St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1858-08-05
Geographical Centre Celebration.

MEssRs. HnDRErH & CARVER In
looking through your columns of July
22d we notice a Programme of the
Celebration of the Fourth at the Geo
graphical Centre" which we consider
our duty to correct, as it is erroneous
if it is an honest description of our ccle-
bration, or if it is intended as a bur-
lesque, as a large portion of our coun-
ty may be led to suppose, the honors
the writer has gained will no doubt
amply repay him his time in it's COM
position but to our celebration.
The sun arose upon beautiful
morning, and ~ o'clock NJ. found Il
large concoursc of the citizens of
Floyd County assembled at the Geo
graphical Centre. We then and there
proceeded to the choice of our officers
for the day, after which the stars and
stripes were unfurled to the breeze,
probably for the first time, over the
centre of our county. A process
sion was then formed and marched to
the Grove, to the tune of Yankee
Doodle"
EXERCISES OF THE DAY AT THE GROVE
LIST. Praycr-By the Chaplain, Rev.
/. ID. Rust.
ID Music-By the Choir.
Sd. Reading of the Declaration of
independence By A. II. Prescott,
Esq.
4th. Music-By the Choir.
5th. Oration-By w. p. Gaylord,
Esq.
9Th. Music-By the Band
It'll. Oration--By Hon. Judge Ball
Sth. Music-By the Band
The exercises then being closed, the
tables were set, and although much
larger number were present than had
been expected, all were satisfied as to
the quantity and quality of provisions
provided but as to the number of
baskets of fragments, we leave that
to our friend Wilbur to enumcratc.
After dinner, toasts and responses by
Hon Judge Ripley and others were
listened to with much pleasure, at the
close of which our citizens began to
make preparations to return to their
homes, feeling, no doubt, as every good
lover of his country should, that the
day had passed pleasantly and protita-
by. The orations were patriotic and
delivered in the right place, at the RICH,
time, and it produced the right effect.
The martial music, by Riplcy's Band,
and the vocal music by the choir, con
Quoted by 5. p BisseIl, was listened
to with great qualification, and we all
returned to our homes wishing each
other many such anniversaries of our
National Independence.
Now we wish to say few words
our friend Mr. Wilbur, your
former contributor. 1t is not uncom
mon to find among SO many people as
scmblcd one who, in burst of excite
ment after catching snake, to show
his courage III placing the same be-
tween his teeth, but it is uncommon to
find a man of Mr.. Wilbur's standing,
foolish enough to make a note of the
same, especially when those notes are
for public print; and the only
we can come to is, that onr
friend Mr.. Wilbur, being very patri
otto man, got somewhat excited by
hearing the Band play Yankee Doc
de-" it being second i'll tlcprogrammc.
Taking this view of the matter we
hope our friends in the west
ern part of the county will excuse him.
1t is an old maxim and just one, viz:
" Give the Devil his due" and acting
upon the same, we inform our friends
who supposed that the article i'll July
22d No, of st. Charles City Republican
and lntclligcncer was written as bur
lesquc upon our celebration by some
one in st. Charles, that it is not so,
but the writer was one Mr. ii. Wilbur,
of Floyd Township, and in all charity
to him we think he tried to do himself
honor if not honor to the county.
Knowing the amount of local feeling
existing in different parts of the coun-
ty, we make these remarks, and we
venture to affirm that the citizens of
Floyd Township as a whole, was very
much pleased with the arrangements
our friends made TO secure our comfort
and happiness at the celebration, and
fully concur with the toast of the Hon.
Judge Ripley, viz: /" May the citizens
of Floyd remain as they ever have,
true to the principles of the Geographi-
cal Centre"
We remain yours, &c,
Z. WEBSTER,
SILAs SMITH