The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1874-06-18
COMMUNICATION.
FROM RED OAK.
Reunion OF the first settlers Of
Red Oak Grove.

Mr.. EDITOR:-A little company as
sembled at Stanwood, Saturday, May
3Oth, that was sufficiently remarkable
to deserve a passing notice. Mr.. and
Mrs. Rigby, of that place, celebrated
the thirty seventh anniversary OF their
wedding day by inviting to social
party all the settlers of the old neigh
borhood at Red Oak, who came to the
grove thirty-seven years ago, who
were living in the State. That was
not a very hard thing to do, any first
settler of any community in the coun-
ty might do the same, but its remark
able part is. that Of the men who set
tied in Red Oak as early rs 1887, all
but one are living, and all but two
took dinner together, on Saturday, at
the house Of the "oldest inhabitant."
| doubt if it would be possible to do
that in any other community Of the
State; it certainly would be impossi-
bic anywhere else in the county.
The company consisted Of Mr.. and
Mrs. John Ferguson, Mr.. and Mrs.
VIM. Coutts, Mr.. John Safely, and Mr..
Samuel Yule, whose wives, unfortu-
nately were not able to be present.
Mr.. John Chappell, who unfortunate
ly, as the others seemed to think. nev
er had any wife; and the hosts Mr..
and Mrs. Rigby.
The company assembled about two
p. m., and the first thing in order was
dinner. This was rather more sump-
tuous meal than Mr.. Rigby could
have invited his guests to, if he had
given a reception when he brough
home his bride thirty seven years ago.
1t was company any one might have
been proud to sit down with. We all
know something of the restless shift
ing characters Of most early settlers
of the west. 1t is hard to find any Of
the pioneers in an old community;
they keep on pioneering. But here
were the men who had first settled
one of the oldest neighborhoods of
the county, and they are still living so
near each other that they would have
been called quite near neighbors when
they seettled here. They are all fol-
lowing the calling they chose when
they first came to the country, and
they have been following it all these
thirty seven years; they have been SO
diligent in that calling, and SO blessed
by kind providence that they have
all acquired a comfortable compe-
tence, if not princely fortunes; they
have lived in such harmony all these
years that there was not memory of
any event that would cast the least
shadow upon the cordiality of their
greeting; though one of them had
been justice in his township for years,
he always had to 60 outside the pres
ent company for cases to try his legal
skill on. In fine, your correspondent
doubts if any company of old settlers
could be assembled who would better
represent the steady, stable, honest,
peaceful, growth Of our beautiful
State.
One feature of the dinner was a
song, composed and sung by Mr.. Fer
guson, expressive of the feelings nat
urally suggested by the occasion, and
the circumstances of those present
Sung to tune which most of the
company had known from childhood,
it was very we'll received. 1t was the
unanimous request Of those present
that Mr.. F. should furnish copy of
the verses for publication, which he
has done, as follows: