The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1907-06-21
Modern WOOdmen Captur-
ed This City Today.
NATURE WAS IN HER GLORY
Big Crowds Welcomed to MankatO;
Bands Galore; Program at Grove;
Parade This Afternoon.
From Wednesdays Daily.

From Wednesdays Daily.
Nature smiled sweetly upon the Mod
ern Woodmen and old Sol showed his
face today and cheered the hearts of
the thousands who thronged to the city
to enjoy the annual picnic of the Mod
ern Woodmen Southern Minnesota Pic
mic association. The streets were early
alive with people, who arrived by train
or team, and Front and Second streets
were filled with the happy crowds.
The morning train on the Omaha road
brought fifty from Madelia and big
crowd from Lake Crystal anti the towns
down the branch line. The freight came
i'm on the Milwaukee road at 1880. with
a passenger coach attached, and bringing
thirty people from Minnesota Lake, in
GLIDING the band from Cream. The pas
senger train on that road was nearly an
hour late in arriving from the south,
but this was accounted for when the
people began to pile out of the five
coaches which is had. People had been
getting on at all the stations from Wells
north until the aisles were crowded, and
it is estima ed that fully 500 people got
off. The Mapleton band arrived on this
train. The Truman band came in on an
Omaha train.
The other trains on the different
roads. arriving up to noon or later,
brought other crowds, and Mankato was
filed with life and gaiety from the sur
rounding country Men tugged at big
baskets. and women held children Sc
curely by the. hand as they picked their
the crowd cheering both. j. A. Flittie
presided.
As the trains came in, delegations of
the local Woodmen were present and es-
corted the visitors to the picnic grounds
| in Kron's grove, in North Mankato.
| There at eleven o'clock, B. ID. Smith, the
| general attorney of the order. gave an
address of welcome, urging all to lay
aside care and devote the day to the
pursuit of pleasure. Senator s. ID. Works
followed with an equally happy speech.
| the crowd cheering both. -.
The lunch baskets were then unloaded
| and the contents spread out, and old and
Young enjoyed the pleasures OF, pic
mic DINNER in the open. .,..n. s-.flps, -.
Soon after dinner, a parade was form
ed. consisting of the drill teams from the
different camps in southern Minnesota, the
Mankato fire department, the Mankato I.
NJ. C. A. and Minnesota Lake ball teams,
and the different, bands. The parade
was watched by thousands of people as
it wendell it's way along the line OF
march, q i $50 90 i;ii: lf,Ht ti !!
Later. lforesters' prize drill was given
| on jackson street between Front and
Second. and at $3.50 O'Clock a free ball
game was played between the two
strong teams mentioned. This attracted
hundreds of people to .Sibley park. -
Throughout the day the different
bands furnished music, each receiving
numerous compliments. r The d, Parker
Amusement company's shows We're well
patronized all day. sf~. .~s.. zee
| The days program will continue into
the evening. for at seven O'Clock an au-
tomoble parade is booked, and later in
the evening grand ball will be given
at the A. o. L. w. hall under the aus
pieces of Blue Earth camp, NJ. w. A,
drill team.
The evening train on the Milwaukee,
road, going south, will be held until 10
| D. M to accommodate the crowds living
along the line.
The streets were afutter with the
| Woodmen embems, and numerous hand
some displays of ingenuity in producing
the emblem were noticeable in the win
dows of enterprising merchants. Music
| filed the air. hucksters shouted their
wares, megaphones beloved, automO-
biles footed, and the day was given over
to Joy and confusion. The young men
had their best girls out, and the best
girls had their best white dresses Onand
their prettiest ribbons and hats. Pop
| corn. peanuts and crackerjack, summer
| drinks, and the truck sold by the curb
stone merchants found ready sale. All
in all, it was day long to be remem-
bered, and undoubtedly caps the climax
| of carnival week. unless circus day
should excel in the size of the crowds.
The drill between Forester teams this
afternoon took place on the pavement
on jackson street, and the teams enter
ing were those from Redwing and st.
James. the winner to receive a cash
prize of $40. and the loser the second
prize of $25. The drilling attracted
crowds that packed the sidewalks. The
Judges were Captain Maltby, Captain
Brwon and Judge Comstock.
A Royal Nelghbor team from Lake
Crystal attracted a great deal of favor
able attention. 1t was composed of
some of the prettiest girls in the county,
dressed in neat fitting white dresses with
purple sashes. They gave an exhibition
drill, for there was no other team to
compete with, and won the plaudits of
the crowd, besides prize.
The Redwing team won the first prize
in the drill contest and st. James sec
ond The markings We're: Redwing.
665: st. James, 60. Captain Finseth of
the Redwing team was congratulated
heartily and Captain Johnson of the st.
James team was not overlooked. The
Lake Crystal ladies did nicely.
The band concert this afternoon was
greatly enjoyed.