The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-08-05
BIC DAY FOR KIDS
Nearly 5000 Children Attend
Picnic at Gage Park
Held Under the Auspices of the
Fairgrounds Association.
MANY WERE HAULED FREE
Contests of Various Kinds on
Land and Water.
Topeka Firms Contribute IS
Gallons of Ice Cream.

1t was estimated that nearly 3,OOO
youngsters together with a small
sprinkling of escorts who included
big brothers and sisters and parents
attended the all-day picnic at Gage
park under the auspices of the Topeka
Playground association today.
Approximately one thousand of
them were taken out in autos and
motor trucks this morning free of
charge, from the south side, and under
the direction of Clay Morrow, prin-
cipal of Quincy and Grant schools, a
large number of youngsters were con-
veyed in the same manner from the
north side. Miss Lulu McKee's East
Side children went out on a special
car provided by Albert Patten, assist
ant general manager of the Illinois
Traction company, and were returned
on the same car at four o'clock. More
than one hundred of the Riddles
crowded into the car.
There was something doing" every
minute of the time at Gage park. In
the morning hundreds of the pic
nickers crowded around the lake to
watch the water sports for boys. The
tug of war in which Representatives of
various Fairgrounds competed was d
popular feature.
Winners i'm Contests.
1t was the East Side, North Side and
City park Fairgrounds VS.. Polk, Pot
win, Westlawn and Chesney. The lat
ter succeeded in pulling the former
into the lake.
grounds won in the boat race. He
carried two passengers in his boat.
In the boat-tilting contest Skillet"
Cope and Roy Shrake of the Chesney
grounds, were first. the former ma
nipulated the boat and the latter
poked his opponents into the water
with a long pole padded at the end.
Carroll, Clearinghouse and Byron
Boone for Polk grounds were second
In the diving contest Don Lindell
of Polk was awarded the honOrs.
Harry Dillon of Chesney was second.
Ashley Hughes of the Lincoln grounds
was the best swimmer in the contest
park took the second and third honors
respectively. Don Lindell of Polk won
IN the swimming contest for the older
poys; Skillet Cope was second
This afternoon q baseball game was
played between the City park team
and the picked team from the other
grounds The East and North Side
girls were pitted against those from
the South and West sides IN baseball
contest.
The girls had their fun in the lake
this afternoon Several contests were
held, but they failed to show the
skill in swimming exhibited by the
boys in the morning
The Refreshments.
Seventy five gallons of ice cream
was contributed by Topeka firms and
the children received liberal helpings
of the 'cold stuff" DR.. II. B. Woods.
w. G. Magaw and Clay Morrow had
charge of the refreshments. Plenty of
ice water was provided.
Miss Lucy Kingman, Mrs. c. B.
Van Horn, Miss Josephine Mendum,
Mrs. V. F. Robey, Mrs. G. J. Evans and
Miss Helen Curry had charge of the
free lunch and check stand. The To
peka Federation of Women was re-
sponsible for this work.
w. P. MacLean was in general
charge of the picnic. j. E. Wilson was
chairman of the transportation COM
mittee.
Autos and trucks were used in re-
turning hundreds of children to Tope-
ka late today.
Among those who provided autos
and trucks to carry the children from
the state house grounds to the park
this morning were: J. Thomas Lumber
company; Robert Billiard, j. c. Naen-
Ter, w. H. Davis, Ed Kellam, J. B.
Abrahams, Rehkopf Bros, Arthur
Capper, governor, E. L. Palmer, jit-
ney owner; Whitteker Bros; Robt
Maxwell, J. D. Bruyette, P. J. Mona
CHAN, w. p. Montgomery, Grady Mont
gomery, Cecil Howes, the Rev. H. ].
Crockett and S. B. McGrew, jitney