Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1912-09-05
THE PICNIC
A BOOSTER
Annual Labor Day Celebration
Under Auspices OF Farmers
And Merchants A Great
Success
TEN THOUSAND GUESTS
Weather Was Fine And Program Car
ried Out According To Schedule
Everybody Was Happy

The committee having in charge the
naming the date for the big picnic
couldn't have hit on better day as far
as weather conditions is concerned
than last Monday, it was certainly
ideal, neither too hot nor cold, dry nor
wet. Crowds began To come into town
early in the forenoon and close
estimate made from the number OF tick
cts given out AT the gate on the picnic
ground made the actual count more
than ten thousand people. Fleck's
band and orchestra of twenty pieces in
their new uniforms was everywhere
present with fine music when wanted
and their fine appearance was sub
ject of much comment.
Mayor T.. f.. Fales gave the immense
crowd a hearty welcome at one o'clock
p m. in one of the best short and
pithy speeches he ever made and G. A.
Wheeler surprised everybody as an
orator in his response. Both he and
Mr.. Faes made the multitude feel
perfectly at home and gave them TO
understand that the Farmers and
Merchants picnic would he an annual
affair in the Silk City for all time to
come.
Postmaster, George w. Moulton,
made few good remarks and intro
duced II. II. Pattengill of Lansing,
whose splendid address of half hours
length was one worth listening to.
Everybody knows "Pat" and is always
ready on any occasion to deal out wit
and wisdom in great volume.
At the dinner hour the grove was
alive with humanity feasting on picnic
dinners. Numerous candy and refresh
ment stands, post card and souvenir
booths were on the grounds and all
seemed to be we'll patronized.
The program was carried out in
every detail, and the several commit
tees having it in charge are to be con-
graduated for having the stunts so
well systematized as TO make hardly a
hitch in bringing them out.
| In the morning game the Belding
ball team beat Orleans 8 TO ., but in
the afternoon Belding lost out To
Smyrna to i.
Prot. Earl made q fine balloon ascen.
ton both in forenoon and afternoon.
There were five enteries in the dec
Grated pony rig contest which was
certainly beautiful sight, and the
prizes awarded first, Ranney; second
Wells; third, Connell; fourth, Arm
strong; fifth, Bush and Lapham.
Acknowledging, first; f. Wise
second; J. Insley, third.
Half mile boys race-Godfrey, first
Ray Price, second. One hundred yart
dash-Fred Holmes, first; w. Updike
second. Sack raced. Ronk, first
John Higgins, second. Spoon anC
apple race-Edward Johnson, first
Ray Foreman, second. Creased pole
Frank Cole. Two twenty yard dash
Updike, first; Fred Holmes, second.
Ball throw contest-McNaughton, first
Welsh, second. High kick-Higgins
first: Dean Face, second. Hitch anC
start-Lee Ryerson, first; Ralph Xii
son, second. Bareback run-Lee Ryer
son, first. Greaced PIG. Woodruff
ID. G.. Johnson carried off the priz
for bringing in TO town the largest loaC
of folks.
The Beding English Soccer clul
won out in the game with the Lansin,
team by score Of TO 2.
The tug of war by teams picked ul
on the grounds made lots of sport an'
: il was hard fought battle, being |
long pull, strong pull and a pul
altogether.
The automobiles, busses and carryall
did big business in carrying people :
and from the grounds and picked u
l many dimes during the day.
Much interest centered in the hors
races. In the farmers free for all
Greenville took first, Sam Davis, sec
ond; and Claude Spicer, third. Specis
/ race-George Hoxiee, first; Claude Sp
e Ger, second; Will Dickens, third.