The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1911-08-25

[NNESOTA, FRIDAY, AU,
that had been built for the occasion.
AS usual, it was greatly enjoyed.
This meeting was presided over by
former County Commissioner Schultz
with grace and dignity.
Flags had been placed on all sides.
on the fence posts and in the trees,
to mark the picnic grounds. Mr..
Pearson donated the use of the pas.
ture and assisted i'm hauling the lum-
Der. the use of which was donated
I by the Marsh Engineering company.
This company also supplied the lem
onade Free Ice cream was sold, no
change being given back, and about
$50 was cleared for use in improving
the roads.
Some of the former residents in
the vicinity OF the bridge, now living
in the city, were taken out by the
International Harvester company i'm
its autos, complimentary.
Origin of Celebration.
The celebration was originated by
Charles C. johnson and George Yae-
ger, two live wires of the section
|of the country benefited by the
bridge, and they appointed commit
tees to have charge of various fea-
lures. Mrs. G. Harris decorated the
bridge nicely, with flags, bunting and
red Jackets, a thought that struck
everyone as appropriate. NJ. T..
Johnson helped to erect the sign
on the road where it branches off
from the Indian lake road, so that
MankatO people would not lose their
way.
The general committees for the
banquet, etc., was composed of Mr..
and Mrs. George Yaeger, Mr.. and
Mrs. C. C. Johnson, Miss Clara Yae-
ger, Miss Louise Yaeger and Miss
S. Erickson. These and others who
assisted in any way are deserving of
great credit for the complete success
of this most enjoyable affair.
An Abundance of Lunch.
Such an abundance of lunch was
prepared that quantities had to be
packed up and taken away. 1t was
thought that more Commercial club
members and others from the city
would be present to partake of it,,
and it was intended that nobody
should go away hungry. Some Of
the picnicers had supper and re-
manned until dark.
A big wagon load of homegrown
watermelons were brought to the
grounds and sold. The season is
early for this kind of fruit.
The road to the Red Jacket bridge
is one of the most picturesque of
the many drives out of Mankato. It
runs through a series of little val
legs, with the sides heavily clad with
forest trees and the lower portions
cultivated. The road generally fol-
lows the hillsides and is graveled
for the most part with the splendid
Indian lake red gravel, which is con-
sidered superior to any other.
Baseball Game Created Fun.
People who knew nothing what
ever of baseball or bats, were the
only ones who expressed satisfaction
at the ball pleving which occurred
after the bridge picnic yesterday.
Shortly after full sized meal Frank
w. Hunt sought to give an exhibit
of ball playing, by series of three
lucky accidents the ball hit the bat
three times. When the members of
the Commercial club saw how this
novice was winning the applause and
fame of the ladies they with one ac-
cord swarmed out on the diamond
and beat the air with bats. The
county commissioners swarmed into
the fray closely followed by the resi-
dents of Rapidan. These last corners
were not slow in telling the city
visitors that when it. came to ball
playing the Mankato bunch were
primary class. The natural outcome
was that the Commercial clubbists
issued challenge to catch-as-catch-
can combat of the national game.
Up to this time John Nyquist had
been fiaying the air with a small
section of rail fence and had attract
ed considerable attention by missing
the bah as often as anyone, but
when he saw that bloody war was
about to take place he mistrusted
his skill and nominated himself for
umpire. 1t was due to his original
rulings that one side was defeated.
Patterson One of the Pilots.
H. A. Patterson acted as pilot to
| the neNt WHO WcIc IldhilS IHSI
maiden trip around baseball dia-
mond and it required considerable
argument 10 convince the players
that the ice cream wagon was not
the home plate. doc" Morrow in
PRODUCED, a Ladies Home Journal
style of batting, which might be de-
scribed as the landing net species.
1t consisted in a studious expression
and wild Railing of the open space
over the home plate. This so rat
tied the pitcher that Mr.. Morrow
made first on balls. John Macbeth
proved to be the great batter and
with cool ind collected judgment he
very frequ,ntly smashed the leather
over the barb wire limits of the field.
Every time this happened Mr.. Mac
! beth SHIFTED into high speed and
tore arounl the diamond like Bar
ney Oldfetl at Palm Beach. Frank
Hunt PROVED to be nearly as bad as
batsman but his ability as a base
runner w,s not as good. Several
times he mashed the ball over the
high timb,r and he was much put
out to find that the rural free de-
livery had returned it to first base
where it waited his coming Mr..
Just of Rlpidan tore the cover from
the ball and the hills rang with