Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 20, Number 107, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 September 1899 — Crippled Men’s Picni. [ARTICLE]

Crippled Men’s Picni.

The cripples of Fulton county are arranging to hold a novel picnic at Lake Manitou, near Rochester. For chairman they have a man who has never walked. The marshal of the day left a leg on a southern battlefield and until recently was engaged in the management of a 500-acre farm. He is as courtly as a king, and is everybody’s , friend. There are four crippled men, who have held the office of county recorder for the last twenty years, to §prve as a committee on arrangements, and it is expected that it will attract the largest crowd that has ever gathered on the banks of Manitou. Those eligible to participate will be divided into three classes — natural cripples, accidental and war cripples. By way of entertainment onelegged men will race for a prize and one-armed men will wrestle; but the principal source of entertainment will come when each cripple, in turn, is assisted to the platform, where he will tell what caused him to be maimed. Pictures will be taken of each group.