Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-06-24
PASTORS OUTING
Those from Rock Island and vi
cinity, with Families, Spend
Day at I. & 1. Park.
JOLLY TIME is HAD BY ALL
After Dinner, Ball Game Is Started,
but 1t Proves Too Strenuous
and Is Abandoned.

No jolIier crowd ever got together
on a picnic ground than the company
of ministers and their families who
Congregated at l. & 1. park, on the
Iowa side, from Moline, Rock Island,
| Clinton, Lyons, Fulton, Camanche, De
Witt, Milan, Davenport and Silvis.
| The picnic started with a ball game
but the rising temperature soon prov
ed it too strenuous a pastime, and
members then gathered under the
great shade trees and, to use the
words of the member of the press
committee on duty for the event. they
snapped yarns" The remainder Of
this report is made by a member Of
the party who seems to have reaped
his full harvest of picnic pleasure and
for that reason he deserves to be
heard:
Expert Yarn Spinners.
IF there is one class of people more
than another that can tell funny
stories, and relate good jokes, the min
listers are that class. Most of them
keep their eyes open for the funny
side of things, they have a wide ex-
perience, with large acquaintance in
many fields of labor, so they have the
opportunity of seeing and hearing
much They not only know a large
number of stories and jokes, but they
know how to relate them in an effec-
tive way. So the woods resounded
with the loud, hearty, almost side
splitting laughs of these men of the
cloth as they told experiences and
stories.
when the sun descended near the
zenith, many of the party felt the
cravings of a growing appetite, and
preparations for dinner were COM
menced. y large table was made in
the shape of the letter U. snowy
tablecloths were spread, and the con
tents of the loaded baskets set in or
der. There were prepared meats OF
many descriptions, fish, salads, fruits,
sandwiches, cakes of the finest and
daintiest make, color and flavor. cot
fee, lemonade and water. 1t was no
ticeable that one favorite dish of the
ministers was conspicuous by it's alb
sence, the popular acknowledged
chicken Inquiry showed that this
was the common diet of the minister
of former years. of which the early
circuit rider was an expert judge. now
roasted so high that even the minis
ter could not get it down.
Tells of Reform Work.
Dinner over. a short program was
given to the delight and edifiCation of
the company. Rev W. H. Blancke of
Davenport related some of the laugha-
Bile experiences of reformer, Rev f.
e Shut spoke on The Minister and
His Money which might have been
profitable for some laymen to hear, as
well as the ministers. Rev S NJ. Per
kins of Davenport gave a short talk on
Church DISCIPLINE which was full of
good sense. Rev. Thomas Doney of
Moline spoke on The Religious Out
look of This District, which talk the
chairman remarked was full of sense
and ginger. Rev. n. a. McAully of
Lyons read a poem entitled The Min
listers Wife which was tender, truth
full and witty. Rev. L. y. Bess of Gin
ton was the chairman and he perform
ed his part with becoming dignity.
after the program the time was
spent in visiting and getting thorough
ly acquainted as many of those pres
ent had never met before. When the
descending sun pointed toward the
time to return home baskets and
wraps were gathered and a success
full picnic and a happy occasion which
it is the hope of all may be repeated
next year, was at an end"