The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1860-10-19
THE FUNERAL.
HOW THE MASSES DID NOT
COME!
MOURNERS FEW AND SOLEMN |!

Missouri, into Illinois, all through Lee,
Des Noines, Henry, Van Buren, and other
counties, securing oil tho oross roads and
drumming up the faithful to cometo heokuk
on the 18th, and have big jollifcaiiop, and
| beat the Republican Convention of the 10th
all hollow. From the terrific din of prepa.
ration, our friends had prepared themselves
to be teetotally collapsed.
| Well the sun Of the 18th arose in glory,
and all nature was arrayed in the beautiful
habiliments of the departing year. Not q
breeze stirred to move the laEily floating
smoky haze of the Indian Summer. Nature
was propitious, and msn-at least the Doug.
lasman was awake with the lark. At an
early hour the Marshalls might have been seen
on Main street duly equipped and ready for
| the solemn work of the day. We hurried
/ down town expecting to sec sights. We
looked up and down Main street, and Oh !!
how still and solemn. Men moved about
noselessly. AS minutes and hours few by,
anxious eyes watched the Ferry boats but
| tho Levee kept quiet. Anxious eyes looked
out Main street 30 the Plank road, but Main
street was net lively. Anxious eyes looked
ont TO the Buena Vista and other crossroads,
but nothing special met the eye.
1t was growing late, and things began TO
look desperate. In the meanwhile we wan
dered about town, and soon discovered that
some ardent Bobtails bad begun the proceed
ings OF the day, by tearing down the large
posters put up by the Republicans for the
generous purpose of informing the rural
democrats about our late victories. Why
did they tear them down? We're they afraid
that the "rank and fo'' would hear the
newsp
However, this was one item for as, and
30 we started to hunt another. Down to the
Railroad depots. Have the cars come p
Yes there they are Now for the vast
crowd from Van Buren, county, Primrose,
&c. Cars enough sent up TO bring down
1900 people, and 10 ONE HUNDRED AND FTP
ry cAAR IN Then did Genl. Samples face
elongate about feet. ~ II it did not, il
was not in harmony with the soemnity of
the occasion.
Up street again. "Did you hear Of the
| explosion ?" "No, what was it 20 "Capt.
! Beneke's new beer barrel busted open, the
contents flew all about promiseuously drown
ing two men and spelling bis newly papered
walls - What "a ferment, and also how i'll
an omen.
/ About this time, Main st. began to appear
more alive. Our citizens generally we're on
! hand, and horsemen and wagons began to
/ sprinkle along. At last the oars came in
from Madison, all alive with Hickory shirts,
Hickory girls, Hickory sticks, and Hickory
! banners. What crowd there was Then
the marshals felt good, and they went
i plungng up and down street, on their
foaming stesds, issuing orders to Storm ,"
In due time, Gcn. Sample cried aloud,
| "Compnnies March !" And slowly the sol.
emn procession came up the bill on Main
street, to the souAd OF drum and trumpet
The keokuk Hiokh-ies were appropriately
headed by four tall, solemn looking men,
with four taller hickory brooms, and more
appropriately still, our good looking friend,
V. I. Perkins, the Undertaken, was one one
Of them What happy idea the very
perfection OF Symbolism A funeral with
out an undertaken would he sorry enough.
And so the long train tilod past our office,
until the enormous number OF six hundred
and fifty five liekories, including the little
Hickory Buds, had come and gone.
| AT this time Main-st. began to assume the
appearance OF much life. All faces were
turned westward to meet the vast crowds sx
pecte from tho country. But the vast
crowds didn't come. However, what did
some were gathered into the line by the en-
ergetie msrshals on their foaming .teeds,
and again all faces were turned eastward,
and@the solemn procession, in all its COR
geous briliancy OF hickory shirts and hick
DRY banners came down Mainst. Its head
was suddenly stopped between Sd and 4th;
then there was hurrying toand-fro Of the
excited Grand Marshal and bis aids. Why
did that fcaming steed rush madly down to
TO river We're ,aFg. aooussions of fiicx o.
ries expected from Illinois? We oil waited,
aud waited, bat nothing came except that
solitary borssman and his foamng steed.
Once more the Grand Marshal DRIED
aloud, and bis sonorous tones were heard
afar-''Oompanies, attention March |" ant
the order reverberated along the vast lines
Slowly they iled on to Third and up Thitt
to Fulton, and as they passed they were mum
bered. The Hickories were counted owe
and over again, aud the counts ranged be-
tween I6Fand SIS. Add to these about OH
people in wagone, and the entire throng i,