The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1876-02-26
THE JOLLY OLD FOLKS.


III - FL 81 ~ - go L
rKrtR rrnrx MEETING THE
xARaEsx or ALE.
Large Attendance, Great Dance, Jolly
q H Times. Qb*8A
Friday night, February 25th, 1876, will
long be remembered by old and young
rs the largest gathering of Old Settlers
and their friends ever seen at their winter
festival The spacious halls, parlors and
dining room were web crowded. arrange
ments haying been made not only for the
usual supper but for dance and jolly
good time. av
The evidences of large attendance were
early visible, and it was thought best to
have the cane presentation before supper,
thus saving little time and giving the
the new president the chair at the start.
Accordingly it took place in the parlors of
the Harper, which were densely crowded,
VIM. E. Brooks, the retiring president, in
few well-chosen remarks. passed the
cane to Mr.. Isaac Negus, the incoming
president, who received it appropriately.
Supper was then announced and 1874
persons we're soon seated at the tables.
The supper was bountifnl and good. and
served without confusion, Grace was
said by the Rev. ]. R. Finley. of the Cen
trail Presbyterian church. For an hour
there was tea and tattle Of the pleasantast
kind, and when some began to leave the
tables DR.. Gregg entertained the company
with congratulatory remarks on the
great success of the meeting. He
alluded to the vacant chair of Mr. Norris,
and his promise to be present; his photo
graph was there and who could say that
his spirit was not lowering near u.s. 1t was
a pleasant belief, anyway, and sincerely
entertained by many. He didn't see as
there was any harm in it, when diyested
lof much of the fummery and nonsense
with which some surround it. After a
pleasant rambling talk, full of good advice
to all. the DIR. announced that the retirinG
president would then read the list of tho
dead of the past year.
). Mr.. Brooks arose read as follows:
ARCHIBALD ALLEN
was born in Essex county, N. Y. in June
1901. He came to this county about the
: time of the Blackhawk war, and settled al
{ or near Port Byron, where he resided til
? the time of his death, February, 1875.
ELIZABETH ANN WAITE OSBORN
was daughter Of John Grant. She wa
born at Austell, Cornwall, England. Dec
3 23d, 1890. She removed with marrie'
sister to the town of Hector, Tompkin
county, N. Y, in 1928. She became tn
wife of Nj, B. Osborn in July, 1927, an
lived in Ithica, N. Y, until 1928; then i
6 Lyme, CT. until 1929; then in Sag Harbor
n L. l., where her three children were born
until 1886; then in New London, CT, 70
one year, in 1887 removing to Andoyer
3 Henry Co., ILL.,, from thence to Geneseo i
t 1910, and to Rock island in 1S45, wher
n she departed this life Sept IS, 1875.
LUCTUs WELLS.
oi 1t now becomes my sorrowful duty t
, announce to this society that since its las
meeting, our fourth president, the Hor
5, Lucius Wells, has died. You all kne
is him, and it is unnecessary to say anythin
\ in his praise. His good and honest Iii
T speaks for itself. A resolution settir
- forth his virtues and sterling worth, au
o. ordering the date Of his death to be carve
]. on the society's cane, is recorded in Oh
books. Lucius Wells was born in Dur
merston village, Windham county, VI
Oct. II, 1903. He removed to Ohio
no the age of II, and to Wayne county cou
- ty. ILL.,, four years later, In the latt
io place he remained until he was % years
l age, when he removed to Galena, ,
n Daviess county. He left there at the a.
of %, and moved to Pike county, l
While in Pike county he enlisted and ser
or ed in the Blackhawk war He remov
ny his family to this county in 1882, and !
of sided here until the time of his death, d
II Is, 1875. He was first lieutenant in
~ company, and was rendered the Office
lg- captain, but refused on account of pc
nr health. He held the Office of sheriff
In Rock Island county for two terms.
nd MRS. FRANCES HITCHCOCK
he was a native of New Haven, Ct, and s
-. tied here in 1874, remaining till the di
,"' of her death, Feb 23d, 1876, at the age
'he fifty nine years, She was widow OF the i
an Rev. A. B. Hitchcock, well known to
ing Old Settlers.
" Nathaniel Belcher, of Port Byron, '
lad then called on by DR.. Gregg. There ,
lar no formality or attempt at speech m
f ing. Mr.. Belcher talked pleasant
uld awhile, chiefly eulogizing the early settle
the and endeavoring to impress the idea Il
ter all trades, professions and occupati'
ian should work together in harmony-that
he were necessary for the success Of any &C
the munity
II. F. Thomas, of Moline, was Il
called on for a speech, story. or 60
rs He professed that he could do neither,
when pressed for compliance he said
would try to sing Columbia. Land of |
Tor, erty." His good wife did her best to s
him, and insisted that he couldn't 81
d." but Thomas insisted on his rights,
ats sang so we'll that he was loudly applaud
mi David Halves was then called on,
hey said few words.
i've DR.. Plummer was called for, but got
I with joke.
the No one seemed DESTROYS of speech n
lde. ing and then DR.. Gregg, after few j
tch- and sallies of wit, proposed to adiour