The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1876-08-30
ISLAND WILD.
Third Annual Reunion of Gideon's
Band

Another iyear has gone-another leaf
in the great volume of Time has been
turned backward and added to the records
of the Past since the writer of this first
met that jolly Gideon's Band who, once a
year, assemble at Browns Lake, Wiscon
sin, where health. mental relief, and
bounding spirits are waited on every
breeze tina. sweeps over its bright waters,
coqueting with the foliage of one of the
prettiest little islands that ever nestled
10 a prairie-girt lake, where pleasure is
net measured by the depth of the pocket.
as is the case at fashionable resorts. but
by ones capacity to inhale the perfume OF
the hower-laden and blooming prairie air,
by ones ability to forget the cares OF bust
ness. the formalities of dress society ard
give themselves over to the genuine pleas
ures of camp life, with all the convenieuces
of the most aristocratic watering place.
This and much more can be attributed to
Island Wild by reason Of the rules that
govern those who assemble there. The
annual reunion Of this band is in fact a
large. select party, present by invitation,
and good care is taken that none shall be
tied down with the relentless and worse
than useless arbitrary rules of custom and
fashion, only to return even more exhaust
ed IN body and mind and with less conf
dence in humanity than before. Let
those whose idol is dress, whose god is
fashion. and whose soul is gold, seek the
fashionable resorts if they will Let 9th
ers climb the grand old mountsin ranges
of the west or idly wander over the YER
dant valleys of this or other lands, or float
down through Central Europe past castles,
vineyards, farms and forests on the noble
Rhine. but for us a two weeks soiourn at
Browns Lake, with ''Old Gid's Band and
their happy families
Shall ever claim the reverence Of the heart
Perfect from year TO year may il shine
| Like stars within the armament divine.
To give even passing glance at all that
transpired during the two weeks the Band
were holding their reunion would be i'm
possible; to those who were present
memory will bring it all back: to those
who were not present we can only say it is
unlike any other gathering. The first few
days, before the arrival of the ladies and
families of the members of the Band, the
time was spent IN experimenting the
completion of the large aud elegant Club
House, christening the boats, raising a
hundred foot flag pole, and in speeches,
songs. games of various kinds; sailing,
rowing, fishing, lounging about under the
grateful shade and doing just whatever one
pleased, remembering always to be the
gentleman, under all circumstances. Or
the arrival of the ladies and during the
five days they were present it was one
continual round of gayety and pleasure
with the sailing. the rowing, the fishing
promenading, singing, serenading al
night; concerting on the lake, and
in the large dining room during the
evening; the dancing, the social talk, the
whist and euchre parties-what lady wa:
there present who will not look forward
to the next reunion with feelings Of
pleasurable anticipation; what one among
them all will not, with the undersigned
join in saying
Long as health is our mission high.
| Long a. Gid's Banner floats TO summer sky,
Long the human heart with rapture thrills,