Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-08-29
T|LT|NG FOR A CROWN
For the Radiant Queen of Love
and Beauty
AT OLD MARSHALL HALL
All the Nifty Merry Knights Turned
Out
AND THEY DID RIDE SOME
Folks From Miles Around Were There
to Cheer the Champs and Have
Their Fling.
AND THEY DID RIDE SOME

rejoice, withal, their gladness unconcealeds
The lists are set, the knights are met; half
Maryland Is here. The ladies' take their
one best bet. The men all take beer.
From over In Calvert county, across the
Patuxent. they came: from way down in
St. Marys county, from Charles, Prince
George and Anne Arundel. In Surveys and
buggies and farm wagons, in old carryalls
and creaking carts, on horseback and by
boat rural Maryland turned out in a body
for the great annual holiday-the tourna-
ment at Marshall Hall.
At least 5000 were there-men, women
and children-even babies in arms being
plentiful. Darky farmhands came along
to help with the horses and to guard the
infants when the parents were too busy.
Even the dogs weren't left behind. -,
Delegations were on hand from Plsgan,
Pushaw, Pomfret. Parran. Pascataway, Po-
monkey, Port Tobacco and Prince Freder-
icktown, from Bowens, Burch, Beauvue,
Brandy wine, Bel Alton and Bndds Center;
from Chngville, Chaptico and Crown; from
Galloway, Giymont and Gallant Green;
from Sand Gates, St. 1nsgoes and Seat
Pleasant; from Hurry. Hardesty and Har-
ris Lot; from Acc keek, Aquasco and At
lelina; from Ironsdes Ingleharts and Is
sue; from Wicomico and Welcome. and
from Nanjemoy. Rosaryville and Tippett
Those who were not there ere bedridden.
Ny! Yaller-Laig Chicken.
Wherever there was a fence rail or a
post near Marshall Hall horse was tied
to it. Dear old Dobbin, in retirement for
many years. was right on the Job, and tot
tered his twenty-five miles to help haul the
family. The carriages and wagons were
laden with provisions enough to last
week.
The event of the day. awaited with
GREATNESS interest by all the visitors, was
the tournament, at which, by fitting at
rings, gallant knights were to contend to
decide which should have the honor OF Sc
lecting and browning the queen OF beauty
and. incidentally. winning bundle OF real
money. Out of consideration for the anti
race-suicide tendencies OF the spectators,
which were most evident the circlets to be
borne off on the lance points were made to
look exactly like teething rings.
To the south of Marshall Hall the lists
were set No medieval pomp and ceremony
marked the performance. The passage was
sixty yards long and ten feet wide, lined
closely with carriages, SO that spectators
could scarcely see what was going on. I'M
less they were fortunate enough to -e In
the grandstand-three rows of bleachers.
where the candidates for queen OF beauty
were enshrined with envouS. feminine
friends. The judges stand was close to the
bleachers. and there they wranged over
minor points. while the score-keeper re-
posed on the tally. the principle being. ap-
pdFeHliy, 100 Keep IL ptOIOulu secret tHdl
there was tournament In progress.
fitting for Teething Rings.
Straddling the lists were three old-fash-
Toned gibbets, from which were suspended
sticks in which were hung iron rods with
clips at the ends. by which the teething
rings were held.
AS observation-disclosures, chief herald or
clerk Of the course. man who looked ex-
90 kaV Ia h}o
face, declared the lists open.
Prepare to charge. Knight Of Maryiand!
he cried.
And then. when the knight had extricated
his horse from the crowd at the end of the
lists the word to start was given
Charge. Knight of Marylanir'
And the knight Numbered down the
course. pointing his spear, like q knitting
ring, which he might or might not carry
away. He had to go under three gibbets.
with a chance to miss three rings and was
supposed to complete his run in six seconds.
the ground, their diameters varying from
one inch to one half an inch-a small target
for man on a galloping horse.
under the title Of Knight Of Washington,
captured the first prize. taking nine one
inch, three three-quarter inch and two half
inch rings. He thereby won $50 and the
privilege of selecting and naming the
queen of beauty. l.. D. Love. Knight of
Maryland, came second getting $24, but no
que n He was from Prince George county.
The other winners wee Henry Herst Lang
ley, Va, Knights of Blue Bells, SIS: William
Clarke, Baileys Cross Eoa5s, Virginia Boy,
$12, and Thomas Gates of River View,
Knight of River View. 81. TIL, knights
paid S! each to enter the tournament, and
there Were many side bets.
Some of the Real Riders.
The other contestants ;;ere Lawrence
Siebel, knight OF St Joseph: Deal-s Lang
ley knight of Capitol Hill; G. B. Blandford,
Knight of Accokeek; II. Il. Palmer knight
of Georgetown; S. Henson. Knight Of
Arlington; w. Graham. knight OF the Old
Dominion; ]. G. Stevens. Knight of Green
spring; G. T. Rogers. Knight Of Insl side;
]. p. Bendy, Knight of Baltimore; George
Griggs. Knight of Port Tobacco: Alton Har-
ron Knight of Marshall Hal; Chiids
Barnes. Knight of McConkie; H. NJ. Robey,
Just for the Fun of 1t.
William Lederer Horace Bowling Rob-
ert Marbury. George w. Carroll, Samuel c.
Padgett. George Ferguson and William A.
Thompson were the judges. The committee
Of arrangements consisted of E. w. Hun
gerford, Benjamin Tubman Walter T.
Richey and b. Won Orendorf.
J. B. OShaughnessy was the herald and
was assisted by Eugene L. Norris, w. NJ
Lyon, Holland Hawkins and William Boar
After the fitting the chief excitement of
the day arose. T. Palmer. one of the jous-
tiers, had a champion wrestler that he was
backing to meet all corners. Husky young
giants sprang up in every direction. anxious
to get some of the slips of long green
which Mr. Palmer was waving frantically
for takers. When he had some bets I'D it
was found that his champion. Ray Kirby,
a stout young man whose hair was fighting
color, had vanished. Then the war Of words
waved loud, and 1t looked for a while as II
the real thing was coming off. but 1t didn't
for the youth with the auburn tresses re-
appeared, and when 1t came to a show
down none of the clamorous challengers
was willing to try fall with him. So the
wads Of money were given back to their
owners and the champion was allowed to
keep his title und!sputed
Queenie Came From Tombstone.
Not until o'clock was the queen Of
beauty crowned. She was Miss Lucinda
O'Laughlin. who came from far-off Tomb
stone Ariz. to bear away tie prize of love-
liness from her eastern sisters. After she
was crowned and had executed the ex-
pected bushes a speech was made by F.
8. Posey of La Plata. Md, and then 1t was
time to go home.
Many OF the farmers had come q distance