The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1878-05-30
The Murphy Anniversary.


The Murphy Anniversary on the
21st inst, and the meeting on the 22d.
made those days memorable in the
history of our county. Accuse which
can rally such forces at this season Of
the year, is n which cannot fail to
attract general attention.
AT an early hour on the 21st, PEG.
pie began to arrive and wend theiI
way to the Fair Grounds, where pre-.
parations had been made BETTING the
occasion. The day was cool and pleas
ant, and the grand stand tastefully
decorated in front, the seats fronting
the race track, was soon filled with
representative men and women in the
cause. By IL o'clock there was an
immense crowd, which was augment
ed by the arrival by train of a large
and enthusiastic delegation from the
city ofRichmond, Ind. After dinner,
BENZ. HUBBARD, the President of the
organization here, called the meeting
to order and a fervent and appropri-
ate prayer was made by Rev. A. j.
REYNOLDS, of the Presbyterian church
of Eaton, which was followed by an
address of welcome by JAMES A. GIL
MORE, Esq, that for its sound practi-
cal sense, its flashes of wit, its touch
es of sentiment and its earnest ap-
peals, deserved and received the hear
ty approval of the vast audience to
which it was addressed. At the close
of MI. Gilmore's eloquent address the
meeting was turned i've to the Rich
mond delegation, and well did they
carry it forward.
First came Rev. Mr.. MARINE, the
stirring eloquence of whose words
have sent waves of emotion far be-
yond the city where he labors in the
cause of religion and humanity. To
say that his address was in every way
worthy of his great reputation as a
temperance speaker is the high COM
pliment his effort deserves.
Col. STARR was called to the front
and made a rafting speech. He made
an appeal in behalf of womanhood.
MARTHA VALENTINE next addressed
the audience. She spoke but briefly,
but her words of earnest pathos came
from a heart whose emotions lighted
her motherly face and made them very
impressive. Tom HUGHES made the
closing speech of the day. Tom spoke
with the ~earnestness ola man whose
former years had been blighted and
blasted by the terrible curse of intern
perance. As he portrayed his steps
down the steep of degradation each
word seemed like a wall of sorrow,
as he denounced the terrible evil his
words seemed to fairly hiss their hate
of the tyrannical power of alcohol;
as he called upon men, women and
children to rally under the glorious
banner of this grand reform which
had taken him from amid the tombs
of every hope, his tones seemed clari-
on calls to duty.
Taken all in all, we have seldom
known of more signal success than
the Murphy anniversary of the 21st,
and it is not strange that the Muir
phys of Eaton afe outspoken in their
praise of those who came from our
sister State to take part in the exer-
cises of the day. The Richmond
String Band and the Eaton Cornet
Band made delightful music.
The torchlight procession at night,
under the leadership of Frank Mitch
ell, was a success, and after its parade
there were stirring and excellent
speeches by Messrs. jenkins, Page,
Tomlinson and others, which were
listened to by q large crowd. The
Murphys of Eaton feel proud of this
their first anniversary, and take new
courage in their cause.
The second day, although it had not
the hustle and stir of the first day,
but the people from the country kept
coming until some claimed the crowd
upon the ground equalled in numbers
those of the first day. The speaking
was animated and excellent-many
signed the pledge. Rev. Mr.. Conway,
Rev. John Blackboard, Moses Surface,
Mr.. Haywood, of Richmond, James
A. Gilmore and L. G. Abbott address.
ed the people. Mr.. Heywood's speech
was a most eloquent and effective one,
all were good. The whole affair was
a complete success.
Should the Murphy movement
prove long lived, these annual meet.
ings will become of great interest in
the future. We shall watch the future
development or failure of this great
moral enterprise and from time to
time give our readers the benefit OF
our observations. So with congratu.
~lations to our Murphy friends upor
their success this year we will close
Semi Centennial.
The Presbyterian Sunday School eel
ebrated its fiftieth anniversary last Sun
day afternoon. The exercises were O