The Topeka state journal., 1913-07-19

OF the governor, assisted in awarding the
prizes, the first of which was taken by
Theodore and Francis Arenberg with their
floral "merry-go-round."
An estimate of the crowd may be gath
cred from the report of the Atchison pop
factory, which sold 49, 500 bottles of the
sort drink during the day. At the park,
where the children-guests of Bale Wag-
men worked hard in dishing out free
lemonade, and the principal worry of
Mr.. Waggener was the fear that the ice
would give out, or that something else
might happen to spoil the pleasure of
his little guests.
gener. brother of the senator and super
fntendent of the Atchison street railway
system. To get 10000 free riders to and
from Forest park was a problem. He
utilized every piece of equipment that
had more than three wheels. "Cripples"
from the repair shop, work cars, sand
cars-everything was in commission, work.
ing overtime and crowded from step to
roof. But he accomplished it, assisted by
the town automobiles.
Several out-of-town visitors, including
the governor and his pair of colonels and
Captain Going of Leavenworth. were
guests of Mr.. and Mrs. w. P. WagSener
at a noon luncheon at their residence.
After what was more like a banquet than
park to see the celebration that was fair
ly under headway by that time. Daylight
fireworks were exploded with the regu-
larity of cannon in an official salute, and
thousands of children and grown people
bent their necks to see the pretty or
comic balloons that came out OF the
aerial bombs and floated away in the
wind. A balloon ascension and parachute
jump scheduled for the afternoon was
cancelled by accident, the hot-air bag
catching fire from the Initiating furnace.
The little lake in Forest park, which
is fed by huge fountain of city water,
was the scene of great sports Tor the
boys who brought their bath1ng SUITS.
Water races, a duck hunt in which
dozen quackers were caught by swimmers
and a number of other features were on
the program. The cavalry company gave
drill in the field near their camp The
bands played their best music, and people
to reach and shake hands with the man
who put July 1s on the calendar.
One of the most remarkable things
about this great picnic was the absence
of rowdyism. If there were roughnecks
in the crowd, they refrained from giving
an exhibition. 1t was an enormous collec-
ton of people, young and old, who tried
to express their pleasure and appreciation
by having a good time in an orderly man
ner.
Night came on, and hundreds of the
country people who had come in autos and
buggies, lined the roads toward their
park by the Atchison people who had
been too busy during the day to visit the
center of attraction. Long special trains
pulled into the depot and were loaded
with tired happy visitors, and the big
annual event Of Atchison drew to close.
And the happiest-and maybe the tired
est man in Atchison sat on a hard bench
at the park and asked of friend:
What do you think of tt?'
And the friend replied: II haven't
college education, and can't express II.
Even the Kansas language is not compre-
hensive enough to surround this"
Yesterday Bale Waggener gave his an
nual picnic 1t cost him thousands OF
dollars and a lot of work. Today he went
to Rochester, Mimi, to be carved by
day. and all Kansas joins in the send. |
ments expressed by the "catch-hne" OK
the Atchson Globe: /
bannv returns as he makes trips to Ro- |
chester Minn.-and then some.