Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1908-05-26
CHOPPERS HAVE THEIR DAY
Thousands of People Gather at Falls
City and Enjoy WOOdman
Picnic.

1t would have been difficult for the
Woodmen to have chosen better day
than last Saturday for the big picnic
in Falls City, which closed the mem
bership campaign that has been
carried on by the various camps OF
Polk county during the past three
months. Encouraged by the certain
promises of fair day, visitors began
to throng into the city at an early
hour, and before nine o'clock the
streets were filled with typical picnic
crowd, restless, light hearted, and
bent on spending a pleasant day.
At 10 o'clock the parade formed on
Main street and took up its march
toward the city park, where the morn
ing program was to be held. The
parade was headed by the Dallas
band, closely behind which was driven
an OK cart bearing the emblem Of
woodcraft, and after this a long pro-
cession of representatives from various
Woodman camps of Polk county. On
the flanks and in the rear of the
procession, drifted the crowd Of picnic
visitors, as bright and changeable as
the colored pieces in a kaleidoscope.
The program at the park was short.
Hon. w. L. Tooze, with an appropriate
address, welcomed the visitors to Falls
City in behalf of the local camp, after
which several young women gave a
beautiful tambourine drill, and the
X. P. Quartette gave one OF its fine
musical selections. @. L. Hawley
delivered forcible address on the
effectiveness Of the trait Of human
sympathy when organized as in fra
ternities, and paid glowing tribute
to the Woodmen of the World, as the
strongest and most virile Of fraternal
insurance orders. The program Of the
morning was closed with an address
by Professor W. I. Reynolds, princi-
pal of the Oregon State Reform School,
on the growth and development of the
nations educational system.
During the afternoon, the crowd
although materially increased by the
arrival of new delegations of visitors
on the noon specials, was more widely
dispersed than In the forenoon, a por-
tion going back to the park to attend
the baseball games and the concert by
the Dallas band, while the remainder
preferred to concentrate about the
various shows and other amusement
features, pitched in the main part of
the city.
Two baseball games were played
during the afternoon, one between the
junior teams of Dallas and Falls City,
and the second between the first teams
of Monmouth and Falls City. Dallas
was victorious in the first game, the
score being 2 to 6, and the second
game was won by Monmouth by a
score OF to 2. After the baseball
games the crowds lined up for nearly
400 yards on each side OF Main street,
and the remainder OF the afternoon
was consumed with several exciting
horse races.
Although the majority Of the visitors
from the rural districts left In the
early evening, the special train at
80 brought an additional crowd OF
visitors from Dallas and other neigh
boring cities, and the scene on the
streets was scarcely less lively than it
had been throughout the day.
Atso'clock the Woodmen assembled
In their lodge hall, for initiation exer-
cises, the work being put on by the
Dallas degree team. the team that won
the $40 prize in the morning parade
as the most appropriately uniformed
body Of Woodmen from any Of the
camps represented.
In the meantime the crowd had
again divided and portion thronged
into the big skating rink, while others
went to Wagner's Hall, where the
Woodmen were closing their picnic
with ono OF the largest dances that had
been given in Falls City this year.
The days entertainment was con-
tinued far into the night and May 20
had slipped into May "a before the last
groups Of picnic visitors trouped down
the street from the dance hall or the
rink, past the quiet tents where the
staudkeepers had shouted their wares
all day long, and across to the depot
where the last train was waiting TO
carry them home.