The Topeka state journal., 1908-09-08
SWEDISH OUTING A SUCCESS.
Nearly Two Thousand People Attended
Their Picnic.

Nearly two thousand people attend
ed the fourth annual picnic of the
Swedish-American National league at
Kenwood grove Friday. 1t was the
biggest meeting ever held by the
league since the big Kansas City rally
when the Topeka and Kansas City
leagues Joined together. Topeka's new
little park, Kenwood Grove, was
crowded from early morning until
moonlight and the officers of the as
sociation pronounce the meeting the
best in the history of the organization.
The program of the day consisted in
athletic stunts for both ladies and gen.
tlemen, vocal music and three separate
floods of oratory. There was the mar
ried mems 100 yard dash, Immediately
followed by the fifty yard dash for the
married women, who one by one be-
came tangled in their array of skirts
and rolled over and over on the turf.
| There was the old fashioned sack race.
the potato race and the ladies' nail
| driving contest. in which many fair
haired Swedish lassie bruised and
\ mashed their tender fingers. In the
ladies' ball throwing contest, ten spec
tators were damaged to some extent
| by wild throws and erratic pitches.
The main features of the day was
| the literary program in which the Re-
publican candidate for governor, W. r.
Stubs and the Democratic candidate
J. d. Botkin, entered into a friendly
! bouquet throwing contest. Some of
the more bIoodthirsty thought that the
joint speeches of tisen two candidates
would mean a political squabb1e, but
contrary to all expectations the two
gentlemen amused themselves and
| their listeners by complimenting each
other on their homely faces and on
their good looking children. The crit
| ical point of this children debate oc-
Cured during the talk by Mr. Botkin.
Nan tn Iaa6 n =, Il it1z fCl,
| ed telling of the homelinees of the Re
publican candidate and he was boast
| ing of the good looks of his little
daughter, when Mr.. Stubbs silently
rose behind the speaker and said in
half dramatic, half sarcastic tone, "But
she looks like her mother" The crowd
went wild at this sudden intrusion and
| for several minutes Mr.. Botkin could
not be heard above the uproar. When
he finally secured hearing, ne pound
ed his fists upon a nearby table and
said, 4 wouldn't trade Dorothy Jose
phine for Brother Stubbs' whole fam
| lily"
| The spirit of both talks by the can
didates was most friendly and pleas
| ing one and even when giving his ideas
| Of the present political situations Mr..
Botkin said in part: Brother Stubbs
| and 1 have seen alike the troubles and
| eaknesses in Kansas politics in past
years and probably We have the same
| remedy for them"
AS usual Mr.. Stubs removed his
coat during his talk, saying that being
| both red headed and hot blooded he
easily raised a perspiration. This al
ways makes a hit with Kansas au-
| diences.
Another interesting feature on the
! literary program of the day was the
| a ddress by Professor D. Brunstrom of
| Walden college. The address was en-
| tirely in the Swedish language, but
several interested listeners informed
the Journal reporter that the address
was an excellent one.
The officers to which the great sue
cess of the 1908 meeting was due are
president. c. f. Malmberg: vice presi-
dent. A. P. Ahlstronn; secretary, John
Iungstrum: treasurer, Gus Berg. The
chairmen of the different committees
of the picnic were: Programme COM
mittee, Charles Tulien: athletic sports.
John Lungstrum: amusements, David
Donillson: refreshments. E. H Helm
The Swedish-American league is
growing rapidly and they will establish
societies in several Kansas towns in
the near future In speaking of the
picnic Mr.. A. W. Lundgren. editor of
the Kansas City Tribune. the official
organ of the Swedish-American league,
said:
This is the most successful picnic
we have ever had. More people turned
out. the programme was carried out
splendidly, the day was a beautiful
one and the society gained members
We are especially indebted to the kind
ly support of the Topeka papers and
merchants and the league as q whole