The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1879-08-16
Hem ADVERTISEMENTS.

Three cheers were given for Mr.. Wentworth.
The choir sang "Auld Lang Syne." Mrs Ash.
lev, of Tonica, followed with an essay on
"Womens Experience and Trials in Former
Days" 1t was lengthy and quite interesting
to those who heard it, her voice being drown
ed by the noise and bustling about of the
crowd 1t was full of amusing incidents and
anecdotes of old times, showing that women
bore their full share of the privations and sub
ferings OF those days. Following her, Prof
Lancaster sang Forty Years Ago" very &C
lceptably
The next speaker was
HON p. c, HAYES,
Congressman, of Morris, who said;
| | did not desire to come, and after mucL'
persuasion | at last agreed to make five-mn-
utes speech | have not been able to attend
meeting of the old settlers here in years past.
| have lost q great deal by it, | claim to be
one of the old settlers. This seems to be but
young settlers society for me, because see so
many young men from 40 years and less. 1t
does not seem so long ago, Just such meet
lngs as these enjoy, and they should be kept
up; these society meetings, where the old set
tier may come with his wife and children and
cousins and aunts, where they can get togeth.
er and listen to such essays and anecdotes and
shake their sides with laughter. believe IN
laughing and growing fat. At the last meet
ing | addressed IN this grove Mr.. McCaleb
was here He always went around with some
song or story and made people laugh, and he
grew fat We ought to ENJOY ourselves and
| laugh and grow fat. Thus we can throw oil
anxiety am sorry did not hear the COM
mcnCement
These old persons had some noble qualities.
No one ever went to the log cabin that didn't
get meat or was not taken in and cared for.
This characteristic made us think our neigh
Dor our brother This led us to assist each
other and help one another They were then
an economical people. In those days they
had no silks or broadcloths, silk hats, &c, but
as times have improved people have enlarged
their means. May they live long to enjoy
themselves,
The old pioneer men were industrious. Talk
of YOUR eight-hour men, They didn't stop
with eight or ten hours; they worked fifteen or.
sixteen, and thanked God that they could
work that long. The old log house with
puncheon floor was torn down when they got
able and new houses put up. They have kept
up with the times and invested their money in
gold and bonds, and now farming, instead of
drudgery, is a luxury | remember the tim
Der crotch used as harrow-three teeth III 1t
of wood. | was a boy then-a mere looker-on.
in Venice. We got improved implements,
steel mold boards for plows, moving and reap
ling machines and threshers, and so we have
gone on from day to day improving. The pio.
neers were diligent, intelligent honest and
temperate My friend Baldwin tells me he
can count ten churches from his porch, and
school houses are plenty, showing that they
ldeslre TO educate their children. 1t is on &C.
count of these characteristics that we see so
much prosperity on every hand, that has made
these towns, manufactures and Improvements,
and thus made this one of the richest of coun-
ties. Bless God that these old persons are
with us today, Their cheeks are furrowed,
ewes dimmed and stars nearly set. Ap-
plause
The choir sang The Picnic"
J.P. Tilden, of Peru, made some remarks,
in which he vigorously pitched into young
ladies who put on style wear banged hair and
silks and dance all night at balls and forget
their old grand at home The boys,
for fast horses, fancy clothes, and other eccen-
tricities came in for sharp reprimand The
old gentleman has a weak voice, and was
heard only few feet faom the platform.
Secretary Ebersol made his annual report.
Since the last meeting four old settlers have
ldied, viz: Jan 10, 1879, Ezra Dominy, Serena;
came to this county in 1885. Feb. 10, Mrs: