The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1878-08-06
ISLAND WILD.
Fifth Annual Gathering of Gideon'a
Band. ##


The fsirest gem of all the many beauti-
full inland lakes that stretch along the
the high divide of Central Wisconsin and
on to the westward beyond the Mississippi,
between Iowa and Minnesota, is the glori-
Gus sheet Of water that surrounds Island
Wild, now known all oyer the country as
the summer resort of Gideon's Band
than which no more jovial party can any
where be found assembled In cozy re-
treat, where the cares that infest ones life
in the city during the summer months are
forgotten, where the vexations of business
never reach, where style and fashion and
the other troubles society teaches US are
prohibited, but where Menus and the
drowsy God hold supreme saway. This
beautiful island contains about three acres,
fringed to the waters edge With a species
of the linden tree, and is ample for the ac-
comodation of the select party that annu-
ally assemblies there. 1t is situated on the
line Of the Western Union road, about
twenty-five miles from Lake Michigan,
just far enough away to have all the ad-
vantages of the lake breezes at night. The
lake covers an area of about 900 acres, its
waters are clear and pellucid as crystal,
and filed with several varieties of bass,
pickerel, perch, and sun-6sh. which afford
unlimited amusement to lovers of the
sport. The lake is surrounded by shady
groves aud several eravelled beaches
where the jolly bathers daily assemble.
With a safe and comfortable steamboat
several yachts. and countless row boats, the
company during the terrible heated tern
of last month, enjoyed themselves to the
fullest extent.
To tell the whole story-to name all o.
the four or Eve hundred who came anC
stayed and went away and came bacl
again, or to tell how they spent their time
just how much they enjoyed the eating
the sleeping, the rowing, sailing, fishing o.
the hammocks, would require keener OBJ
] server, more gifted pen, a more roman
t tic nature, and more space than is at ou
command Those who we're Their
!, know just about what should b
said, there were pleasant people
from Racine, from Chicago and fron
Burlington; there were some very pleasan
t people from Freeport and from some c
s eastern cities-they said pleasant things
7 acted just as their own self-will dictate
e and everybody was pleasant about it,
Nhat more could well be asked.
Now there were some other transaction
that faithful historian should not omi
e There were several large strings of ifs
n brought into camp by parties who wei
;. Supposed to have caught them; there wei
: some stories told about the hammocks
there we're some conversations in the clu
house; there were some reasons why OF
of the Racine party tarried at the Islar
10 longer than others Of the same part
oe there was that starting of the "Proa'
of the Rock Island party and the We
~ solicitious inquiries from the crowd asser
"A bled to see them depart But all the
be things are the private property Of Gideon
that time can magnify and the futu
weave into legends as the unwritten h
re tory of Gideon's Band, like the roman
n under the willows Mott Ayers Gel
brated introduction to Tom Hatch"
,rc the story that Mart tells. "
The season at Island Wild commenc
on the first of July and will not close IN
"a September first, after that time the Isla
Ie' will be given up to picnic parties compos
10 of members Of the Band and their famili
We During the season only the members, tn
'e families, and their invited guests are 9
as mitted. The average daily attendance
to the present has been from fifty
seventy-fve people; on some days thu
were nearly two hundred present.
w. who we're present were profuse in their
rss pressions of the pleasant time enjoy
while there. Many parties went tn,
ng with the intention of visiting other popu
resorts in Wisconsin but were SO deligh
with the place that they remained. TIL
H. from Rock Island numbered ten or ffte
Of the greater number Of whom are still the
Island Wild may justly be said to be
most desirable summer resort of
ra- popular summering places in the west