Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-09-04

AAO VlSIc UOyS Will ud1Cc III lICIE
engine house parlOr this evening.
Tomatoes are selling at forty cents per
bushel.
A GALA DAY.
Drumoro Celebrates = Golden wedding,
Thursday, the I'd, was a gala day in
Drumore township and the people of
''the lower end'' will not soon, forget its
happy celebration. The occasion that
called out the old, middle. aged, and young
of the section and from distance was no
less than the celebration of the fiftieth
marriage anniversary or ''golden Wedding
of James and Margaret Long, two of the
Oldest, best known and most hOnOred resi-
dents of the township. The whole affair
was a complete surprise to the bride and
groom of fifty years, fact that went far
towards making the festival .pleasurablc to
everybody concerned. Grandfather Long,
indeed, was under the impression that the
halfcentury wedding cycle was not to Oc-
cur for year longer, aud three hundred
and sixty-five days behind the time as he
was, went innocently, cheerily and quietly
to work in his tobacco patch in the gray
dawn of Thursday. As unconscious was
his good wife that the day was 50 mem Or
able in their married life, and she, too,
went about her wOnted duties in the house.
But children, relatives and friends, had
been witlc-awake; they had arranged fully
for surprise and wedding, and they
carried out their secret plans so carefully
and completely, that even they were sur
priscd at the success that was measured
out for them. Early in the day upwards
of seventy carriages, containing about two
hundred people, met Mr.. Samuel NJ. Long,
a son of the aged couple, and at 10 o'clock
the long procession set out for the old
Long homestead. Surprised thoroughly
were the long married man and wife, but
they took in the situation and were recon-
ciled, and welcomes and congratulations
became the first busy order of the day.
Appropriate wreaths and notices, the
handiwork of thoughtful friends, soon Or
namented the walls of the old house inside
and out, until it appeared as gay and trim
and natural for the occasion as if long
preparation for the event had been made
on the spot. The visitors came bOuuti-
fully supplied with edibles, and it was not
long until an immense table was made
and spread on the shady lawn. The
boards fairly creaked with their load of
dainties and substantial foods, and the
feast was such as the eye and stomach
rarely meet. All things ready here, a
procession was formed at the house and
moved in order to the dinner. The prin-
cipals of the wedding, with their children,
grandchildren and immediate family con-
nections, occupied table at the head of
the line, and the general company a more
extended one running directly away from
it. A profusiOn of flowers graced the
scene, prominent among which was a
handsome harp shaped emblem bearing the
two dates 1880 and 1880, the gift of Mrs.
Galbreath, wife of Rev. John NJ. Galbrcath,
of Chestnut Level. Full justice being
done by all to the Open-air banquet, the
company settled themselves in readiness
for tho programme that was to follow.
This consisted of an opening address by
Rev. Mr.. Galbreath, the address of the day
by J. p. Boyd, esq.,, of Philadelphia, pre-
scntatiOps by MIR. Galbreath, addresses by
Rev. MIR. Michael, of Little Britain con-
gregation, and Mr.. Thomas Collins; a
poem written by Mr.. Will McSparran and
read by Mr.. Galbreath, and hymn sung
by the grandchildren Of Mr.. and Mrs.
Long, the whole being enlivencd from time
to time by excellent music from the Me-
chanicsburg string band. Mr.. Boyd's ad-
dress came from ono who knew well tho
hOnOrcd old folks it was thoroughly in
keeping with the day and place, and we
arc only sorry that the crowded columns
of q Saturday issue forbid us to give it to
our readers in full. At the close of his
speech Mr.. Boyd presented to Mr.. and Mrs.
Long, on behalf of their children, "A memorial
tablet. This was framed in elegant style,
and consisted of the printing in gold of
the dates of the first and fiftieth weddings,
the names of tho bridal pair enclosed in
two central golden links, which in turn
were connected with forty-eight other
links as border, tho names of the four
children appearing in tho four corners.
The grandchildren, through Mr.. Galbraith,
presented two handsome easy chairs, and
a number of other presents followed rs the
offerings Of friends. The big laugh Of the
day was held over q mammoth fishing
hook, presented to Mr.. Long by some
friend who had in mind the old gentleman's
favorite sport. MIR. Thomas Collins, Of
Colcrain township, cighty-three years old,
and witness of the wedding of fifty years
ago, responded in speech after the pres
on behalf of the rccipien Is.
Mr.. COllins's speech was fluent and given
with firm voice. He thanked the donors
for their kindness, and spoke feelingly of
the lives and influence Of Grandfather
Long and his wife. The poem of Mr.. Nc
Spartan was a neat tribute of one of the
young members of the large family of rela-
tives. Letters were read from a number
of distant friends who could not be
present.
Ono of the noticeable features of the
celebration was the presence of four per-
sons that witnessed the original marriage
service fifty years ago; namely, Sanders
Mccullough, of Oxford, Chester county :;
Mrs. Amelia McSparran, a sister of Mrs.
Long Thomas Collins and Mrs Mitchell.
The last named, Mrs. Mitchell, came from
York county to lend her presence to the
party and enjoy the day. Mr.. James Mar
tin, of Union county, Ohio, also came over
four hundred miles to help honor tho occa-
sion.
There is one fact in the family history of
Mr.. and Mrs. Long, and consequently one
feature of their golden wedding, which
made the occasion nearly altogether excep-
tional. If it he true that not moro than
one couple out of fifty thousand are per-
mitted sOlemnize the fiftieth anniversary
of their marriage, it is equally true that
not more than one in fifty times fifty thou
sand arc permitted, in the midst of the
solcmnization, to be surrounded by every
child born of their marriage. Time has
not only told off lightly to the parents
their fifty years of married life, but it has
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