The Fort Dodge Messenger: July 5, 1904
Little Doing in Fort Dodge on 4th
A Quiet Day Spent in the City Monday – Many People Going Out of Town.
German Picnic a Big Success
Twenty-five Hundred People Attend the Annual Outing Held at Oleson Park – Many People Go To Eagle Grove and Lehigh.
Fourth of July has come and gone; the instruments of torture to the ear drum have had their sway; the anxious parent is glad the day is past and that little Willie is spared for at least another Fourth; little Willie is sorry but he had a good time while it lasted.
There were a number of features that marked the Fourth this year. One of them was that there was a general exodus to surounding (sic) towns and places of amusement and the other was the comparatively few casualties as the result of the celebration with powder and punk. Fort Dodge passed a quiet, happy Fourth at home and its people abroad, from all reports, succeeded in having a good time.
The celebrations at Eagle Grove and Lehigh baseball games at Boone and the German Lutheran picnic at Oleson park, divided up the army of pleasure seekers. Eagle Grove drew several hundred people and a large delegation went down to Lehigh. The loyal fans went down to Boone and saw the White Sox go down to defeat, while 2,500 members of the German Lutheran church and their friends enjoyed th e day under the sylvan shades of Oleson park.
Quiet in the City.
When it is said that the Fourth was a quiet day in Fort Dodge it is not meant that there ws an absence of noise. On the contrary there was much doing in that line. There was a big contrast between yesterday and the same day a year ago however. On that day there were hundreds of visitors here for the big celebration and the usual excitement attending a large number of people was increased by the accident which befell the young woman, Clara Rasmussen, whose fatal attempt to perform the “slide for life” act from the northwest corner of the court house probably had much to do toward having no celebration this year. Few people came to Fort Dodge for the Fourth this year while many left the city and for this reason the day was uneventful.
In the way of making noise, there was plenty of it. The cannon and firecaracker started early in the morning and boomed until long after dark. The street cars furnished a source of amusement to many people. Placing torpedoes n the tracks, sometimes for a whole block or more, evidently was greatly enjoyed, since it was repeated many time. Taking everything into consideration, there was probably as much spent for fireworks this year as in years past.
Eagle Grove and Lehigh.
The morning train on the Great Western carried a big crowd of Fort Dodgers to Eagle Grove and the train at 12:20 caried (sic) others. It was a tired and sleepy looking party that arrived home at 8 o’clock this morning, five hours late. Many of the visitors had remained in Eagle Grove, expecting to come home on the Minneapolis flyer, which arrives here at 3:11 a.m. A wreck near Clarion, however, delayed the train and the excursionists did not arrive until 8 o’clock.
Aside from numbers Fort Dodge was well represented at the Eagle Grove celebration by the presence of the Fifty-sixth regimental band and the speaker of the day, M.F. Healy. Mr. Healy delivered the Fourth of (sic) address at the opera house at 11:30. His speech was a scholarly effort along a line that touched all who heard it. The speaker was well received and the frequent interruptions by applause was evidence of the appreciation of the audience.
At Lehigh the baseball game between Lehigh and the East Fort Dodge teams was one of the big featuers. There were other features characteristic of the Fourth of July, including a display of fireworks in the evening.
Picnicers (sic) Are Numerous.
Numerous smal (sic) picnic parties were to be found in every direction. The heavy rain of Sunday night spoiled many plans, but nevertheless there were no few who braved the possibility of encountering wet ground. Among the other picnics was the German Evangelical picnic up the river.
Germans Have a Good Time.
The members of the German Lutheran church who attended the annual picinc (sic) enjoyed themselves immensely. The German picnic was the only big event of the day in Fort Dodge and it was a success in every particular. The weather of the day before, which threatened the success of picnics and excursions, promised no better for the big outing at Oleson park, but the day dawned smiling and the sun coming to the aid of the picnicers (sic) did much to make the day the success it proved to be. About twenty-five hundred people attended. The pupils of the German Lutheran school went out tot he park in the morning. Accompanied by the Juvenile band they left the school in a body and proceeded to Central avenue where they boarded street cars for the park.
Besides the athletic features which made up the afternoon’s program, the temporary bowling alley afforded a means of enjoyment.
The Prize Winners.
The following events took place and were won by those persons names below.
100 yard dasy – Won by Ernest Zuerrer; Fred Knigge, second.
Fat ladies race – Won by Mrs. Amanda Craft; Mrs. Fritag, second.
Fat man’s race – Won by E. Peschau; Fred Willie, second.
Sweet sixteen race – Won by Freda Trost. Amanda Schwabbauer, second.
Sack race – Won by W. Sperry, George Adams, second.
Married ladies’ race – Won by Mrs. Paashke; Mrs. Phillip Miller second, Mrs. Henry Hueners, third.
Tug of war – Won by Herman Willie and team; second by Willie Stahlbock and team.
Misses’ race – Won by Miss Olga Pashke; Miss Helen Cramer, second; Miss Emma Dahlin, third.
Wheel barrow race – Won by George Habenicht; Henry Hein, second.
Broad jump – Won by Herman Kolbe; Oscar Gunther, second; William Sternitzke, third.
Ladies’ whelbarrow (sic) – Won by Clara Proeschold; Anna Becker, second.
Lifting fifteen pound weight – Won by C.J. Engels, lifting weight sixty-nine times; Chris Hohn, second, forty-six times.
Ladies throwing at doll rack – Won by Mrs. Harry Robb; Mrs. F.C. Ellis second; Mrs. August Knigge, third.
Bowling contest – First prize won by Henry Koeper, score 217; second, Chris Trost, 205; third Paul Schwaubbaur, 195; four William Kehm 188.
Ladies bowling – First prize won by Mrs. Kelso, 129; second, Mrs. Philips, 98, third, Miss Amelia Kein, 78; fourth, Christina 74.
Tags: 1904, Adams, Becker, Craft, Cramer, Dahlin, Ellis, Engels, Fritag, Gunther, Habenicht, Hein, Hohn, Hueners, Independence Day, Kehm, Kein, Kelso, Knigge, Koeper, Kolbe, Miller, Paashke, Pashke, Peschau, Philips, Proeschold, Robb, Schwabbauer, Schwaubbaur, Sperry, Stahlbock, Sternitzke, Trost, Willie, Zuerrer
