Business Men's Club Outing at Woodsdale June 30, 1904 news

To the music of McBrair's band, 200 members of the Business Men's club and their friends marched bravely down Fourth street from the Chamber of Commerce to the C., H. & D. Depot Wednesday morning. The colors of the club flew gaily to the breeze, and each member carried a light bamboo cane, to which was attached a bow of blue ribbon. The club was bound for Woodsdale park, on the D., H & D. railway, for a summer's outing. All the good fellows in the organization were on hand, and that the picnic will be one long to be remembered as a certainty. Arriving at the depot, the marchers found over 100 others already in waiting. The beautiful grounds and the good weather made the outing an ideal one. A splendid entertainment had been prepared by the committee in charge of that part of the arrangements, and there was something doing all day long.

The athletic events at Woodsdale consisted of such novelties as sack racing, potato racing, swimming and boat races, wheelbarrow and canoe races, boxing and wrestling matches. The $1 tickets included the railway trip, admission to the park and the use of all the amusement devices on the grounds. The business men no sooner arrived at the park than they doffed their coats and collars, rolled their shirt sleeves up and started in to "have fun." A photographer who accompanied the party secured negatives that when they are developed will show that the most staid and dignified business man is very much a boy when he gets a good opportunity. John Ringold, chasing a batted ball, almost fell into the Little Miami river. He was rescued by Irwin Krohn at the peril of the latter's hat, which rolled off during the rescue, and it was fished out of the brine a quarter of a mile below by a small boy who demanded "two bits" for its return. Stacey Hill offered to bet Otto Armleder 1,000 cigars that he could throw up a ball and bat it so far that Armleder could not secure the ball and return to the place with it in less than two minutes. After making twelve attempts to hit the ball, he gave up the contest entirely and admitted that he was somewhat out of practice. N. L. Pierson challenged any man in the party to a whittling contest, the test to be the whittling of a chain out of a broomstick in the shortest possible time, and in the most workmanlike manner. No one dared accept the deal, so Mr. Pierson, to the astonishment and admiration of all, whittled out six links with a ball and cage attached at one end in thirty minutes. He afterwards sold the ornament to President Hobart for 50 cents. During all this excitement a baseball game was going on between the Knockers and a scrub nine. At the end of the sixth inning the game was called. The score being 76 to 54 in favor of one side of the other, the scorekeeper having forgotten which side of the stick he had been notching for the Knockers. The dinner which was furnished with the admission and all other things for the paltry dollar was splendid and bountiful, but the "boys" had worked up such appetites that the whole refrigerator was cleared out and the commissary department started off for Hamilton for supplies. The whole day was a happy dream for everybody, and the men acquired sunburn blisters and stiff muscles enough to last for the rest of the season. They returned in the evening tired, but happy.