The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1868-07-07
PIONEERS IN COUNCIL.



Since the year 1859 the old settlers of
Wayne county, Indiana, have held annu-
al reunions in the month Of June, at
appropriate places in the county. This
season, Centreville was the place select
ed, and last Saturday. the 18th inst, the
day on which thousands Of the young
and old Of the Whitewater Valley, as
sembled to hear the pioneers CT this
beautiful region recount the trials and
triumphs Of our early settlers.
At 1O4 O clock A. NJ, the meeting was
organized in the Fair Grounds. by choos-
ing Oliver T. Jones, of Centreville,
Chairman, and S. S. Boyd, OF Dublin,
Secretary.
By request, Elder D. H. Van Buskirk
offered an appropriate prayer, after
which the Centreville brass band chcered
the crowd with soul stirring music.
All persons present who had been
sixty years residents of the State. were
then invited on the stand. James Ends
ley, Nathan Bond, N. W. Minor, I. N.
Beard, Benjamin Harris, John Modlin,
Aaron Hastings, Jos. Holman, Enoch
Railsback, Sarah Saunders, Sarah Caty,
Mary Hunt, and Theresa Burgess came
forward and mounted the stand without
help, all appearing to be we'll preserved
old gentlemen and ladies: As they
stood up in line on the front of the stand,
their happy, healthy faces spoke louder
than words in favor Of the simple, plain
habits Of our pioneer fathers and moth
ers-God bless them. We may never
look upon their like again.
All who had been 55 wears, and not
60, in the State were then called. Eight
old settlers responded. Again, all of
so years, and less than So, were invited
on the stand. Twenty eight names an.
swered to this CALL which filed the
stand with as vigorous q body Of old
men and women as the frail, pampered
mortality of the present enervating age
will ever behold. -
n. w. Minor was the first speaker.
Said he was born in North Carolina,
Guilford county, near Boards halter
shop; came to Wayne county, Indiana,
in the year 1907, and settled on White
water, south of Richmond. He told, in
his peculiarly entertaining style, of the
many trials Of his early pioneer life.
Aogs (his only.stock) the first year. In
quired if any one on the ground could
tell him where to find said hogs
Thought that the reli gion of those
days was better article, or there was
more of it than at present, as every man
for miles around was q neighbor and
friend, who could be depended on in
times of need. Said that tine first wheat
cake he ate after he came to the State
was made of sick wheat consequently
would not lie on the stomach long
enough for digestion. He advised the
young men of the present day, who are
| hanging around towns and cities waiting
for something to turn up. to go West,
as he did, and help to develop the new
country, which is waiting for young men
of energy to develop its bountiful natur-
al resources. 9ee
After music by the band all adjourned
to dinner where, under the shadow of
the beautiful grove, hundreds Of baskets
we're emptied on to white cloths. And
if the truth must be told, the pioneers,
who were raised on Johnny cake and
| bacon, seemed to relish strawberries
ice-cream and nice cake with as much
zest as did the young Americas of the
present day. m isae
After dinner, Joseph Holman, aged
88 years, addressed the meeting. He is
''the last leaf on the tree of the honor
ed members of the first Constitutional
Convention of this State He said the
Constitution was the work of only nine.
teen days. And say that this same
old Constitution was better in its day
than our present one, which required the
combined wisdom of one hundred men
IN 1859, more than three months to re.
wise. - B5T4s ssu sae 35H4e
Mr.. Holman said that he dined with
General Harrison at Vincennes, when
he was Governor Of the North west Ter
ritory. Lazarus Whitehead, father oi
Mary Hunt, now present, was the first
preacher in Wayne county. @oas9ta.
He said that in this bountiful land nc
man need suffer for bread. Though h<
was a pioneer, he was never hungry
expressing hope to meet all present il
a better world than this a~ 81 ueLg
A choir of Centreville ladies ther
sang ''Fhere's Good Time Coming"
Ira Hollingsworth, of Randolph coun
ty, the next speaker, said that in hi
early days the terms gentleman and lad