Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-04-18
ANNUAL OF ALLEY
Pretzel Commonwealth Holds
It's Annual Election in
Davenport.
SIR ALEX STILL REIGNS
Copenhagen Committee Finds That
DIR. Cook Is Original Discoverer
of the North Pole.
(By the Special Pretzel Alley Corre-
spondent)

(By the Special Pretzel Alley Corre-
spondent)
Davenport, April 1S.-Grand old
of the commonwealth of Pretzel
Alley, was returned into Office Sat
urday night by a fiattering majority.
The ceremonies attending his inaug-
uration which Immediately followed
the election were hilarious in the
extreme. A large concourse of the
friends of Sir Alec from Moline, Rock
Island and Davenport were present
to add luster to the annual event.
Between 800 and 400 of his cohorts
were present
At IL O'Clock the annual spread
was held with the usual refreshments
in addition. An elaborate program
had been prepared by the committee
which was carried out with much
eclat. The opening number was a re-
port on DR.. Cook by the Copenhagen
committee on the status Of DR.. Cook,
in which it was clearly proven that
Cook was the only original discov-
erer of the north pole.
Poet Laureate Breaks Loose.
The report was followed by an or
iginal poem composed on the spur of
the moment through the incentive of
the latent genius of one Barney G.
Squires, tree trimmer, romancer,
collector of metals and other bric-a-
brac and above all else, poet laureate
of Pretzel Alley. By the spur Of his
genius he delivered an epic that
would have had Homer. Dante ct al
gasping for breath. The Copenhag-
en- chorus, composed of Teutonic and
Hibernian singers, then delivered an
original number which received a
gracious reception by the audience.
The only original Ignatz Schmidt
appeared next in an grafton about
everything in general and nothing in
particular which was greeted by vo-
ciferous applause. John w. Barr,
the sweet tenor, with his fascinating
and captivating voice, sang an orig
inal song on the merits of Sir Alec.
The official Pretzel Alley orchestra
then followed with a selection.
Billy Korn, the active POSTMASTER,
who sat on the foot of the diaz of
his honor, the mayor, who was clad
in his official robe of white, then
called upon Mayor George w. Scott,
who delivered pithy and sententious
address on the questions of the even
ing.
City Missionary to Rescue.
City Missionary Ned Lee added a
touch of sobriety to the general hi
larity by contributing a few serious
remarks to thes feast of mirth and
humOr. The next number was a
special treat. Mayor McCaskrin of
Rock Island was introduced as the
Candy Kid" His honor talked and
talked about many and divers things,
particularly general American citi-
zenship and the people of Rock Is
land in particular. He strongly ad-
vocated in tones that made the well
kin ring, the annexation of Rock Is
land by the Pretzel commonwealth.
Sandy Baxter sang a song in Scottish
dialect that brought down the house,
and Theodore Hartz contributed a
grand opera selection in the German
tongue. After the program the fes-
tivities continued until a late hour.
Among those to receive telephone
calls during the evening was Chester
Bishop with his penchant for always
falling for everything in sight.
Real Badger Fight.
A startling feature of the even
ing's entertainment was real
badger fight, in which John Hynes,
the near-alderman of the Fourth
ward, carried off all of the honors.
AS usual the Pretzel Alley Wurst-
Blatt, edited by julie Purcell, was in
evidence and greatly added to the
spirit of the evening. 1t is a gem in
literary construction and showed its
author was favored by the muses..