The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1880-08-14
THE OLD SETTLERS.


The annual picnic Of the Old settlers Asso-
citation has come TO be one Of the great days OF
the county, and Is always looked forward TO with
intense interest. As means OF social inter
course nothing has been invented equal to IT.
Annually old acqunintances are renewed ana old
memories revived Of the "dnys when we were
young" and while the cold fellows" and the good
old La Sale county mothers talk over the past
their sons and their daughters get acquainted,
establish friendships, .perpetuating old friend
ships to the second and third generation.
The attendance on Thursday was larger than
ever From early morning until after noon the
roads were aled with the handsome conveyances
of our rural friends and railroad trains were
loaded with visitors from distant parts OF the
county Young and old, good fathers and moth
ers past their three score and ten" the next
generation whose memories run back 10 and ~
years, then the younger men, the lads, the pref.
| ty girls, ana there were scores ana scores oil
these, the children, and the babies,-all were
there, to the number of II couple OF thousands;
and when after dinner the city people turned
out, not less than 5000 people could have been
on the ground.
How the vast crowd enjoyed themselves can
best be told by themselves. All appeared ITO be
happy" aud making the most out of the day.
! The literary and oratorica part of the pro
gramme was begun ut about 1880; when, after
music aud prayer, the welcome address by Mr.
JOHN :. ARMSTRONG was made. He said, III
substance:
| NelgiOOrS ana ttH NtUftIS: regret w see ~
few oi the old settlers who were here 30 years
ago: ! do not believe there are over half II dozen
present. The whole country north oi here was
once Tazcwell county. The court house where
all the justice was administered was a mere LOG
| cabin On the banks Of the Mackinaw river, IN
Tuzewcll county, the building of which did not
cost probably oyer 500 This was the first cir
cult court ever attended in the state OF Illinois
at which Judge Lockwood presided. So far as
churches are concerned, don't believe there was
t.. an ,,f Ia
ry This nj the time when Adam Paine, Er
ron Paine, Elder Bcggs and Elder Walker were
doing the preaching around the country III ole
log cabins, and who were the first ministers q
The Gospel In this part Of the country. Al thai
time We didn't go to meeting IN elliptic spring
lbuggies, but were content 10 ride in lumber
wagons drawn by OK teams. These were som,
of the Inconvenience the old settlers nboret
under. But we were all in the same boat ant
there was friendly feeling prevailing among u
all, which regret to say does not exist amonl
the people at the present day While we had
hard time In one sense Of the word, We had
good time in another sense. The president apol
IoglZed for more lengthy speech on account o
there being so many who wanted to say word
and he would give way for them.
After a song by the choir, the president intro
duced the Hon. JUDGE CATION, who spoke sub
stsntially al follows:
Mr. President and Geatlcn,cs Of The Old Settlers
Society: You have imposed upon me the duty q
responding 10 the welcome which has been cX
tended by the president of this society 10 the ol
settlers who are assembled here from all parts o
the country. | understand that a good many o
the old settlers Of 40 and 20 years ago have hon
ored US with their presence on this occasion, AM
II well became the president 10 bid them heart
| welcome and 10 refer 10 that happy time whel
, they or their fathers first broke in upon this dc
l'igbtful land; delightful IL was then in all 1t
native beauty aud pristine purity as compares
with its present fourshing condition. They cal
. deeply appreciate the welcome thus extended
The contrast Is really wonderful: but few ar
a left, DO doubt, and yet II Is surprising when VI
Hook about and see how few there were 30 or a