The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-07-28
One GREAT WH|RL
AT POLICE PICNIC.
Sam Stern Eloquently Paints
Glory OF Redford's Wonder
full Stew.
TEN THOUSAND FOLK THERE
Attendance Broke Record, and
Everybody Had Plenty to
Eat.


in the police calendar means the be-
ginning and end of all things, members
of the department celebrated yesterday,
and everybody who partook and partic-
ipated, from Sam Stern. politician and
Democrat down to the newest private
enjoyed the occasion and the Red
ford" stew.
The picinc-an annual feast given
for the benefit of the Police Benevo-
lent Association---was held at the state
Fair Grounds, where, under a sun that
cleaned cheerfully and hotly down,
somewhere near 10000 citizens and
police gathered for the one day of the
year.
At one end of the ground simmered
the 500-gallon pot of brunswick stew;
at the other end Sergeants Sowell,
Sherry and Neisz and Privates Thur
man and Warriner and others perspired
while they attempted to Stake the
thirst of the thousands who came be-
fore them.
Filled and Rchlled.
In the long hail. used in times Of the
fair as a hencoop. 10000 people stood,
each man before bowl of the famous
stew. And 10000 called again, and
yet again, and when, just before
o'clock, the pot was almost empty,
were filled again, and If there is
single man in all Richmond who went
to the police picnic and came away
hungry he deserves to have his portrait
hung in the hall of fame.
There was enough for all and still
some left. Few people have any idea
of the capacity of 500-gallon pot of
stew; few people can imagine how
many such pot will feed and satiate.
But the pot fed more than can be
guessed, and Sam Stern and John
O'Leary. official announcer of all the
events which did not come off, will
vouch for the truth of the statement.
Maybe Melinda and Susy Jane were
not there. But they were not needed.
| 1t was one time when the men felt
comfortably at home by themselves,
when they did not need the wiles Of
| the gentler sex to beguile them into
enjoyment 1t was mere mans picnic.
and mere man had a good time. 1t
| would have taught the sutfragettes
that they are not SO important after
all for the worlds happillss. and it
would be an unusual thing fpr 10000
suffragettes to picnic w:tneut a man
standing somewhere neat.N.
Whit 1t Contained.
| The jolltty and the big feed started
I soon after sunup, and the sun rose as
I early as usual The men who had to
| go on duty in the afternoon went out
| in the morning and vice versa. But
the policemen in uniform and in citi-
zen clothes We're in evidence at all
times. BEDFORD and Duffy ladled out
the stew from early morn till dewy
eve The stew contained $50 pounds
OF chicken, 300 pounds of veal, fifteen
pounds of English bacon celery seed
five pecks of Irish potatoes, quanti-
ties OF parsley, bushels of onions hun
dreds of ears of corn and tomatoes
hVe gallons of sherry wine and seven
pints of Worcester sauce. And he
who tasted of the stew will never for
| get 1t. 1t will linger in his mind as
!, memory sweet and fragrant of good
times gone. and remain as reminder
of other days to come
AFTER the feed John O'L1eary entered
tne Judges stand in blue shirt and
black necktie and announced that Ma
Jor Werner and Captain McMahor
would run in 100-yard dash. Blu,
} helther had come back" and the race
. was not run. Then he called for q
wrestling match between Lanky Sam.
uels and Baby Redford; but Redfort
was attending to the stew. and Lanky
got out of the way.
! stand. and when his benign and i'm.
= posing presence was first cast athwar,
ne SHADOWS OF the setting sun a grea,
\ s'iiihess settled upon the crowd, anc
Q every man listened Fellow citizens
! i'ofhahs' countrymen," he said to the
e-lnsplred throng, II came here no,
nietelS TO eat stew or to praise Red
loru. come here before you for q
r nisner ana holier purpose Ny fellow
: e...Aens' as one of you, as a taxpayer
8 dlu as voter l would call your at
. s e.on 70 me best police department,
between the polar seas and hetwaar
1 the Atlantic and Pacific coasts
moreover, I come before Won as q
penoerat, born, bred and dyed In tbe
WOOL, ana he touched a stray loci
brow rom ms
? hey have downed William 1anninrs
nisah out yonder In the West hnt !
. say TO you. fellow citizens. that ina,
", WI never down Sam Stern. sam stern
o to-uaS' and he will be here To-
r,tp. wv, providence granting, and
$50 YOU see him again you will still
see Democrat But polittcs l,, SUI
want to say to you again that
.he nnest police department ~ ~
~or!d and the finest chief Of noii, '' ~.
any land, u police in
ihey are asking the CITY co,,n.,
Tor thirty more men. saw ~ G'unei'
sehtlemen' give them 200 more ~ ~.
10 you furthermore, give EN- eua Say
! 'hlns they want And ain,t fnishs :,
yet got to pay my respects az = :.
compliments to the Board of poI,a at,
commissioners. There amt anv $50 49,
Ia you ever see finer man th,n
:. ohris Manning? tell you, men PaA
!. mans and fellow citizens, that there
am none better, Look at his fnce
gentlemen, I leave it to you. don,
count myself an orator; but 1'rr
I: speaking from the bottom Of nv
heart. We've got department to he
proud Of Gentlemen, leave it to Won
me soda-water's on me. Come and
have another"
Amid one-voiced hurrah and an
! acclaim which Went from one end of
the grandstand to the other, he care
iully descended from his high posi-
ton and took his position again
among the ranks of common men
The day passed we'll. The proceeds
. are expected to surpass any of pre-
ceding years.
slight mtshap occurred late in the
afternoon, when Joe Carroll was