The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-07-19

as the rain in the morning had some
thing to do with dampening' the ardor
of many who had intended to take
their families and make a day of it..
But at that Vinewood park was filled
Ito Overlooking and the crowd was not
far short of the record breaking aggre-
| CATION of last year.
/ The day was hot and muggy IN the
| city, though, in the shade of the big
trees at the park there were cool spots,
though most of them were -pre-empted
| early in the day. There were spots of
| all kinds and there was no lack of
something to do or to see at any time
during the day. The popular attrac--
| ton seemed to be the boating and
from early morning until late at night
there was crowd standing about the
landing waiting a turn about the
lagoon in one of the pretty boats. ~
There was everything in the sport
line from baby show to a fat mans
race and something doing every min
ute of the time. The crowd was of
the good natured. orderly kind and the
only trouble started was by some
woman who gave her name as Mamie
1aha, probably a sister of Minnie, and
this was soon quieted. The pro-
gramme included an old hen race and
II was this which caused the protest
Some one of fiendish design gave out
the information that the race was for
the elderly ladies and old maids and
the trouble started for the committee
having the matter in charge and was.
not quoted until a crate containing a
dozen old hens of the feathered variety
were released for the contestants to
capture.
The baby show was a sure enough
baby show with dozen entries, every
one of them entitled to a first place
according to the Judgment of their
mothers. 1t could not be properly re-
ferred to as a bowling success, as most
OF the contestants were asleep when
the Judging commenced, and did not
a m tool
going on until it was too late TO pro-
test.
A committee of old bachelors had
been selected to act as judges for the
occasion on the theory that they would
be unbiased in their Judgment but at
the time appointed for the event all of
them were missing excepting L. E
Fraser, Harry Whittlesey was located
IN hiding in clumD of willows near
the lagoon, but before he could be
surrounded made his escape. When
he found that the remainder of the
committee could not be found Mr.
fraser insisted on acting on the COM
mittee with half a dozen attractive
women, but was barred by a vote of
the remainder of the Judges. The
nerve he displayed at this time brought
MN prominently before the association
and probably had much to do with his
selection as the handsomest grocer
on the grounds Jennie Marie Gavftt
was awarded first prize and Harley
Mitchell second.
AS a side splitting farce the ball game
between team of young ladies' oppos-
ed by a team of youths had everything
else backed off of the boards and into
the lagoon beyond. 1t was a catch-as-
catch-can, go as you please affair with
the boys handicapped by hobbies so
that their attempts to field the wild
HES and red hot grounders amounted
10 strike limited to a few inches.
At that it looked as though the game
hOVG in he frfh
nlng When an argument arose as to
oak made by the fair south paw who
was In the box at the time. Fred Jew
Ell, VINO was acting as umpire. called
the game in favor of the ladies by a
score of to 0, and made for the tall
pursued him
There was considerable rivalry in the
beauty contest between the men. nearly
every groceryman in the city believing
mat ne was entitled to place if not
nrst prize 1t was finally won by Louis
fraser, though no explanation wassI
made by the judges for making the |
award award ana 1t was whispered about that |
they had been fixed by promises of |
preterment at future events of the
The prize for the finest pair of twins
was awarded to Edward and Ester |
MarteIl. Roger. there being but one en-
Try, each received a prize. one for the
best pair of twins and the other he |
cause there was no other CONTESTANT.
one of the lady judges suggested that |
1907 had not been a good year for twins !
but as she was not the mother of this
pair the remark was not taken serf- |
ously.
In the fat mems race the contestants
were scattered from the scratch to the |
f1nlsh, Fatty Clark, the former wash
burn football player, failing to get into |
the the money which was hung up in three
different prizes. The first place went |
to Jesse Payne, who won over a repor- |
ter by an eyelash, though at first the
race was called a draw and an attempt
made to have it last another heat. The
contestants objected to further making
of themselves on a hot day |
and took first and second place and |
We're contented with the result
A tight rope which sagged nightly |
In the middle was stretched across the |
lagoon for the benefit of the boys. and |
a prize of pair of shoes was hung
up Tor the boy who crossed safely. Al |
ter numerous unsuccessful attempts a
Ieo-headed youth by the use of both
hands and all of his feet made the
"Trip, though not until he had dropped
or number of times and disappeared