The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1875-07-13

north, and on the next toward south

north, and on the next toward south
and even as I write they may be seen
taking their northword fight though in
small numbers, which can be seen only
by looking at, or nearly at the sun, with
a shade between your eyes and that
luminary, and then they appear like so
many snow fakes flying through the
| air. The Dakotians seem to have but
little fear Of their aighting, and no
change is made in their plan of labor.
Now ! will speak of the people who
dwell among the Hoppers and stand
the blast Of the Blizzards. They rep
resent nearly every State in the Union
and nearly every nation on the Europe
an continent, though the larger portion
are what are termed yankees, and to
describe their habits, customs and
amusements, I will say something of
the Fourth Of July.
There are probably few citizens of
the United States, who do not have some
peculiar feelings of pride at the sound
Of cannons and anvils fred in celebrat-
ing the Fourth of July. And when on
the third we could every few moments
hear the distant reports, my feelings
were stirred; my thoughts went back
to the time when our forefathers first
celebrated that day, and the cause of
their so doing; and I thought with
what feelings the hearts of the people
must have been movod, at that time
and thus I soliloquized. But to re
turn to my subject.
Tee celebration at Lincoln Center
took place on Monday the fifth. The
morning was cloudy and unpromislng
but the afternoon was clear and warm :.
At about nine o'clock the people began
gathering, and at eleven, crowd of
some three or four hunered persons had
collected and all was life and gaity. As
there was no grove at hand, (this being
prairie country,) canvass was pre-
pared for a shade, and under this a
bountifully loaded table was spread
which tempting to look upon.
The officers of the day were President,
Thos. Noyes; Marshal, H. B. Tucker;
Reader, John Blundell. The regular
order began about IL o'clock-soon af-
ter the arrival of the Prairie Grange
consisting of music, martial, vocal and
instrumental. Speeches by Elder N. B.
Conklin, Mr.. Petton and others, Declar.
alton read, &C., &C., after this followed
dinner which was we'll enjoyed by all.
The company then retired to the base
ball ground where lively game was
played between two clubs chosen from
the younger portion of the Lincoln Gen.
ter population and captained by George
Woodley vs. W. B. Wait. After this
the company scattered, some to play
croquet, and some to view the foot and
horse races. The whole was seasoned
with the usual amount of anvil firing
and rattling of 6re/ crackers. In the
evening the dancers met and kept the
light fantastic toe in play the create
part Of the night.
Those who did not dance met at Elder
Conklins, where they were served with
refreshments, iacluding ice cream and
lemonade, and thus passed the day; a
day memorable as being the first ever
celebrated at Lincoln Center. Here,
where three years ago there was not a
house to be seen, now we find a COM
pany of upwards of three hundred per-
sons, can be gathered in few hours
time. 1t is astonishing when we con-
slider the drawback Of the past two
years. But one thing certainly is in fa-
vor Of this country, there is no railroad
land here. Every citizen can enter as
a homestead l60 acres Of land at gov
eminent prices; $1.25 per acre pre-
emptions can be taken also, this is Ger
tainly the place for persons desiring
cheap farms. More Anon.
w. w.