Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1860-09-21
County Ticket:
For Clerk of the District Court,
CHARLES 8. FOSTER.

SS0Asy AX~A0ss
For Clerk of the District Court,
CHARLES 8. FOSTER.
The Prize Fling, the Drill, and the
Ladies Presentation Of u Ban.
Mer TO Muscatlne Wide Avakes.
Sickness and an unusual press of duties
prevented US, at the time, from making as
extended notice of the beautiful pageant
which enlivened our streets, on the evening
of the 18th of September, as its attractions
and merits demanded.
Such an imposing and attractive spectacle
as the various exercises of Thursday evening
presented to the eye never has been seen in
Our city. Long before dark, the Wide Awake
Companies Of this county, excepting those Of
the city, assembled in front of fremont Hall,
to prepare for the trial drill which was to
decide the claims of the contesting companies
for the Prize Flag. Eager expectation was
imprinted on the countenances of all. The
Committee of Award consisted of Capt.
Mcmillan and Lieutenants Crawford and
Wilson, of the Washington Wide Awakes,
and Capt. Teller and Lleutenants Kent and
White, of the Muscatine Wide Awakes. The
contesting companies were the Atalssa Wide
Awakes, Capt. Lundy- "a strong; the Sweet
land Wide Awakes, Capt Merritt-S7 strong
and the Bloomington Valley Wide Awakes,
Capt Marshall-20 strong. The Drill took
pace on Iowa Avenue, between Third and
Fourth streets. As the evening wore along.
and it became dark, the companies lighted
their torches, presenting beautiful appear.
ance as they marched through their various
evolutions.
After the Drill, which was protracted and
careful, was ended, all the Wide Awake
Companies repaired to fremont Hall, where
they formed into line and marched to Iowa
Avenue, to the scene of the Presentation Of
the LADIES' Banner. Here, a hollow square
was formed of the Wide Awakes, with the
Muscatire Wide Awakes in the centre. 1t
was the original il tention to widen this square
until it could contain all the ladies present, in
a place where they could see and hear with
convenience, but the great crowd, and the
arrival of the carriages containing the ladies,
before it was completed, prevented the
accomplishment of this design, much to the
regret of some of the officers, who had prom
ised it to the ladies on the strength of an
arrangement to that effect.
When the carriage drove in containing the
four young misses who were to present the
Banner, followed by one in which were the
ladies who had made the Banner, Mrs. Hull,
Mrs. DR.. Reeder and Mrs. F. H. Stone, the
top OF the carriage containing the Banner and
the young ladies, Misses Annie Robbins,
Carrie Hull, Annie Coe and Annie Butler'
was thrown back, and discovered them stand
ing together, beautifully dressed in white
with tastefully arranged boqusts, on raised
platform. The effect was like that Of a magic
scene IN the Arabian Nights. The flare Of
the sea of torches, the glstenlng reflection OF
the glazed capes and caps, the circle of fire,
and there in the centre, standing ia the |
carriage, the four beautiful girls, reminding
one of the fairy court in Midsumner's Night
Dream. The Banner was a superb square Of
heavy white silk, surrounded by the national
:olors in stripes of red, white and blue, all
enclosed with rich border Of gold, and
with heavy silk cord and tassels
IF red, supported by white staff surmounted
BY gilt ball the cord being attached to the
Banner with small gilt eagles. On the front
vas painted the name of the Company on
scrolls or ribbons delicately shaded-THK
MuscATlNE WIDE AwAKEs. On the reverse
side was the motto-'FREEDoM THE FouNT OF
L1eHT," in pure, chaste letters, which set off
the spotless white field of the
Banner. At this time, the wind was careering
,p Iowa Avenue with almost the force of
storm, and interfered somewhat with the t
peaking. Miss Annie Robbins then presented a
he Banner, in an eloquently written ard q
appropriate address, written for
Ter by one Of the ladies who was concerned
n the Presentation. The clear and silvery /
ccents of the childish speaker were heard
ven above the fury Of the wind by quite {
lumber. In delivery, information, accent and
mphasis, we have never heard her surpassed a
y any one SO young. The flag was received
n the part of the company by Hugh J.
'ampbell, Esq.
1t is proper here to say that the Banner
'as painted by B. F. Halstead, talented
Dung artist of this city.
A torchlight procession was then formed. t
Marching up Second end Third streets and v
ack again. The houses along the way were t.
,any Of them brilliantly illuminated. We ii,
oticed, among others, the residences of Jos. Il
!. Green, Geo. @. Stone, S. G. Hill, FIJI.
tone, Rev. A. B. Robbins, S. o. Butler, M. ;;
ouch, Jacob Butler, ESQ.,, and Hon. VIM. G. s
Woodward. Fragrant and beautiful boquets Z
ere showered by fair hands upon the Wide G
wakes. We noticed that the Washington !.
oys were especially favored, as they certainly 81
sserved to be, from their gallant bearing and =,
ne appearance. They returned the compli- h
snts in graesful style. The Warrington n