The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1874-07-09
RANDOM THOUGHTS.
BY THE EDITOR.

l went to Scioto Furnace to temper
ance basket meeting July 4th. The
train was half an hour behind time at
jackson, and it continued to lose time
all the way, being two hours behind
when it arrived at Scioto Furnace. The
forenoon exercises We're over, and the
meeting had adjourned for dinner. /
learned that Judge Searl, Rev. 7. W.
Stanley, and others, had made speeches.
The band was playing lively piece in
the grove when our crowd arrived.
About six hundred persons got off our
train, and the train from Portsmouth
had brought about the same number.
and there were from eight hundred to a
thousand who came by other convey
ances, making from $500 to 5000 in all.
There were 125 wagons and buggies
within the Enclosure.
met Jefferson Dever, who at once
drafted me to take dinner with him. A
cloth was spread upon the grass, and a
most sumptuous dinner brought from the
baskets A large number of the Web
ster folks surrounded the dinner.
Among them were Elder John Bennett,
one of the best men in Scioto county,
Mr.. Hawkins, an old acquaintance of
mine, Miss Tillie DeBow, one of my sub
scribers Also, Elder Isaac Fullerton, an
old acquaintance. They now call him
Colonel, as he acquired that title as a
soldier in the late war. He resides
think in Madison township, Scioto coun-
ty. He said there Is not a drop of liquor
sold in his township, and persons there
desiring drink must go up into Pike
county, or down to Portsmouth
After dinner / was leisurely strolling
through the grove, when l came to q
Gould. county commissioner, and c. E
Irwin, of the Portsmouth Republican
Mr.. Irwin informed me that he and
and Mr.. Mcdowell, local editor of the
Portsmouth Tribune had been elected
secretaries of the meeting before my ar
rival, and that / was put upon the pro
gramme for short speech in the after
noon. Soon l met friend, who in
formed me that Hon. j. C. Malone was
looking for me. Directly l met DR.. Da
wilson, President of the meeting, who
was also looking for me, and who invited
me to come upon the platform. Oh how
l wished for my friend DIR. 1. T. Mona
han. He would ride twenty miles
through storm or heat, any day, to get to
make speech on any subject, while here
| was, with the opportunity pressed upon
me, and l did not want to speak. ]
went for recreation, rest, and enjoyment
and after so good dinner, and having
met so many old friends. l felt more like
| lying down in the shade and feeling con-
tented
Exercises opened with music, and
prayer by Mrs. Henry Price, of jackson.
Then Rev. Mr. Wright. of Lawrence
county, made short speech. Then
came my turn. The water had given
out, and l was thirsty. 1 never drink
while speaking, but my mouth was so
dry that it was with difficulty 1 could say
anything What 1 did say did not
amount to much, but / was followed by
Miss Scarf, daughter of Judge Searl of
Portsmouth. She is fine looking young
woman, a blonde, with light hair and
very fair complexion. She has voice
of much compass, and her utterance was
distinct and deliberate There was
slight lisp, just enough to make it sound
sweetly. She is a fine orator, (or as the
old chancery law books would have it,
oratrix.) She possesses much of the
genuine common sense of her father.
Next was Mrs. o. B. Gould. She is a
fine, healthy, wholesome locking woman,
of perhaps fifty. She was Seeley, sis
ter of B. Seeley of Buckhorn Furnace, a
sister of Mrs. Keith, formerly of Jack:
son, and she is the mother of Mr. Will
lard manager of Milton Furnace. Mrs
Gould made very effective speech. At
times she was witty, then pathetic, some
times eloquent, and all the time sensible.
Next came my old friend Rev. D. Nor
gan, of Franklin Valley. He made
vigorous prohibition speech. Then there
was a speech by Mrs. Smith, of Ports
mouth. She made good speech, which
was marked for its earnestness.
Water had been hauled to the grove,
but there was such crowd surrounding
it that l found it utterly impossible to
get drink John Phillips, of Bloom
Furnace, an old acquaintance, went with
me down to the Furnace to a we'll,
where we got drink of good water.
When we returned Judge Searl was
reading some resolutions, which were
afterwards adopted. Between the sew
eral speeches there was singing, led by
John G. PEBBLES, one of the wealthiest
and most influential citizens of Ports
mouth. The meeting was grand and
glorious success, and was so regarded by
all who spoke of it.
wish to speak of few incidents, and
am done. The arrangements on the
railroad were outrageous. As l have
said, the train was two hours behind
time. There was but one conductor,
that I could see, and it was simply inn
possible for him TO take up the tickets