FIREMEN HAVE DAY OF GENUINE SPORT ~ The History of the Dubuque Fire Department

Monday, September 12, 1921

FIREMEN HAVE DAY OF GENUINE SPORT

STAGE ENJOYABLE PICNIC AT RHOMBERG FARM ON SAGEVILLE ROAD.

ATHLETIC SPORTS PROGRAM, WINNER

Baseball Game, Beauty Contests, Speeches and Big Dinner Are Features.

Days of real sport was enacted in reality at the picnic staged by the members of the city fire department which was held on the Joseph Rhomberg farm on the Sageville road, Saturday. There with something doing from the time the sun first peeped over the horizon until the wee hours of the following morning. Mr. Rhomberg as a host was "there and over," nothing that could be done to make the affair a success, was left undone by the genial host. A splendid dinner was served under the direction of William Alexander Roosevelt Carnaby assisted by William Shiras Kannolt and William Hawthorn Gibson.

The Diners were served promptly at 12:30 o'clock by Pat McManus, the chief waiter, who seen that everyone was amply supplied with many good things that had been prepared for them. Following the dinner athletic events, races horseshoe tournaments, debating contests, beauty contests and guessing contests were staged after which the much touted baseball game followed. The members of the central department played a team selected from the Nos. 1, 4, 5, and 6 fire stations. Chief Fisher and ex-Chief A'Hern were the outstanding players of the game; both had played professional ball in past years and fielded their positions like old veterans. A'Hern clouted the ball for the only three bigger made during the game. Fisher then nearly put a crimp in the game by driving the ball over the corn cribs and beyond the Sageville road for a lost ball; it looked as if the game would have to be postponed until their next picnic.

After a delay of twenty minutes Bill Smith, the water boy, was located and another ball secured, after which the game continued. Capt. Kenneally played a wonderful game at third at no time was his base uncovered. His teammates accused him of being a spectator a number of times and suggested that the umpire put him off the diamond. After playing four hours and seventeen minutes the umpire called the game at the end of the fifth inning on account of darkness. The central department team winning by the score of 11 to 9.

Rhomberg Gets First Prize.

The contests which were staged earlier in the day created quite a little amusement for the many spectators. J. Rhomberg pulled down the first prize of the day when he defeated a large field in a debate, "The Most Up-to-Date Method of Farming," and secured as a prize a hat. Everyone was allowed to enter the guessing contest. A jar containing corn was passed around and each guessed the number of kernels it contained. The Gibson brothers were the winners: prize 100 pounds of sugar. In the half mile sprint Jake Rosenthal and C. E. Daubert ran to a tie: prize 100 pounds of flour. A'Hern and Barnes were declared the champions in the horseshoe pitching contest, and were each awarded a tie as a prize.

Chief Fisher's long drive won for him the only prize offered in the baseball game. The chief will be wearing a new bonnet because of it. H. Melchior won a vase for winning the dash event. The Rear Axel Quartet of the central station rendered a number of selections at the solicitation of Jake Rosenthal, who came to the picnic in the hope of securing some talent for the coming show season. The Branch Pipe orchastra composed of C. Welsh, pianist: J. Noonan, William Van Der Meulan, violins: B. Bennnett, cornet: W. Carnaby, cello; R. Tearney, flute: B. Frentress, trap drums, then played a number of selections and dances. A number of special dances were given by the following: Harker, Apel, Kannolt, Van Der Muelan and Woodward. Addresses were given by ex-Chief A'Hern and J. Barnes. The former told "How to become a famous ball player," and the latter on Dubuque's fire fighters of the past.

The following firms and individuals helped make the picnic a success through their contributions: Umbrecht Flour Mills, Hammel & Henker, Schroeder & Kline, Althauser company, Hub Clothing company, National Clothing company, Kaep & Buechele, Kraft & Kircher, McFadden Coffee company, M. Hennessey, M. Eitel, Fitzgerald Cigar company, Cave Cigar company, E. C. Glasser, Trumpler Grocery company, A. Heer, B. Krayer, Corn Belt Packing company, Rath company, Dubuque Meat company, Humke Bakery, Beatrice Creamery company, Johannsen Candy company.

The names of those who attended follows:
Guests-Dr. E. Ryan, E. Bott, H. Geyer, C. E. Daubert, W. Cullen, J. Rosenthal, J. Voelker, Jr., C. Didsch, M. Murray, E. Hanley, J. Rhomberg, R. Rhomberg, Ja., D. A'Hern [Ahern], J. Barnes, C. Griest, R. Gibson, J. Curran, F. Nevils, F. Gabriel, H. Melchoir, F. Kennedy, B. Frentress, F. Allen.
Firemen-Chief Fisher, W. Kannolt, C. Welsh, H. Woodward, A. Heer, W. Smith, J. O'Connor, D. Harker, W. Gibson, W. Carnaby, J. Noonan, C. Ringer, A. Brewer, F. Kenneally, M. Kelly, J. McCoy, H. Schuckert, F. Baumgardner, P. Mc Manus, M. Bennett, C. Roberts, W. Ryan, W. Van Der Meulan, W. Hipman, W. Higgins, F. Apel, R. Tierney.