The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1879-08-16
but if | should live to be
The last leaf on the tree
In the spring,
Let them smile az | do now
At the old forsaken bough
Where | cling"

Let them smile as do now
At the old forsakcn bough
/ Where l cling"
+ As stated, the larger proportion of the vast
gathering WAS composed ofpcoplc on the down
wand dccliyIty Of litc's journey, and the ma
iouty Of these were ladies-old women OF vari
Gus ages from fifty to seventy, eighty and even
ninety years.
The attendance was estimated at from four
to five thousand persons. The gatc-kecper
counted four hundred and ninety three teams,
-buggics, carriages, &c. 1t was observable
that farmers, yearly at these meetings, appear
IN better conveyances than formerly AT the
first meeting at Cations park there were many
lumber wagons and few old fashioned cum
brous carriages. These have given place to
stylish and elegant turnouts, and formed an
interesting addition to the scene
South Ottawa claims, and probably with
Justice, larger number Of people over seventy
years of age than any town IN La Sale county.
She was represented at this assemblage by ff.
teen old gentlemen, viz Mr. Clark, aged SO !;
igGAph Porter, SO; Mr.. Moore, 1s Mr. Foster,
"a Mr.. Carpenter, 70; Mr.. Fields, ID; Mr..
Hossack, ~; Mr. Green, 20; Mr. Mace, u;
Mr. Porter, 20; Mr. Reed 70; Mr.. Skinner, TO-;
Mr.. Cooley, "a Mr. Macay, 70; Jos. Pickens,
70. An enterprising photographer on the
ground took the likenesses in group of per-
sons over the age of 70 years as follows: Wo-
men-A. NJ. Stanger .7S, Ottawa; PhTbe
Cole, SO, Brookfield; Elizabeth Smith, 3D. Pc
ru Mary Miller, 70, South Ottawa, came here
in 1884; Judah Stadden, 70, came here in 1881
Dayton; p. Chase, Ninety years old the pres
ent month"; came here in 1S42; Barbara Green,
Isl, Dayton, came here in 1929. Men--Joseph
Gerry, 70 years. Prairie Center; Joseph Pick
ems, 20, here 40 years; Marshall Miller, %,
here as years; Nathaniel Dominy, ~, Grand
Ridge; jeremiah Strawn, a. Ottawa; Ansel
Dewey, SO, Adams; Thos. Coleman, 70, Peru
Wesley Bachelor, 81 Freedom; j. d. Porter,
&c, Grand Ridge; Samuel Brown, 70, Ottawa;
John Mecay, 10, South Ottawa; Joseph Avery,
50, Ottawa.
In the group of those who came here in
1929 were four ladies and eight gentlemen,
among whom were Mr. and Mrs John S. Arm.
strong, David Green, Darius Reed, jeremiah
Stawn, b. T. Phelps and Others whose names
we failed to get, the dinner hour calling them
away
Other groups were taken of those OF 1882,
1885, &c, but as not one in dozen responded,
we gave up note,taking on this subject, par
ticularly because other proceedings were TAX
ing place at the stand.
THE EXERCISES,
At 1890 A. NJ. the exercises began with ex-
celent singing by twenty-five to thirty voices,
led by Prof Lancaster, of Prairie Center. The
choir was made up of voices from his own
choir and others from Ottawa and Grand
Ridge. Rev Mr. Powell, after the choir had
admirably chanted the Lords prayer, invoked
the blessings of Heaven in fitting words.
The musicians sang "Hail Columbia" and
were joined in the grand old national anthem
by many of the audience.
President Cyrus Shaver announced that Hon.
John Wentworth, the principal speaker for the
occasion, had arrived in town, but was not on
the grounds, and would address the people in
the afternoon. Others would however, fill up
the time. He introduced Mrs. Taylor, of
Streator, who read a very wel-written poem on
The unwritten poetry of early days." which
was not heard at great distance from the
platform, owing to the lady's voice being faint
and the crowd noisy. Besides, as another
drawback the trees overhead were laden
with caterpillars and the wind shook them
off in showers. As they fell among the ladies
there were suppressed screams, fiouncing OF
skirts lively dancing and much commotion,
which sadly interfered with the readers ef-
forts and marred the effect of creditable lit
erary production.
The President next introduced
MR.. PRITCHARD,
of DE Kalb county, who said, IN substance;
When came here today, to be called upon
to speak was wholly unexpected, and l was
s,rrr,sa.i when coming uDOn the ground