Omaha daily bee., 1916-06-30
HAPPY HEARTS AT
VOLUNTEERS PICNIC
First to Arrive Was "Aunty''
Price, Aged Match vender
and Well Known Character.
PLENTY PLEASURE FOR ALL

"Aunty" Price, with her cane, her
basket and her black bonnet, was
about the first to arrive at the Vol
unteers of America hall, ia North
Fifteenth street, Thursday morning
"Aunty" is the little woman who
sells matches on the downtown
streets. She is bent beneath the bur.
den of four score and two winters
but her heart is still young and she
looks forward to the Volunteers pic.
mic with the zest of child.
Several weeks ago she appeared and
asked Major Mccormick whether she
would get to ride GU. in an automo.
bile this year, as she did last. She
was assured that she would. And, in
deed, she did. "Aunty," basket, bon
net, cane and all was sitting i'll state
in Mrs. E. A. Singers automobile
long before time to start.
Asked for bit Of personal history
"Aunty" said:
Old Resident OF Bluffs.
II came to Council Bluffs in '49
and to Omaha in 80. But I'm staying
with lady in the Bluffs now. She's
alone, so l stay with her at night.
have to get back there by dark"
So, you see, "Aunty" can still take
care of folks. She's an independent
BODY. is Mrs. "Aunty" Price.
Then there was Mrs. Crum, a lit
tie woman with toil-weary body. She
carried baby and four more young
sters chung, to her skirts. Mrs. Crum's
Oldest boy wasn't there because he
has a job"
There were many other mothers
with tired eyes, through which shone
the light of joy as they saw their
children, for one day, at least, romp-
ing in happy anticipation and. about
to have a fine car ride and good
things to eat, limited only by their
gastronomic capacities.
McCormicks Are the Busy Ones.
Major and Mrs. Mccormick were
busy. And Miss Alice Mccormick
and her chum, Miss Laura Billing
ham, were two pretty little figures as
they distributed flags and horns
among the youngsters. with the result
that soon the din that arose drew
the attention of several hundred en-
ployes in the neighboring Union Pa
cifc office building, thus causing a
CLEAN of romantic sunshine to pene-
trate the dull commercial operations
of that great and prosperous corpor-
alton.
Let not Teddy" be forgotten.
Teddy" is the amiable little yellow
terrier of the Volunteers headquar-
tiers. He trotted about among the
folks, smiling and hoping against
hope that he would be taken along
with this jolly crowd. But, like his
illustrious namesake, he failed to get
the nomination. Just before the cars
started he was carried into headquar-
tiers and locked up, there to lie in
durance vile until the return of the
picnickers.
Big painted banners were strung
along the open cars reading, "Volun-
teers of America Mothers and Chill
dren's Picnic"
Some Go in Autos.
Then, ding, ding" and away went
the cars, the flags waving and the
horns footing. foot, foot" and away
whizzed the automobiles of Mrs. E.
A. Singer, Mrs. Harry B. Fleharty
and Caryl Strausser, bearing "Aunty"
and some. OF the older women. Off
to Elmwood park they went, where
the day was spent in games, enjoy
ment of the natural beauties and the
consuming of ice cream, cake, lemon
ade and all the trimmings.
Pickles and buns, pickles and buns,
Volunteers, Volunteers,
We are the ones"
Miss Alice Mccormick composed
this beautiful yell for the occasion.
And Miss Laura Dillingham; added
to the JOY and vociferation of the
picnic with this contribution:
"Rix, rax, rix, rax, rix, rax, re,
We are Volunteers,
Don't YOU seer"