forgotten. By dusk Marshall Gruny
that everybody was happy and had
been provided with at least one shoe.
The heavy event had been kept for the
last, just AZ in the prizering. When Head
Announcer Bohan called the fats mems
race Fred Richter. was the first toBcomesout.
He looked to be in the pink Of swelter-
weight form. His official weight was not
announced, but all felt sure tina he pulled
he scales down at the required 500 with
Moss explained. that was his natural rum
ming figure, and he did not rave to over
rain to get up to it. He wore a red, white
md black striped bathing suit, and was a
at 7 to Q.
Alderman Jim Fallon, long Richter's
bitter adversary in the fight for the honor
of latest Alderman. next appeared, fol-
owed by Col. Ash. Both, however, looked
overturned. 1t was only by heavy pro-
at Dime that they brought them
,elvee over the required 300. Fallon ad-
nifted that 10 was unusual for him TO pass
he 800 mark SO early in the week, though
he maintained that that was his regular
or Saturday night.
The men were lined up and made one or
false starts, rushing half way down the
ane before they could be recalled. Finally
he pistol cracked. When the dust cleared
1r Fred Richter was seen, surrounded by
he celebrities and very busy shaking hands.
The Others were still trailing in. Richter
the running Of the losers, and said
hat they all ran well enough to be candi-
iates for Aldermen on an opposition ticket.
Then there was a clam supper with beer
champagne, and finally Marshal Bill
Kelly got the 5000 aboard again in safety
lmid a blaze Of fireworks. The day ended
with a parade through the district.
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