The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-06-21
OUT AT STAHL'S.
Twenty-FOurth Annual Picnic
Is Held.
Several Thousand People on the
Grounds.
HOW 1T ALL STARTED
Organized to Further Prohibit
ton % Years Ago.
One Hundred Topeka People
Among the Guests.
low 1T ALL STARTED


for more than a quarter of a centur,
has been the feature of the year in tn
southwest section of the county blu
at that there were between $500 ant
1000 people there.
| Yesterdays picnic was the twenty
eighth annual event of the kind which
has been held in the grove west of tn,
Stahl home in as many consecutive
| years and while not the largest wal
| one of the most interesting of all
| Early in the day farmers with theil
families began arriving at the grove
| Tor the event is one of supreme i'm
| portance to the farmers in Wabaunsee
| Usage and Shawnee counties.
This locality is an especially neigh
| borly one and their gatherings al
Christmas time. Fourth of July and
| other holidays are notable for the size
and the good feeling which prevails
OF all the gatherings of the year
''Stahl's picnic" is the one event looked
forward to as the event of all events
in southern Shawnee and Usage coun-
ties.
There is an interesting bit of his
tory attached to the annual gathering
which dates back more than half a
century when r. M. Stahl, the father
of the organization, then a boy of 16,
began work on a raw piece of land
which is now a portion of the Stahl
section one of the finest pieces of farm
property in the southwestern portion
Mr. StahIs first realty holding in
the county was the quarter section
where the home is now located and
this was homesteaded b. the present
owner. BY thrift and economy the
three adjoining quarter sections were
added to the holdings of Mr.. Stahl I'M
til he now owns a section in one body.
In 1879 Mr.. Stahl who had always
been an advocate Of prohibition con-
ceived the idea of forming an organi-
zation of his farmer friends to aid the
prohibitory movement which was
then new and assist in having a pro-
constitutional amendment
adopted. A meeting was called of a
few of his neighbors and a picnic ar
ranged for the following June to
which all the farmers for miles around
were invited.
This was the first Stahl picnic ever
held and the one yesterday was the
twenty-eighth which has been held
annually every since without a break.
The movement was success from the
start and had much to-do with mould
ing the sentiment in favor of the
which year or so later
gave to Kansas the distinction of be-
ing one of the two prohibitory states
in the Union, a distinction which Is
held today.
AS the population of Shawnee coun- |
ty grew so did the interest in this an
nual event and a charter was secured
from the state running 80 years: Inc
held yesterday was selected as the an
nual meeting place of the friends OF |
prohibition. The saplings of half |
century ago have grown to massive
trees and the youths and maidens
who attended the first meeting have
grown to gray headed men and women |
whose zeal in the cause which they |
espoused in their youth has grown
with their years.
In the aggregation yesterday were
iozens of couples past the meridian
If life who had attended the ''Stahl
1icnic'' as lovers years ago, just as
heir sons and daughters attended the
meetings of the present day. AS they
wandered through the deep woods
yesterday many of them could have
pointed out the exact spot where they
lad plighted their troth more than
Iuarter of a century ago.
The grove is about 40 acres in size
nd located on either side of the
outh branch of the Wakarusa creek
With hills arising abruptly like under
tied mountains. Nature planted the
rees which have grown old and
.narled but for some reason they seem
ust about the right distance apart for
winging hammocks and the low
coughs and verdant underground has
laced a natural screen about these
ocations which obscures the love max
ng maiden and her swain from the
urious eyes of the passing observers.
Perhaps one hundred people from
,opeka made the drive of 90 miles to
he picnic grounds yesterday for no
Their reason than that they have con-
racted the habit which they are
verse to break. Many of the journeys
rere made to the enchanting spot
Il en- the picnic was new with the
on horseback and some of
he older members claim that but one
reed was necessary for the couple.
1t is different now though the sons
f the former farmer boys whisper the
rId cfn n
aated in a rubber tired buggy they
rake the trip to and from the pic :
ic grounds down shaded lanes, re- :
lrnilrg by moonlight. There was
his as well as in nearly every other !
arrning community the gasoline :
agons are not looked upon with :
lvor.
Though an excellent progra anime .
ad been arranged for the older folks +
lie rising generation was in no way
aglected. A screening. snorting little a
lgine with a shrill whistle which r
xakened the echoes of the woods +
Id only too plainly of merry-go- v
rived animals. 1t was around this +
svice that the younger crowd con- S
awaiting their turn for a C
ad race around the circle astride 2
eir wooden steed. v
There was pink lemonade enough
r a regiment and pop in all the
,lors of the rainbow; toy balloons,
fly in all degrees of softness. eat (,
gs and drinkings of all kinds. both f,
,od and bad, but not a drop of in t,
liquor of any kind. Down p
q shaded corner a speiler in front II
a big tent announced the presence s:
colony of imported glass blowers. r
lille diagcnally across an improvised
rect glazing signs told of the cheap
IS and beauty of photograp hs to be
cured just inside. b
Just at the foot of hill which o
Uses abruptly a speakers stand has h
en- erected. the incline in front C,
rming a natural amphitheater filed n